Meet our Staff

Don’t be fooled by the steely expression — Anusheh is one of those magical people who make you instantly happy when she shows up. Her passion for the outdoors and having fun is infectious. In addition to whitewater rafting she loves rock climbing, yoga, cooking with food from the garden, crafting and playing board games. Her favorite whitewater rapid is “Wakas” on the Rio Pacuare in Costa Rica, but she says the best adventure she ever had was whitewater rafting the Snake River with her Malode coworkers.

Emily’s favorite rapid: Ruckachucky Falls on the Middle Fork of the American.
Favorite adventures: Leading a 10-day, 80-mile backpacking trip along the Teton Crest trail in Wyoming, rowing the Grand Canyon, writing stories about the American West for High Country News, the current adventure of learning how to snowboard.

When not guiding: trying to visit and write about a different river for every letter of the alphabet, and help start an environmental writing program for high school students in El Dorado County. Favorite thing about the Gold Country: taking really long walks in gorgeous foothills that have been conserved for public use — what a gift!

Hailing from Texas, class IV raft guide Kyle Gordon took to California rivers like a fish to water. In addition to working as one of our whitewater guides, ropes course facilitators, and natural history instructors, he is also an EMT, has gone through fire academy and is training to be a paramedic. He says his favorite adventure was rowing the Grand Canyon, and his favorite rapid is Lava Falls. Kyle would also like to take this opportunity to announce that he’s the most eligible bachelor in the United States.

Lindsey modestly claims that his biggest accomplishment in life is his “2nd place finish at the 93’ Boy Scout pinewood derby.” We know better. Lindsey’s humor and notorious purple shorts make him one of our most-requested river guides, and beloved by the students in our outdoor education programs. Aside from whitewater rafting, Lindsey says he enjoys “holiday feasts, woodwork, bird calling, on-line gaming, history of the spice trade, and sidewalk art.” In our opinion, Lindsey’s greatest accomplishment is that when he says that he’s “here to make your day,” he pretty much always does.

Scott Scheu is a true explorer, even in his own backyard, the California foothills. “Having lived here for 25 years,” he says, “I constantly discover new things here, be it a plant I’ve never seen before in the woods, a bird I spot on the river that sends me rushing for my guide book when I get home, or climbing up a tributary creek that I’ve never explored.” Outside of the Gold Country, Scotty’s favorite adventure was “getting lost by myself in El Salvador’s small beach towns, stuffed into a chicken bus with 40 students and exchanging English and Spanish words, all the while knowing that wherever the bus stopped next there’d be great surf, delicious pupusas, and friendly people.” In addition to exploring new places, Scotty loves playing and recording music, storytelling, cooking, and gardening.

Greg Hawkins’ white water rafting experience in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and California has prepared him to lead the Malode crew with a steady hand. A kayaker, climber, and snowboarder, Greg says that his biggest accomplishment has been to marry the lovely Betsy Scott.

Without Penny, none of the magic of the Mother Lode white water rafting experience and outdoor education could happen. Her helpfulness and sweetness on the phone lead many customers to come looking for her when they arrive at Mother Lode for their white water raft trips, saying, “Where’s Penny? We just wanted to say hi!” With seven children under her responsibility, she has earned straight A’s in all her tax and business classes, and actually likes bookkeeping. She also loves to garden, cook, and sew.

Favorite thing about the Gold Country: Rivers
Favorite Adventure: Rowing the South Fork at 35,000 cfs without getting killed.
Favorite Whitewater Rapid: Any I don’t swim.

My most vivid college flashback is to Bio IA at Stanford University in 1966. On stage was Dr. Paul Ehrlich, the father of American Ecology, pacing back and forth while delivering his legendary lecture on the impact of humans on planet Earth. We were doomed! I worked in his population genetics lab for three years, grinding up butterflies and discussing the end of the world as part of the Stanford Population Biology Group. Meanwhile, DDT was banned in 1972, which ultimately saved my beloved California pelican; and, best of all, the Federal Endangered Species Act passed in 1973. Also, America’s greatest folly, the Vietnam War, ended. Those were exciting times.

Thirty years later, the world hasn’t ended — at least yet. I have two beautiful daughters, a wonderful and loving wife, and have enjoyed the privilege of helping Mother Lode share my love of rivers with over 250,000 people. I am proud to have helped facilitate the writing over 20,000 letters which, in turn, have helped save 13 rivers in the Sierra. I am equally pleased to have helped conserve over 10,000 acres along the South Fork of the American through the efforts of the American River Conservancy. However, as Dr. James Hansen, the world’s foremost climatologist points out, it is time to wake up, get busy and hit the streets in defense of the planet again!