About CRATE Inc.

Colorado River & Trail Expeditions (CRATE) has been a licensed Grand Canyon white water rafting concessionaire since 1971. We began rafting other stretches of the Green River and Colorado River shortly thereafter, including Cataract Canyon, Desolation Canyon, and Westwater Canyon. In 1978, we explored the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers in Alaska and soon added those wild and remote rivers to our catalog of rafting adventures. For over 40 years, we have consistently provided high quality, fully outfitted rafting adventures through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the west.

Off-river hiking and side canyon exploration are emphasized on all of our river trips. Our guests have unique opportunities to see and experience the remote back country beauty, as well as the grandeur of the river corridors and the thrill of white water rafting! If you are looking for a fun, exciting, and unforgettable outdoor adventure, contact us today for more information about the Grand Canyon and our other river rafting trips.

Colorado River & Trail Expeditions began the same way many good river stories do — on the water. Our roots go back generations, to a time when running the Colorado River was less about checklists and more about curiosity, grit, and shared experience. That spirit still defines how we operate today.

This is a family business in the truest sense. For decades, our lives have revolved around rivers, canyons, and the people who travel them with us. We don’t just guide trips here. We grew up on these rivers, learned from them, and built our livelihoods around doing right by the places and the people who come to experience them.

We believe the best expeditions are personal. Not rushed. Not oversized. Not treated like inventory.

Whether you’re joining us for a multi-day Grand Canyon rafting expedition, a paddle trip, or a remote wilderness journey, our goal is the same: to create an experience that feels considered, well-run, and genuinely human. The kind of trip where logistics fade into the background and what stays with you are the moments — conversations around camp, quiet hikes into side canyons, shared effort through big water, and the rare feeling of being fully present.

All of our Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Green River, and Alaska river rafting expeditions are fully-outfitted. We provide everything you need for your rafting adventure, including clean, comfortable camping gear, dry bags for your personal items, healthy delicious meals, excellent rafting equipment, and fun, friendly, knowledgeable guides. Colorado River & Trail Expeditions is well known as a premier river rafting outfitter in North America. We are a family-operated company under original ownership since 1971. You can trust in our experience, our commitment to environmental stewardship, and our dedication to great customer service.

For more information about featured river rafting expeditions, contact us today at 801-261-1789, or toll-free 800-253-7328. You can also reach us by e-mail: crate@crateinc.com. We look forward to sharing and enjoying a remarkable rafting adventure with you!

David and Vicki Mackay founded Colorado River & Trail Expeditions (CRATE) in 1971 after meeting on a Grand Canyon river trip in 1968. What began as a shared love for the Colorado River and the canyon country grew into a lifelong commitment to guiding river expeditions and sharing these remarkable places with others.

Dave first began running rivers in 1965 when he started guiding for Jack Currey’s Western River Expeditions. Introduced to river running through a handball friendship in Salt Lake City, Dave quickly discovered he had found his calling. During the formative years of modern Grand Canyon river running, Dave became one of Jack Currey’s main Grand Canyon guides, helping lead trips through the canyon when many of the traditions and guiding techniques still used today were being established.

In addition to the Grand Canyon, Dave guided many other rivers throughout the West including Cataract Canyon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Selway, and rivers in Mexico, gaining the broad river experience that would later shape CRATE.

Vicki’s connection to the river began when she hiked into the Grand Canyon to join a river trip in 1968, where she met Dave. That trip sparked a lifelong connection to both the river and the river community.

In 1971 Dave and Vicki started Colorado River & Trail Expeditions together. In the early years they ran the company with a truly hands-on approach, doing everything from guiding trips and rowing boats to answering phones, repairing equipment, and organizing expeditions. That practical, hardworking spirit helped define the culture of CRATE and set the tone for the guides who followed.

Many early CRATE expeditions combined rafting with backpacking trips into the canyon country, which is why “Trail”remains part of the company’s name today. Over the decades Dave and Vicki built CRATE into one of the long-standing family outfitters in the West, guiding trips through the Grand Canyon, the Green River, and the wilderness rivers of Alaska.

Dave and Vicki still follow the river closely and remain deeply connected to the company they started more than fifty years ago. They continue to come into the office regularly and remain an integral part of the success of CRATE. Vicki especially loves hearing everyone’s story and has a genuine interest in people—something guests and crew quickly notice when they meet her.

Today their legacy continues through the Mackay family and the many guides who carry forward the traditions they started on the river.

John Toner is CRATE’s longest-tenured guide, having started with the company in 1985, and worked every river season since. He has completed nearly 300 trips through the Grand Canyon, along with extensive experience on the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers in Alaska, and countless runs through Cataract Canyon and Desolation Canyon.

Before working for CRATE, John spent a couple of years guiding in Moab, where he witnessed historically high water in Cataract Canyon—an experience that helped shape his calm, capable approach on the river.

Known for his steady demeanor and deep river knowledge, John remains unflappable under pressure and brings a quiet confidence to every trip. His decades on the water set the standard for the professionalism and judgment CRATE values most. Despite his serious commitment to safety and hard work, John loves to have fun on the river, and guests are often warned to watch out for his well-timed practical jokes.

John was featured in the Spring 2022 Grand Canyon Boatman’s Quarterly Review, a fitting recognition of his long and respected career in river guiding.

Steve has been working on and off with CRATE since 1979, when he guided his first Grand Canyon trip for company owners Dave and Vicki McKay. He began river running in the 1970s, exploring Western rivers with friends in an old Havasu raft outfitted with a custom wooden frame, military-surplus ammo boxes, and waterproof bags. It was an era of few regulations and limited information—an experience that shaped his deep respect for rivers and sparked a lifelong passion for learning and exploration.

Over the decades, Steve has kayaked and rafted rivers throughout Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado, with extensive experience in both the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon. He loves the full spectrum of river guiding—from the technical challenge of running rapids to adapting to changing weather and building meaningful connections with guests. For Steve, no two trips are ever the same, and that unpredictability is exactly what keeps him inspired.

To Steve, a great river guide respects the power of the river, cares deeply for the natural environment, leads by example, and inspires others to do the same. A successful trip is one that’s safe, full of laughter, and leaves everyone excited for their next river adventure.

Let’s go boating!

Abel began guiding with Colorado River & Trail Expeditions in 1985, launching his river career on his very first trip through the Grand Canyon. After 13 seasons, he stepped away to pursue a career in technology in Seattle and to raise a family, but the river never stopped calling. In 2016, nearly two decades later, he returned to guiding and has been back ever since. By 2026, Abel will have completed 24 seasons of guiding—all with CRATE—and the Grand Canyon remains the river he knows best and considers home.

For Abel, great guiding is about far more than technical skill. He values calm leadership, good humor, and the ability to connect with people from all walks of life, believing that the best trips come from paying attention to both the river and the guests sharing it. He’s known for noticing the small things—encouraging hydration, sun care, and moments of quiet reflection—while fostering a relaxed, positive group dynamic. As Abel puts it, “After all these years, I still guide because there is nothing else like it. I’ve lived in many parts of the world and done a number of other things, but the river guide lifestyle is, by far, the most satisfying.”

Owen began his professional guiding career in 2025. He brings a genuine enthusiasm for life on the river and time spent outdoors. He has strong familiarity with the Green River, particularly the Desolation and Gray Canyon section, and is drawn to the steady rhythm of multi-day river travel. His interest in guiding comes from the chance to be outside full-time and fully immersed in the landscape. Owen’s connection to river life began early—his first river trip was at age three on the Ruby–Horsethief section of the Colorado River, where his earliest memory is simply playing in the mud.

For Owen, being a good river guide starts with awareness and adaptability. No two river trips are ever the same, and he believes paying attention to changing conditions and responding thoughtfully is essential. He especially enjoys getting to know guests over the course of a trip and learning what brought them to the river. As Owen puts it, “River trips are never the same as the last one, so being aware of your situation and being able to adapt to it is what really matters.”

Phoebe Brown has been guiding with Colorado River & Trail Expeditions since 2018, bringing a deep personal history on the river and a thoughtful, people-centered approach to every trip. She knows the Green River and Desolation Canyon especially well—rivers she grew up running as a kid—and her first Desolation Canyon trip dates back to 2007, well before she began guiding professionally.

Phoebe was lucky to grow up immersed in river life. With parents who were both river guides, she was introduced to multi-day trips at a young age. One of her earliest river memories is a San Juan River trip at age four, riding in the front of an inflatable kayak with her dad and getting enthusiastically pulled into water fights—an early lesson in both fun and flexibility on the river.

Those early experiences shaped her guiding style. Phoebe believes that being flexible and staying in tune with the unique needs of each group, along with changing river conditions, is what makes a great river guide. She takes pride in the details that make a trip run smoothly, from reading the water to dialing in something as critical (and beloved) as cooler packing.

Phoebe enjoys hearing about guests’ different career paths and life stories, finding reassurance and perspective in the idea that “30 is the new 20.” She brings that same curiosity to her own path and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Watershed Sciences. As she’s become more involved in fisheries and river science, she now thinks about rivers through an ecological lens that adds depth to her on-the-water experience.

Some impressions never fade. No matter where she is, Phoebe can always imagine the sound of Lava Falls—a reminder of the power of rivers and the moments that stay with you long after a trip ends.

After all these years, Phoebe continues to guide because no two trips are ever the same. Each river journey offers something new to see, learn, or understand, and that sense of discovery is what keeps her coming back to the water.

2020 was my first year on CRATE’s payroll, but my history with the company goes back further—I first swamped for CRATE in 2018. These days, most of my trips are down the Grand Canyon, but if there’s one river I know best, it’s Desolation Canyon. I grew up running Deso trips with CRATE, and that stretch of river feels deeply familiar—almost like a second home.

I wanted to be a river guide before I could cut my own steak. River guides have always been my personal heroes, and the river has always felt like where I belong. My first river trip was down the San Juan River in 2004—too young to remember—but the imprint clearly stuck.

What matters most to me on the river is communication and reading the current—both the water moving beneath the boat and the subtle human currents within a group. One of my favorite parts of guiding is watching people come out of their shells and grow more confident and comfortable day by day. I also love the quiet moments: laying on a shaded rock after a big hike, closing my eyes, and letting the canyon do its work.

If you’re familiar with the Dunning–Kruger effect, I’d say my knowledge of the river has passed the valley of despair and is now nearing the far side of the slope of enlightenment. After all these years, I still guide because it keeps me grounded. I’m surrounded by community, and I learn something new on every trip—from passengers, from fellow guides, and from the river itself.

Ben began guiding in Moab in 2004 and joined the CRATE family in 2008. His early seasons were spent getting to know Cataract Canyon and Westwater intimately, but over time his guiding focus has shifted primarily to the Grand Canyon, where he now feels the deepest connection and understanding of the river’s complex ecosystem.

Ben’s path into river guiding was not carefully planned. He first came to running rivers through friends he grew up skiing with at Snowbird, with little awareness at the time that his own family was deeply rooted in the boating community. It wasn’t until he had already committed to a season guiding in Moab that his grandfather began sharing stories—of running Cataract and Glen Canyon before the reservoir filled, and of Grand Canyon trips in the 1960s. Through those stories, Ben learned of long-standing friendships and alliances on the river, including trips run alongside Dave Mackay, with family ties now spanning three generations and soon to be four.

That lineage came into sharper focus when Ben went to graduate school to study with writer Terry Tempest Williams. There, he explored the deeper cultural, ecological, and philosophical connections between people and place. His graduate thesis examined how humans might exist in a more balanced relationship with the landscapes that sustain us—ideas that continue to shape how he approaches guiding today.

Ben remembers his first Grand Canyon trip vividly: the crew he trained with, the passengers, the camps, and the hikes. It was, by his account, a perfect trip—and one that sealed his commitment to life on the river. While every trip since has held its own meaning, all chapters in an ongoing story, that first journey remains uniquely special.

For Ben, being a good river guide means paying attention—constantly. To the boat, the water, and the conditions, but also to the people. He believes that thoughtful guiding goes far beyond running rapids well. It’s about reading body language, anticipating needs, and making decisions that support the group as a whole. Trip leadership has many layers, from food planning and personal needs to group dynamics and shared goals. As one guide likes to say, “The plan is written in the sand, and the wind is blowing.”

What Ben enjoys most about spending time with guests is the unexpected story. He believes that every person carries something fascinating within them, and that the river—especially on long hikes—has a way of drawing those stories out. Often, the most memorable moments come from the most unexpected people.

It’s the subtle things that resonate most deeply for Ben: reflections on the water, verdant creases in side canyons, and the feeling of having been there before. He senses a strong presence of the Ancient Ones in the canyon and believes that respect for the place opens the door to something deeper and more meaningful.

The river has fundamentally changed Ben—shaping his perspective and grounding his sense of place in the world. Time on the river offers clarity, reminding him of the smallness of daily concerns and the importance of what truly matters.

A good river trip is life-changing. It shifts perspective. It rearranges priorities. It quietly redirects people’s lives. Ben has stayed in this work because he gets to witness that transformation, trip after trip.

In addition to his work as a guide, Ben has long been involved in river stewardship and advocacy. He served as President of Grand Canyon River Guides and is a member of the Adaptive Management Work Group, contributing to decisions that help shape how Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon are managed. These roles reflect his belief that guiding comes with responsibility—not only to guests, but to the river itself.

Ben continues to guide because he gets to witness the quiet transformation that happens on a good river trip, again and again. There is nowhere else he would rather be.

Bonnie Mackay is the voice and steady hand behind the scenes at CRATE. As the main office contact, she is the person most guests first speak with when they call or email, helping answer questions, coordinate trips, and keep the details of each expedition running smoothly.

Bonnie grew up in the family business and has been connected to the river world her entire life. She went on early trips through Desolation Canyon and ran her first Grand Canyon trip in 2001, experiences that helped shape her deep understanding of the rivers CRATE runs.

In 2013, Bonnie married her husband Adam Hiscock on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at Timp Point. Adam is a geologist for the State of Utah and often joins CRATE’s Natural History Trips to share his expertise on the geology of the canyon.

In addition to keeping the office organized, Bonnie is skilled in many areas and often serves as the company’s unofficial IT department—helping keep systems, websites, and logistics working behind the scenes. She also runs her own creative business, Bon Bon Blacksheep, where she knits a wide variety of handmade items.

Although she spends most of her time keeping the operation running from the office, Bonnie still joins a couple of river trips each year. Her calm, confident, and steady presence is something both guests and crew quickly notice and appreciate.

I was lucky enough to be born into Colorado River & Trail Expeditions—river life has been part of my story from the very beginning. My first river trip was a 21-day journey down Alaska’s Noatak River when I was just two years old, and my first Grand Canyon trip followed in 1985 with my parents. Growing up, I spent countless days on the river, including multiple friends trips through Desolation Canyon during my middle school years, and I kayaked the Grand Canyon at age 18.

I began rowing baggage boats at 16 and officially started working as a guide in 1995. My early river career included a little of everything, with lots of time on Westwater and Desolation Canyon before focusing more heavily on the Grand Canyon. While I’ve guided the canyon in many different craft—kayaks, oar boats, dories, and river boards—nearly every day I spend in the Grand Canyon is in a motorized raft, which remains my favorite way to run the river for both the group dynamics it creates and the technical precision it requires.

In 2003, I became a Swiftwater Rescue Instructor, and that same year my wife, Mindy, and I were married on the rim of the Grand Canyon at Buck Farm Overlook. We were fortunate to run eight full river seasons together before starting our family.

Today, I split my time between getting out on the river and helping run the company. I’ve especially enjoyed watching Cataract Canyon re-emerge as drought-stricken Lake Powell has receded, revealing a wilder stretch of river once again. I’m equally drawn to truly wild places like the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers, where the scale, remoteness, and raw character of the landscape continue to shape everyone who travels there.

Some of the most meaningful friendships in my life have been built on the river. Just as powerful is witnessing what these rivers do to people—how time in these places strips life back to what matters and leaves people changed in quiet, lasting ways. These rivers don’t just carry water; they change lives.

Mindy took her first river trip through the Grand Canyon in 2003, and later that year married Walker on the rim of the canyon. What began as a single river trip quickly turned into a deep connection to river life. While she fell in love with the river itself, her favorite part then—and still today—is the access rivers provide to incredible hiking and otherwise unreachable places.

Mindy spent roughly eight full seasons working on the river before having kids and accumulated about 60 Grand Canyon trips during that time. Her favorite river is the Tatshenshini, and her favorite place of all is camp at the Walker Glacier, where the scale, beauty, and stillness of the landscape leave a lasting impression. Those wild places continue to shape how she experiences rivers and why they matter.

Today, Mindy divides her time between being a mom to Kaicia and Ridge, leading CRATE’s logistics teams, and working in the office. She spends time in the warehouses cleaning, fixing, organizing, and keeping equipment in good shape, while also answering phones, taking reservations, and helping guests plan their trips. Outside of work, Mindy enjoys hiking, has run multiple marathons, and values time with her family—especially when it includes sunshine and a beach.

Brent Leyerle first joined CRATE in 2019 and began guiding full time in 2021, with Desolation Canyon on the Green River becoming both his most familiar river and the place where he first learned to row a boat. He loves Desolation for what it is—a fun, unintimidating introduction to rapids with incredible camps and a sense of solitude that makes CRATE’s trip there especially special.

His very first river trip came courtesy of Greg Williams, who took a group of Alta ski bums down Cataract Canyon on a big motor rig at the end of ski season. A handful of them got hooked, kept running trips with Greg, and eventually struck out on their own. What stands out most now from that first experience isn’t just the whitewater, but the soundscape: Spotted Towhees singing from the bushes and Rock Wrens calling from the talus during the peak of breeding season, filling the canyon with song all day long.

Brent jokes that Greg “tricked” him into guiding by dangling the promise of more river time—what started as swamping a CRATE trip just to get back on the water quickly turned into discovering that guiding is not only strenuous, but deeply rewarding both physically and mentally. To him, being a good river guide means more than just getting everyone home healthy—though that’s a given—it means putting on the trip the guests want, not the trip you want them to want.

While guests might ask about river depth now and then, Brent and the other guides are constantly reading the water—measuring eddies, rapids, and the main channel, tracking weather and flows, and quietly paying attention to wildlife. In canyon country, it’s often the smallest, most seemingly benign critters that cause the most discomfort if you don’t respect them.

What Brent enjoys most about multi-day trips is how they transform strangers into something that feels like family. Unlike single-day trips, these journeys allow real conversations and shared moments. It’s a joy to watch guests experience places he’s fallen in love with and see that look in their eyes when it all clicks.

One quiet moment that’s stayed with him came on his first Grand Canyon trip in early May, when century plants were in bloom. At Nautiloid Canyon, he came upon an eight-foot-tall yellow flower stalk towering high enough to cast shade over him. While the rest of the group continued hiking, Brent simply sat beside that bright yellow beauty in awe until they returned.

Over time, his relationship with the river has changed. What once was something he chased for excitement has become something deeper and more enduring. After all these years, Brent still guides because the river feels like home, the people he shares it with feel like family—and because there may be no better sleep in the world than on a sandy beach beside a noisy rapid.

Dave Oney’s path into river guiding started the way many great guides do—he first came down the Colorado River as a guest. On a CRATE trip in April of 2014, Dave quickly found himself helping the crew tie up boats and load gear at camp. Before long he was returning on trips as part of the crew, learning the rhythm of expedition life and becoming a natural fit on the river.

By 2017 Dave made the leap to working on the river full time. Today he is one of the most well-liked members of the CRATE team. Easygoing, hardworking, and always willing to help, Dave has a way of getting along with everyone—guests and guides alike. His laid-back style and sense of humor make him a great presence in camp after a long day on the water.

When he’s not on the river, Dave keeps the operation running behind the scenes. He drives trucks, manages gear runs, and helps keep the CRATE trucks and trailers in working order.

Outside of river life, Dave is also a professional disc golf player, highly ranked in his division. In the offseason he spends much of his time in Southern California and often heads down to Baja for adventure.

Before joining the river community, Dave worked as a firefighter and especially loved his time serving at Ocean Beach, an experience that helped shape his calm, capable approach to working in challenging environments.

Whether he’s rigging boats at the ramp, helping guests feel at home in camp, or keeping the logistics moving, Dave brings a steady presence and a genuine love of the river to every trip.

Chase Lokken has been guiding with CRATE since 2022 and is one of those people who naturally fits life on the river. Easy to be around and steady in the boat, Chase brings a calm confidence that both guests and crew appreciate.

Chase enjoys guiding on all the rivers CRATE runs, including Cataract Canyon, Westwater Canyon, Desolation Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. Whether running big water or helping set up a comfortable camp, he genuinely loves the rhythm of expedition life and the time spent on the river.

Off the water, Chase is a man of many skills. He’s an avid motorcycle rider, enjoys skiing in the winter, and is currently working toward earning his pilot’s license. He’s also an accomplished sewer and gear maker. His company, Angry Llama, produces the durable cot and chair bags used on CRATE trips—gear built with the same practicality and attention to detail that he brings to guiding.

With his wide-ranging interests, craftsmanship, and easygoing personality, Chase adds a lot to every trip he’s part of.

Sybrena Smith has been guiding rivers since 1996 and brings decades of experience and a deep love of river life to the CRATE crew. A skilled boatwoman, Sybrena has guided extensively on the Green River and the Grand Canyon, as well as on the Tatshenshini and Alsek—two of the wildest and most spectacular rivers in Alaska.

Over the years she has developed a reputation as a capable and steady guide who is comfortable in big water and remote places. Her long experience on the river helps guests feel at ease while exploring some of the most remarkable river corridors in North America.

Sybrena is also a talented musician and massage therapist, talents that often add something special to the rhythm of river trips—whether it’s music around camp or helping tired muscles recover after a long day on the water.

During the off-season, Sybrena enjoys spending time with family and friends and continues her work as a massage therapist before returning to the river each season.

Dylan Heyborne joined the CRATE crew in 2022 and has quickly earned a reputation as someone the team can count on when things need to get done. Strong, steady, and hardworking, Dylan is often the one called on when there’s heavy lifting or a tough job to tackle—but he also has a good head for the details that keep trips running smoothly.

Dylan is currently studying Biology at Southern Utah University, and his interest in the natural world fits naturally with life on the river. He loves being outdoors and has built a lot of experience over the past few seasons on many of the rivers CRATE runs, including Westwater Canyon, Desolation Canyon, Cataract Canyon, and the Grand Canyon.

In addition to his strength and work ethic, Dylan is especially good at the behind-the-scenes parts of expedition life—logistics, rigging, and efficient camp setups that help the whole crew run smoothly. Whether it’s organizing gear, setting up camp after a long day on the water, or jumping in wherever help is needed, Dylan brings a steady presence and a strong work ethic to every trip.

Dewey Moffat has been guiding with CRATE since 2008 and brings many years of river experience to the crew. Before joining CRATE, Dewey worked with Dinosaur River Expeditions, gaining valuable experience on western rivers. He has also spent many seasons working on the Great Salt Lake with Mackay Marine harvesting brine shrimp, a job that keeps him connected to the water even in the offseason.

Dewey takes pride in running a solid boat and doing things right on the river. He’s known for his steady approach and professionalism, whether it’s navigating rapids, organizing gear, or helping keep camp running smoothly. He’s also someone the crew often turns to for ideas—Dewey has a knack for thinking through problems and coming up with practical solutions.

Outside of guiding, Dewey grew up ski racing and still enjoys time in the mountains. He’s also an avid disc golfer and a big fan of wilderness rivers, especially the rivers of Alaska, which are among his favorites.

When the river season winds down, Dewey continues working on the Great Salt Lake, staying close to the water while getting ready for another season on the river.

Johny Moffat first joined CRATE on a Grand Canyon trip in 2010, rowing a baggage boat and quickly proving himself a natural fit for river life. Before that, he spent a couple of seasons guiding with Holiday River Expeditions, gaining early experience on the rivers of the Colorado Plateau.

Over the years Johny has become a highly competent and knowledgeable guide on all the rivers CRATE runs. He brings a deep understanding of the water and the places the river flows through, and he especially takes pride in interpreting the geology of the canyon country. Guests often appreciate how Johny connects the landscape, the river, and the long geologic story of the Colorado Plateau in ways that make the canyon come alive.

Johny spends his winters working on the Great Salt Lake brine shrimp harvest, continuing his connection to the water year-round.

Perhaps what Johny is most known for, though, is his connection with people. He has a way of making guests feel welcome and part of the trip, and his enthusiasm and sense of fun make him one of the most enjoyable people to share a river journey with.

Lila Ramsay joined the CRATE crew in 2025 after first coming along as a helper on a Grand Canyon trip in 2024. From the start, she proved to be a great fit for life on the river.

Confident, organized, and always ready to jump in where help is needed, Lila quickly became a valued member of the team. She brings a positive attitude to every trip and is known for being easy to work with and well liked by both guests and crew.

Lila is always eager to learn and continues to build her river experience with every trip. So far, she has spent most of her time guiding with CRATE on Grand Canyon and Desolation Canyon trips, where she enjoys the rhythm of expedition life and the chance to share these incredible river corridors with guests.