Team Indigo is comprised of guides, drivers, and a customer/trip support crew who love showing off our regions favorite rivers and wild places. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, to run polished and expectation-shattering adventures, and love – absolutely love – sharing our amazing backyard rivers with locals and travelers alike.
One would be hard-pressed to find a crew with more years in this business than the team at Indigo Creek. On average, each of our guides have over 16 years experience working on rivers throughout the west. But years of experience isn’t the only thing that matters. Our team is one of the best in the business because they are authentic, caring, accomplished, and humble.
The full package is what makes Indigo Creek stand out: Southern Oregon hospitality, combined with decades of professional guiding experience, backed by a support team that works tirelessly behind the scenes. These are the reasons why our guests return year after year.
Julie Volpert – Owner & Reservations
Julie worked at Southern Oregon University as an Academic Advisor for nine years prior to joining Indigo Creek Outfitters. When she’s not helping guests plan their rafting trips, she stays busy as a mom to Emma, Carson, and Elijah. Read more about Julie, Will, their family, and the story behind Indigo Creek.
Ian Gannon – Klamath Manager and Guide
Beginning his journey in Colorado, Ian has since made home in many places across the globe during his extensive travels. During the off season, he devotes much of his time to honing his skills as an artist.
Phil Finkel – Guide
After retiring from a successful 8th grade teaching career, Phil enjoys nordic / backcountry skiing and mountain biking throughout northeastern California. He stays busy managing his 17-acre forest on the northern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Phil has guided multi-day rafting trips on the Rogue River since 1989.
Jill Lovrin – Guide
Jill’s been in the Rogue Valley for quite some time and loves sharing our awesome rivers with visitors and locals alike. She’s a teacher and fills in her summer break with time on the river. While Jill mainly runs trips on the Wild & Scenic Rogue, she eagerly chases opportunities to run boats down Nugget Falls on the Rogue Valley Rapid Run.
Taylor Hanlan – Guide
Taylor began her guiding career on the Eagle River in Colorado in 2019 and joined the Indigo Creek team in 2021.
Brian Wruck – Guide
Retired from a career with the US Coast Guard, Brian now works as a real estate agent river guide. He began his career as a river guide on the Trinity River. Over many years of perfecting the craft, Brian has become widely regarded for his mastery of Tarpology.
Katherine Luscher – Guide
When not rafting rivers, Katherine spends her days researching Pacific Puffins for the Audubon Society. She has been guiding on the Rogue River for the past 20 years.
Micah “Yakadoo” Schauermann – Guide
Residing in Grants Pass, Micah spends the majority of the rafting season on the numerous surrounding rivers. During the off season, Micah can be found exploring new rivers, building wooden paddles, and hosting the podcast “Back at the Boathouse.”
Danielle Bartolomucci – Guide
A teacher, river guide, and wilderness therapy instructor, Danielle has a plethora of outdoor and people experience. Danielle’s guiding career kicked off in 2013.
Mike Dickenson – Guide
Mike is an author, educator, homesteader, and documentary filmmaker. Having traveled to over 40 countries, Mike now calls Southern Oregon his home where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Makayla Peterson – Guide
Makayla grew up in Phoenix, Oregon, and has been guiding since 2022 on the Rogue River and Lower Klamath. In the winter she loves skiing and snowboarding!
Jim Ritter – Guide
Jim worked as an owner/manager of Rogue River Journeys for 27 years before starting a second career in education. He recently retired as the Executive Director of Humboldt Live. He still loves guiding and makes it out to the Rogue River for a few trips every summer.
Lane Marsh – Guide
Lane, a southern Oregon native, discovered his passion for the river at an early age. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he pursued his love for the outdoors as a river guide in Colorado. Eventually, he found his way back to the Rogue River, where he now calls Grants Pass home, living with his wife and child.
Matt Colton – Guide
Matt spends his winters chasing snow in far off places. But summers bring him back home to the rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Checking in this winter, he wrote “grateful for hot water, yoga and good food to keep me running.”
Olivia Palaschak – Guide
Originally from Colorado, Olivia is pursuing a masters degree at SOU for Outdoor Adventure and Expedition Leadership. She works as a ski patroller and is often found outside climbing, skiing, rafting, trail running, or culinary traveling.
Willie Long – Guide
One of our original 2011 guides, Willie still finds time to carve out a trip or two every summer. He grew up in Roseburg, Oregon before moving to the Rogue Valley, where he would serve as the director for Southern Oregon University’s Outdoor Program.
Dan Shaw – Photographer & Driver
Dan has a particular love for rivers, lakes, and all bodies of water. Dan serves as our primary Klamath driver, though he is widely known for his research on electromagnetic vortices.
Ross Freeman – Guide
Off the river, Ross serves as the first-ever sustainability and communications manager for the City of Mercer Island, just east of Seattle. He got his start in rafting on the desert rivers of the Southwest, while living in Moab, Utah decades ago and working for a science school. Ross firmly believes in the wisdom of the Wind in the Willows: “…there is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
Scott Malone – Guide
Scott lives in Jacksonville, Oregon and has worked on rivers since 1997. He is a former manager of Rogue River Journeys and knows all the ins and outs of outfitting. He loves to talk wine and is a constant threat to others on our local Southern Oregon golf courses.
Michael O’Malley – Guide
Michael has been involved with Volpert-family river trips since the 70s. First for Outdoor Adventures, then Idaho River Journeys, Rogue River Journeys, and today with Indigo Creek Outfitters. His wit and stories are off the charts and we feel very lucky to continue to run trips with him.
Arden Prehn – Guide
For over 30 years, Arden has navigated her way down Southern Oregon’s rivers and mountains. During the summer months you can find her on the Rogue or Klamath, or perhaps on a motorcycle road trip with her husband, Roger. Arden loves water in all forms and spends her winters teaching ski school at Mt. Ashland Ski Area.
Kennedy Heffernan – Guide
Kennedy has a degree in Environmental Studies from Southern Oregon University and has worked on the Rogue River since 2022. During the winter, you’ll find Kennedy shredding the powder and helping youth make pizzas at Mt. Ashland’s Ski School.
T.J. Eilers – Guide
T.J. started guiding on the Rogue River in 2012. When T.J.’s not on the water, he’s playing bass for our local rockstar band, The Brother’s Reed.
Will Volpert – Owner & Operations
Originally from Inverness Park, California, Will has called Southern Oregon “home” since 2004. Will’s middle brother, Matt, is an owner at Pacuare Outdoor Center in Costa Rica and his youngest brother, Skip, is an owner at Idaho River Journeys on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Read more about Will, Julie, their family, and the story behind Indigo Creek.