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 is originally from Northern Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a major in Environmental Law Enforcement. He grew up hunting, fishing, and exploring the forests and shores around Lake Superior. After college he worked as a Park Ranger in Wisconsin for 2 years before becoming a guide with ARC. Kevin is always looking for new adventures and would love to make your Alaskan experience one to remember! When he is not on the water, Kevin enjoys mountain biking, hiking, hockey, football, canoeing, and traveling.

Patrick Brouse – Master Boatman

Patrick came to us all the way from Ohio. It took him a little bit of time to acclimate to the colder summer temperatures, but you can always find him on or in the river. Patrick loves the great outdoors, especially fly fishing. If he is not on the river rafting and fishing, you might run into him backpacking and hiking around. Patrick recently earned his degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Mollie Donohue-Meyer

Raised in beautiful Western Massachusetts, Mollie first came to Alaska out of high school to work with 72 dogs at a sled dog kennel! Even after an Alaskan winter, she’s back for more and loves being part of the crew at ARC. She’ll be starting her second year of college in the fall at Tulane University in New Orleans where she studies Sociology and tries to squeeze in as many languages as she can. She loves to laugh and hike and will swim just about anywhere any time of the year.

 Brenna Petrie – Lead Boatwoman

Brenna was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is following in her brother, Drew’s, footsteps and joining the ARC family. Since she was five years old, Brenna has been an alpine ski racer and that has led her to travel throughout  the Western United States. This winter she will be a ski racing coach for the Alyeska Ski Club, out of Girdwood, Alaska. Brenna is an avid participator in the Alyeska Slush Cup and has a dream to get the biggest crash award every time. When Brenna is not on the river or off skiing somewhere, she is probably taking one of her daily naps.

Shay Amos – Operations Manager

Shay was born and raised in Big Timber, Montana but has graced us with his presence in Cooper Landing for the last 4 years.  You often find him building or fixing something around camp, and we do send him down the river when something isn’t broken. He and his dog Blu are inseparable (mostly because Blu has separation anxiety) and you can often find them outside guaranteed to be playing fetch. If you’re lucky, Blu might even bring her stick to you one day, only if you’re cool enough. Shay enjoys fishing, hiking, hunting, riding his 4-wheeler, and doing anything outside.

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.

Camden Mullis

Camden, or more known just as Cam, was born in Georgia and came to Alaska for the adventure and the fishing. He also lived and worked in Yellowstone National Park as well in Utah. He graduated from Middle Georgia State University with a bachelors in Business Management and also earned his private pilots license while there. Fishing is his passion and now is how he spends the majority of his free time. Cam loves floating rivers, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and snowboarding as well.

Vanessa Kale

Born and raised in Bellingham, WA, Vanessa has been taking seasonal jobs and traveling in her off time for the last several years. From waitressing in Yellowstone National Park for two summers or guiding wilderness therapy groups in Utah’s mountains and deserts, she believes working as a raft guide for ARC is her favorite job yet. When she’s off the river she loves hiking in the backcountry, camping, snowboarding, hiking, poaching the occasional yurt, hiking protecting squirrels from ARC, oh and hiking……

Joy Bartlett

Joy was born and raised right here in Cooper Landing and went on to attend various colleges around the state. Since graduating two years ago from University of Alaska Southeast, she has enjoyed working seasonally. It’s allowed her to travel during Alaska’s winters while expanding her perspectives. It’s been four years since Joy has lived and worked in her hometown and she feels as if she wouldn’t rather be anywhere else but this beautiful place that offers endless adventures.

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.

Chris DeGeneres

If you join us for one of our guided hikes, you may have the pleasure of going out with this wonderful Alaskan lady. An experienced outdoors woman (hiking, fishing, hunting, chopping wood… you name it), Chris is right at home hiking and tromping around the wonderful trails in Cooper Landing. (And it doesn’t hurt that she is also a year round resident!) She is an avid birder and naturalist that loves to share her knowledge, so having her take you or your group out on a hike is a wonderful treat to add to your Alaskan experience.

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!

Yvette Galbraith – ARC Marketing Coordinator

In 2003 Yvette was introduced to a handsome fellow that owned a rafting and fishing guide business on the Kenai Peninsula. After 3 years of dating, she found herself marrying this adrenaline junkie and relocating with her two boys (Kyle and Jimmy), their dog and her marketing consulting business to Cooper Landing. Yvette was raised in Anchorage and received her degree in Marketing with a minor in Tourism Industry Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She owns and operates Alaska Marketing Consultants and handles the promotion of ARC. She loves to get away from her computer when she can, so you often can find her gardening or helping outside when needed. Also during the summer you may find her doing “extensive market research” on various raft trips or drift fishing with the employees, especially on gorgeous sunny days.

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.

Alley Cat

Alley Cat originated from the mysterious world of Craigslist around 10 years ago. We were lucky enough to pick her up and welcome her into the ARC family. Alley Cat is the toughest employee of all. She lives on camp by herself all winter long, acting as our Winter Guardian. By the time spring rolls around, she won’t leave people alone. She is so loving and craving attention, that if you invite her into your tent, good luck getting her to leave for the rest of the summer. She is a rare sighting on camp; you must prove yourself worthy of Alley Cat’s friendship.