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(Lander, WY) – River outfitter, Wyoming Rivers Cooperative, is preparing for its upcoming season of rafting and packrafting trips which is slated to begin in the coming months, pending weather.
WRC currently operates on rivers in and around our backyard which include the upper Wind River from Dubois, the middle Popo Agie, the Sweetwater River through the Sweetwater Wilderness Study Area, the upper Green River from Green River Lakes, the main Shoshone near Cody, as well as the North Fork of the Shoshone.
Owners and lead guides Landon Blanchard and Elyse Guarino offer both rafting and packrafting day-trips as well as more in-depth courses including a 3-day Intro to Packrafting, 3-5 day Intermediate Packrafting, and 3-5 Advanced Packrafting.
Prior to starting WRC last year, they had careers in the outdoor guide/outfitting world and conservation-oriented nonprofits.
“From this, we began to see an opportunity for a for-profit outfitting company that was conservation and community focused — serving the outdoor recreation economy, as well as the state’s river ecologies through conservation-focused and experienced-based river trips,” they shared.
As far as growth goes, they plan to look to their network of guides and instructors to help facilitate as opportunities arise. They are actively seeking individuals who possess intimate knowledge of specific rivers and communities to help provide custom trip experiences focused on specific issues affecting Wyoming’s rivers.
While we have many visions for the company’s future, we ultimately want the company to serve as an example of sustainable-use in the outdoor recreation sphere. We also look for the company to be a centralized place for river-users of all kinds (outfitters, private boaters, conservation groups) to focus on river issues affecting economies, ecologies, and communities throughout the state and region. We hope to facilitate trips with respect for the rivers and communities themselves. -WRC
Hoping to add to their river options, they are in the permitting process with the Shoshone National Forest.
Folks interested in other river stretches or maybe a trip in the “off-season” (between November and mid-April) are welcome to submit a custom trip inquiry on their website.
“We would like to thank the community of Lander for continuing to welcome small businesses like ours who have a vested interest in the well-being of the community and local ecology itself,” they said. “We also would love to thank the individuals and businesses who helped us through this crazy first year of operation.”
Last spring, they organized the Middle Popo Agie clean-up with resulted in nearly 2,500lbs of trash and metal being pulled from the river. They are excited to continue helping revitalize and heal the Popo Agie watershed through clean-ups and restoration projects, with the leadership of the Popo Agie Conservation Districts’s Healthy River Initiative. “Stay tuned for River Clean up 2021!”
WRC is also hosting a Wilderness First Aid and Swiftwater Rescue Training course at the end of April.
Find more information at wyorivers.com or check out their social media: Facebook and Instagram.