Our Boatman and Other Characters at Alaska Rivers Company

At Alaska Rivers Company, we take tremendous pride in our staff. All are CPR Certified, and have attended the Kenai River Guide Academy for fishing or rafting. Several are certified by the Coast Guard, and all our fishing guides carry the 52 million pieces of certification required by Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Chugach National Forest, Alaska State Parks, and the Department of Environmental Conservation. (Just to name a few).

We feel that our ARC guide crew is set apart because of the pride we instill in them about the importance of being a boatman, and not just a guide.  We emphasize safety first and adhering to rules of the river. As a part of our staff, we expect our employees to be professional and personable at all times, on and off the water. Finally, we make sure our crew has fun in what they do, and humor in their work. By following these simple steps with our staff, we have created a fabulous loyal team that will provide you a safe, fun and professional Alaskan experience on the upper Kenai and at Alaska Rivers Company.

Erik Route – Owner

Born in Colorado and raised in a very small mountain community west of Denver, Erik spent the majority of his childhood summers in Alaska, mostly in Cooper Landing with his aunt, uncle and extended family. At 13, his uncle started to take him on 10-day wilderness float trips in Western Alaska. Erik confesses that he learned what it takes to become a true boatman: row a boat, cast a line, cuss and tell lies. Erik graduated from college in Colorado with a BS in Geology and then went to Montana to pursue his master’s degree. All of this schooling made him realize how much he missed rowing a boat, casting a line, cussing and telling lies. That’s why he moved to Alaska permanently in 2003 and became a local Cooper Landing resident and started working for Alaska Rivers Company where this sort of behavior is normal. Erik’s likes: boating (of course), skiing, wrestling brown bears, playing music, clubbing salmon, snow machining, hunting, cussing, telling lies.

Cory Route – Owner

This little gal might throw you for a loop when you first meet her, but don’t let this sweet soft-spoken Arkansas gal fool you. She runs the ARC crew year-round (okay… and Erik too) and keeps us all on our toes, organized, moving and groovin’. Cory has a degree in Geology as well, and is a top-notch Alaskan naturalist. In addition to being familiar with our wild berries, mushrooms, flowers and fauna, she’s quite artistic, painting, knitting hats and making jewelry. A competitive runner in college, Cory was at the top of the NCAA crowd in cross country running. Cory also is quite competitive when it comes to skiing, skijoring, kayaking, softball and the basketball game bump. You definitely don’t mess with her at bump…

Gary Galbraith – Founder

In 1976 Gary came upon the beautiful community of Cooper Landing and sank his roots onto the banks of the Upper Kenai River. Starting with very little, and working two to three jobs, while raising a family in the early years,  he built  Alaska Rivers Company to become one of the longest established rafting and fishing guide outfitters on the Kenai Peninsula.  In 2016, Gary handed over the oars of his beloved business to Erik and Cory in showing locals and visitors the wonders of the Upper Kenai and our great state. Now he’s finally able to have carefree summers in the Landing, and can be often found in his garden, out on the trails or water, or be seen flying above, sight seeing on sunny days.

Kevin Ostrowski – General Manager

Kevin came to us from northern Wisconsin where he grew up exploring the woods and waters around the great lakes.  Every time he had the opportunity to spend the day on the water, on (or off) a trail, or with a fishing rod you can bet he was there.  After graduating from college in Natural Resources Kevin’s sense of adventure took over and brought him to the great state of Alaska. This is where he discovered his passion for playing in the mountains and rivers.  If Kevin can’t be found along the river or herding the crew around camp, take a look at the mountain tops around Cooper Landing and you just might see him running around up there to see what’s on the other side.

Will Meni – Operations Manager

Will Meni was born and raised in San Diego California and is an avid outdoorsman currently pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. He’s worked many odd jobs from being a food manager at the zoo to a kids swim instructor, but eventually he fell in love with the Alaskan wilderness and has been guiding ever since. He loves to share his passion for the outdoors with people and hopes to make their trip unforgettable. In his downtime he loves to go fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, backpacking, etc. if it’s outside then he’ll be there.

Hamish Stevenson – Lead Guide

Hamish, known locally as Hambone, is a Maine raised outdoorsman and fishing fool! Constantly in search of wild fish, wild food, wild times, and wild places, Hambone journeyed west to experience bigger waterways and landscapes. While the salmon and trout of the Kenai sparked his interest in Alaska, it was the elusive Kenai Whitefish that pushed him to become a river guide. Hambone also has a degree in aquatic ecology and works in Washington state as a fisheries technician during the off-season. His other interests include canoeing, rafting, pretty much all boating, bush whacking, swamp stomping, gut laughing, bird hunting, goin fast, yelling “woo-hoo”, picking up cool things in the woods (mushrooms, berries, antlers, feathers, etc), and snorkeling rivers.

Jessie Mangum – Lead Scenic Guide

Jessie’s love of the outdoors began at a young age exploring the mountains of central Idaho by foot, boat, and ski. She has worked as a middle school science teacher, geologist, kayak instructor, and log home/fireplace builder. In her free time, you can find her hiking up peaks, paddling rivers, skiing, and fishing around the Kenai Peninsula. In June of 2022 she made the solo drive from Idaho to Alaska in search of new adventure and hasn’t left since. Jess loves being able to combine all of her passions here at Alaska Rivers Company.

Kip Kime

Kip Kime is a seasoned Alaskan big game hunter and fisherman. He has been fishing the Kenai River since the early ’80s and specializes in fly fishing for rainbows and salmon. Kip’s family has been here since the early ’60s and he calls the Kenai Peninsula his 2nd home.

Mia Widdowson

Mia is from Lehi, Utah a rapidly growing city south of Salt Lake City.  After her summer in Alaska she will be headed to UVU for school and will major in exercise science. In her free time, she loves to mountain bike. Utah is known for its amazing mountain biking trails but she’s super excited to explore the trails of Alaska. Mia is also passionate about music. She loves to play the guitar and could spend hours learning and playing new songs. She loves to hangout out with her family! They are highly competitive when it comes to sports. Recently, they’ve come to love pickleball and will take any chance to get out on the courts! She is a big dog lover so of course she has to mention her dog, Berklee. The family isn’t complete without her.

Linnaea Gossard

Linnaea was born and raised in the beautiful town of Cooper Landing, Alaska. She is attending the University of Alaska Anchorage, working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Communications. However, she loves coming back home every summer, to work as a raft guide. Linnaea loves being out on the water, and was a kayak guide out on the Kenai Lake, before switching to become a raft guide here at ARC. Linnaea enjoys hiking, backpacking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and loves any chance she gets to travel.

Caroline Hardy

Native to the Great Lakes state, (Michigan!) Caroline grew up surrounded by water and raised on a love for the outdoors! Some may say she’s even Smokey Bear’s biggest fan! She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor and Environmental Recreation with a minor in Leadership at Central Michigan University and joined us here at ARC this summer as part of her internship. Some of her favorite outdoor hobbies include: rock-climbing, paddle-boarding, slack-lining, kayaking, doing junior ranger workbooks in national parks, hiking, backpacking, skiing (when she’s not running into trees), and hugging rocks, trees, people, you name it! (just not bears!!!) Some of her other favorite hobbies include: watching live music, sending it, finding cool coffee shops, wearing chacos & socks, overusing the word ‘swag,’ playing solitaire & doing puzzles!

Andrew Machelski

Jim Shirley

Jim is our international man of mystery. He is your typical Alaskan mountain man, a master welder, and can fix just about anything. If you end up taking one of our rafting trips, Jim most likely welded the frame for that raft! He also helped build a majority of the buildings here on camp. Jim lives in a canvas, platform wall tent year round in Cooper Landing, accompanied by his dogs, chickens, goats, and rabbits on his property. Fun facts about Jim: he can’t find gloves large enough to fit his hands, he can perform a C-Section on a cow, he lived on a boat in Prince William Sound, he lived on Caribou Island on Skilak Lake, and he fended off a moose by hitting it on the head with a 2×4 after it had charged into our Big House Cabin during construction.

Krissy Route

Krissy is one of our go-to gals who works in our office, a top notch naturalist for conducting hikes and helps running shuttles.  She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Park and Protected Area Management, and is currently going for her Masters at Alaska Pacific University. She is one busy gal, as she also works full time for AmeriCorps, and is very involved in educating our visitors and our little community on the impact of waste on our environment. That being said, be sure to not even think about littering around her… definitely not a good idea!

Our Pets

Folks in Cooper Landing love their pets. And at ARC, we love our animals. But just to clarify before we go any further: we love our pets, not yours. So when visiting our facility, please leave your animals at home. We do not allow pets in our rental cabins and being left all day in your car (especially on a hot day) is just really lame for your four-legged best friend.

Capella

One word. Goof. Well two. Sweet Goof. She’s a love bug and likes her pats, rubs and any attention you give her. She has been mistaken as a bear a couple times, so since she is loved so much, we have a tendency to decorate her in bright colors so hunters know better! Capella can be found in two places, sitting in the vans on hot days, or in the dirt if she has just had a bath. She got the nickname “Smelly” for a reason!

Mopah

Mopah is the new puppy of Alaska Rivers Company! He is a mix between a black poodle and a golden retriever, making him a golden doodle. His number one goal in life right now is to be Capella’s best friend. He’s still working on it though…

Brook

Brook is a mix between a golden retriever, yellow lab, and husky. You know what that means, absolutely adorable and hyper! She loves chase after bugs and beg for as much food as she can. If you pick up a stick with her around, be aware that you’ll have a new best friend. But no promises that she’s gonna return it back to you once she gets ahold of it.