ABOUT US, GUIDES
Who We Are
SOAR Northwest River Co. Owners & Guides:
Northwest River Co. was founded in 1982 by Doug Tims. Doug is a past president of both the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association and America Outdoors, the national outfitter organization. He also served six years on the board of America's oldest citizen conservation group, American Forests. Today, S.O.A.R. Northwest River Co.’s operations are run by co-owners Ari and Danielia Kotler.
Ari Kotler:
Ari has been guiding class I-V rivers for 18 years in Idaho, California, West Virginia, Colorado, and Costa Rica. He has been a Selway guide since 2006. His experiences on a variety of technical and large volume rivers as well as working for various successful companies provides a background well suited to guide and manage an effective and efficient operation on the Selway River. Aside from 18 years of boating experience, Ari enjoys his roles as husband, father and community leader.
During the off season he is involved in real estate rentals and philanthropy. In addition to rivers, hockey is his wintertime passion and in 2005 Ari developed Teton Basin Ice and Recreation (TBIR) a 501c3. TBIR’s mission was to create a community ice rink in Victor, Idaho and in 2009, enough money had been raised that a 14,000 sq. ft. covered outdoor facility was built. This project has been a tremendous asset for Teton Valley, Idaho and Ari continues to be involved with the further development of the ice arena. Today Ari and his family reside in Hamilton, Montana.
Danielia Kotler:
‘Dee’ was raised in Montana and is an avid kayaker, rafter and river-runner. She is very enthusiastic about sharing the river with others! She has also been a labor and delivery nurse for over 15 years. Currently, she is involved in the logistics of S.O.A.R. Northwest River Co. and will play an active role on and off the river. Above all, she is a mother to her and Ari’s daughter Daisy.
Marty Smith:
A co-owner of Northwest, was raised on the Selway River and later played football at Yale. He has been a guide on the Selway River since 1994. Along with his family, Marty owns and operates Three Rivers Resort and Rafting in Lowell. He has been a licensed guide in Idaho since 1988 and continues to operate the family business on the Selway, Lochsa, Clearwater and Lower Salmon rivers. He is the past Chairman of the Idaho Travel Council and past President of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. In addition to his love of fly-fishing, he is a football coach in the Clearwater Valley school system.
Joe Lindsay
Joe began guiding in 1986 on the Tuolumne River in California. In following years he guided and kayaked more extensively on Class III to V rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho and in Chile where he worked videotaping the last full rafting season on the now inundated Bio Bio River. Joe has also worked for the Colorado Outward Bound School and Yosemite Institute, sharing his love of the natural world with young people. In recent years he has begun capturing the beauty of flowing water using submersible digital video cameras with his project Healing Waters: a DVD being considered by Duke University's integrative medicine facility for use in its oncology department.
Robert “Scoop” Carlson
I have lived, explored, and worked the rivers in many regions of the United States for over 30 years. I attended the School of Hard Knocks and cut my teeth near Great Falls on the Potomac River, learning how to kayak and discovering my passion for rivers. Later, I graduated with a BS in Outdoor Recreation from Ohio University. From there, I have followed my love of whitewater around the country, working on the Ocoee, Androscoggin, and Gauley rivers in the Appalachians. Then out west on the Snake, Main Salmon, Middle Fork of the Salmon, and, finally, the creme de la creme of the U.S. : the Selway. I am the proud father of 4 daughters, and lucky enough to have a wife who can understand and support me in all my passions of this life. I look forward to the chance to share my love of rivers and the Selway with you.
Shane Moser
Shane is an Idaho native, born and raised in the Palouse region of Northern Idaho amidst a mixed landscape of agriculture and canyons on top of the Clearwater River Breaks. He now calls the region surrounding Salmon, Idaho 'home.' He graduated in 2008 from the University of Idaho in Moscow, with a degree in Civil Engineering, Mathematics, and Outdoor Recreation Leadership. Shane began guiding multi-day Wilderness trips out of Salmon in 1999 and has been doing so professionally ever since - he is certified as a Wilderness First Responder as well as a Swiftwater Technician. He is the proud new father of Zane, born during the exact hours of Idaho's first and most significant hydrograph peak in 2011, with the Selway spiking to nearly 30,000 cfs! Zane was also born during the 75th anniversary of Captain Harry Guleke's famous National Geographic-sponsored scow expedition down the Selway's sister-river, the Main Salmon. Shane was lucky enough to assist in the first scow expedition down the Main Salmon in over 20 years, in commemeration of this 75th anniversary. Shane's passion in recent years has been skiing powder during the winter time while running high-water Wilderness adventures in the spring time. His passion in guiding has developed into a quiet study of the total interconectedness within our natural environs. He looks forward to sharing the Selway River with you, and to continuing his adventures along with his son Zane.
Hal Tweto
Mike Walker
