Alan Braunholtz

Parker Stacks

Born and raised in Raleigh, NC. Growing up in the Piedmont, I never experienced whitewater until I went to college. Being a lover of mountains and water, I was instantly hooked. In my off-season I like to travel around in pursuit of world-class whitewater, whether that’s back home in the south, in South America, or somewhere new. Occasionally, if there’s not enough water around, you can find me mountain biking or skiing. But best believe it, when that snow starts to melt in Colorado, there’s no place I’d rather be!

Anna Butcher

Born in the green mountains of Vermont, Anna first started her guiding career in Massachusetts on the Deerfield River. She fell in love with the whitewater culture and community and after moving to Colorado looking for new rivers and adventures, she found Lakota. She’s previously worked as a backpacking guide, a bartender, a ski instructor, and a ski tech. She enjoys spotting and pointing out birds on and off the river.

Charlie Kollmer

Started guiding with Lakota in 2020, he is a New Yorker who has become utterly smitten with the West Coast. On his off days you can find him basking in an Eddy in an alligator costume with a beer in hand. He also enjoys climbing, skiing, and anything to get a tan. His favorite thing about guiding is sharing his love of the river and helping people build lasting memories from their trips.

Connor Christoffersen

Isabella ‘Bella’ Borski

Bella grew up in a whitewater family so it was inevitable that she would be a boater. Bella has many roles with Lakota and can be seen either helping guests get checked-in, as a safety kayaker, guiding rafts, taking photos and is a Dive Master… wait what? Recently graduated College with a degree in Environmental Studies while playing all 4 years ice hockey so don’t under estimate this little blondie, she’s tough along the ‘boards’.

Mark Carll

Mark grew up moving around in a Marine Corps family, spending much of his childhood on the coast of North Carolina. If he wasn’t surfing, he was fishing, free diving, or anything else that would get him in the water. Naturally, when Mark moved to the mountains full time in 2011, he was drawn to whitewater rafting to get his “water fix.” He started guiding with Lakota in 2014, and fell in love with it immediately. Mark enjoys teaching different people everyday how to overcome the rapids, working outside, the daily connection with the river, and of course laughing and … continued

Derek Redd

Happiness is healthiness ~Momma Redd If you’re not falling, you’re not learning ~Dada Redd

Bill Hoblitzell

Bill has worked on rivers in West Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and India since 1999– and explored many more with friends.  People have either loved him or hated him, or they thought he was okay.

Joe Giglio

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Joe found his way to Lakota Guides quickly after graduating from college. He’s known around the boathouse as Giggles, due to his recognizable laugh and last name. Over the years his passion for whitewater has only grown, taking him to famous rivers across the United States, Asia, and South America. During winters, you can be sure to find Joe kayaking the rivers of his adopted country, Chile. Even after years of seeking new whitewater, Joe always returns to Lakota, because we are a family.

Chris Johnson

Chris grew up in Woodland Colorado.  Being a native Coloradan, he has spent his entire life enjoying the outdoors recreating. He began guiding in 2004 for Lakota, and has been here ever since. During the winter months, he works at Beaver Creek Ski Patrol with his rescue dog Luna, one of the few places that you can have your dog at work. When not rafting or kayaking, he also enjoys skiing and snowmobiling in the Colorado backcountry.

Jeff Keiper

Jeff started his rafting career over seventeen years ago on the Eagle River near Vail, Colorado.  He has guided rafts on three continents including five countries, including most of the classic runs in the United States.  He continues to guide for Lakota mostly because he enjoys the incredible guests and the variety of world class whitewater nearby.  He also enjoys climbing mountains on his snowmobile or in his crampons.  Jeff answers to the nickname “Keeper,” like the pronunciation of his last name.

Leah Handelsman

A former firefighter/paramedic, Leah left the city years ago when she heard the mountains calling. Her passion for excitement and life-long love of water led her to a career as a rafting guide. A year-round resident of the valley, Leah spends her winters working as a ski patroller at Vail. When not guiding, Leah enjoys hiking, camping, climbing, ski mountaineering, and paddling her backyard-run on the Eagle River.

Erika German

Born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Erika grew up with a love for the wilderness and outdoors.  She started raft guiding in 2008, and her heart has been with the river since. Guiding is something she wants to do as long as she can because the experience is different everyday.  She loves teaching people how to be a team, and showing them that they are capable of things that they have fears about or don’t think they can achieve. Having never been to Colorado before, she moved here with her dog, Malu, in 2011, and now has grown roots here.  Along with guiding … continued

Karl Borski

Karl has been in the guiding business for over twenty-five years.  He has spent several years paddling in countries such as Chile, Panama, Guatemala just to mention a few. Karl also lived for several years in Honduras, running a raft company there. Because of his expertise in guiding and running an overseas rafting business, Karl is a vital player in the daily operations at Lakota and heads up our Overnight Multi-day adventures. Karl seeks to ensure that every guest has the most exciting time and enjoys what he has made as his career…playing in the outdoors. Karl believes Vail, Colorado … continued