Tim often says he has the perfect life. He spends much of his year teaching mathematics and geology to high school and junior college students. But when summer hits, he can usually be found on a river.

 

Tim grew up camping, boating, and fishing the lakes of Minnesota. His parents instilled a love of all things outdoors within him and his two brothers. Annual vacations out west only enhanced a love of mountains and rivers and in 1983, he followed that love of the west to Burley, Idaho. Tim has often said, “I wasn’t lucky enough to be born in Idaho, but I’m darned sure going to die in Idaho.”

 

Tim moved to Idaho with a degree in drafting and a few years of experience in construction. After four more years of construction, he returned to school and earned a B.S. in Mathematics Education and later a Masters of Natural Science in Geology from Idaho State University in Pocatello. 1990 was an important year for Tim. He began his teaching career that year at Burley High School and still loves watching kids learn and expand their knowledge. He also began his boating career.

 

In the summer of 1990, Tim was invited by a friend to go along as a “grunt” on a commercial river trip on the Main Salmon in Idaho. Although he had only rafted once, Tim thought it would be a good way to see the Salmon River, even if it meant working long hours. By the second day he was hooked, and has not missed a season of guiding on the Main Salmon or Middle Fork since. In 1994 he met his best friend, Marilyn on the Salmon and they were married a year later on the river. They enjoy many outdoor adventures together both on and off the river. They raised two kids and will have their second grandchild in August of 2014. Tim can also be found chasing elk with his muzzleloader, target shooting, hiking, and camping, and traveling.

 

Tim began his guiding career with Warren River Expeditions and spent 20 years working for them on the Main Salmon and Middle Fork of the Salmon. He did his first trip with Helfrich River Outfitters in 2011. “I can’t imagine a better river trip than that offered by Helfrich River Outfitters. I feel fortunate to work with such a great group of people,” Tim says. Although Tim teaches Geology for much of the year, he never tires of talking about the geology of his favorite river, the Middle Fork of the Salmon.