The Guide Crew Portions of the site are being updated daily, so please contact us if you have questions about our trips or can't find what your looking for. High Country Expeditions and its guides operate and consider themselves a - family - team. All High Country river guides hold a certificate as Whitewater Rescue or Swift-water Technicians, certified in CPR, Advanced First Aid and trained in a variety of river rescue techniques. This is an exceptional standard of training only met by approximately 1%-5% of outfitters. Matching these exceptional river skills with friendly, fun, welcoming and outgoing personalities makes High Country guides some of the finest in the industry. We look forward to sharing a wonderful river experience with you soon! Georg & Jessica HCE owners Georg and Jessica work closely with the guide crew throughout the entire year, always growing and learning from each other. Believing that this close-knit relationship results in the finest all around outdoor guides in the business making our guides the pride of High Country Expeditions. Casey Sandy You won't believe this Beaver and Oregon native used to be afraid of the water when your on his raft. These days, whether it's on a raft or in his kayak, Casey can't get enough when it comes to water. He's come a long way since his Dad had to trick him into going on his first rafting trip when he was twelve years old. He says that trip was the defineing moment when he realized how much more there was to river guiding than just navigating the rapids. Casey's guide on that trip took him out of his comfort zone and made him feel so comfortable that he actually swam a rapid voluntarily by the end of the trip. Casey uses this experience to help others who are wary about whitewater when they come on rafting trips with him. He enjoys helping other people leave their comfort zone and experience the thrills and gratification of whitewater rafting. Lauren Lakowsky Lauren started whitewater kayaking at the age of 13 in Brevard, North Carolina. Running great Southeast whitewater rivers including the Green, Nantahala, French Broad, Chattooga, Ocoee, Pigeon... This is also when she was first introduced to rafting, mostly with friends. At age 16 Lauren began teaching kayaking at a girls summer camp in Brevard. These days she teaches Kayaking at Oregon State University, when she’s not running rivers with High Country Expeditions as a whitewater raft guide. “I have a lot of respect for the people who have taught me in the past and present about rivers. I work to continue their passion by passing on to others the skills and respect for rivers and the environment that they have taught me.” Lauren is sure to make any fun & exciting river trip an extraordinarily positive experience for everyone around her. To balance her obsession with water, Lauren has acquired a love of clay and fire. Over the last few years throwing and firing pottery has equally become a huge part in her life. John Deshazo John left his Alabama hometown in 2002, moving to Oregon in search of whitewater, snow and recreational opportunities. He had experienced classic southern-style whitewater such as the Ocoee and Nantahala rivers in the southeast, and then took a pivotal trip to the Grand Canyon when he was 19 years old. Here he and three others rowed through the Canyon on a 24 day trip. After deciding to move West to pursue his recreational interests, he wasn't disappointed when he landed in McKenzie Bridge and, to his delight, found an abundance of what he was looking for. He has been working as a part of the High Country Guide Team ever since, fine tuning his skills on several Northwest rivers while fulfilling his dream of sharing his whitewater experiences with others. Bess Ballantine - currently in New Zealand A Tennessee native, Bess got her first taste of whitewater on the Olympian run Ocoee River when she was only 12-years-old. This planted the seed for a long and adventurous whitwater career. Before coming to Oregon, Bess dabbled in some southern style rafting, guiding on the French Broad and the Pigeon Rivers before heading west. Now an Oregon Duck, Bess relocates to McKenzie Bridge each summer where she is a welcome addition to the High Country Guide Team. Bess still oozes with southern charm, making every trip she guides unforgettable. Charlie "Chachi" Flume This die hard Packers fan and Wisconsin native fell in love with the beauty of Oregon the first time he laid eyes on it. Growing up as a ski racer, Chachi could hardly believe his ears when he heard you could ski in Oregon 365 days a year if you wanted to. The snowy peaks may have brought Chachi to Oregon, but the whitewater rafting and fly-fishing have helped keep him here. Chachi was first introduced to Whitewater when he moved to Oregon, and he quickly added this to his list of hobbies. Chachi now calls McKenzie Bridge home, and hopes to stay here indefinately. He is thrilled that he has been able to take one of his passions-rafting, and make it his summertime profession. He loves to be on the river every day and is especially fond of meeting the many types of people that join him each day on rafting trips. Conner Burck