Colorado Rafting Company’s guides live and play in the Rocky Mountains and have been navigating high country waters for over a decade. Get to know us!
Abe Pacharz
Owner / Co-Founder / Lead Guide
Abe‘s adventure began in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. Growing up in such a beautifully wild place played a large role in developing his love for the outdoors and a passion for exploring. After getting his start as a guide for the University of Vermont outing club, he spent almost 10 years traveling the western states, guiding French adventurers through our beautiful National Parks. He eventually made his way to the Rocky Mountains, and though he has skied all over the world, Colorado’s fluffy powder always keeps his stoke high. His passion for guiding and outdoor education has inspired him to pursue training from the International Mountain Bike Association, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, Wilderness Medicine Institute, and continues to pursue other guide certifications.
Abe enjoys pepperoni pizza and good espresso, and when not working in the mountains, you‘ll likely find him planning his next hair-brained adventure, skiing untracked powder, or riding his mountain bike. But, chances are, you won’t find him.
Justin Ibarra
Operations Manager / Lead Guide Trainer/ Trip Leader
Hailing from Colorado Springs, Justin has been a guide and outdoor educator for nearly 14 years. As a Colorado native, the spark of the outdoors was ignited at a young age which eventually led him to Colorado Mountain College for Outdoor Recreation Leadership. He has guided rivers all across the state and in Alaska with over 10,000 commercial river miles under his belt. He teaches First Aid/CPR Courses, ACA Swiftwater Rescue Courses, and is the Lead Guide and trainer for Colorado Rafting Company. Justin is medically certified as a Wilderness First Responder and has various other certifications and training including High Angle Rescue. His passion, tactfulness, and overall stoke for being in the mountains is contagious and he loves to share these experiences with others. Justin is an athlete for Ortovox, Julbo Eyewear, Weston Backcountry, Spark R&D, and Fitwell Boots. In his free time you can find Justin exploring the next zone on his splitboard, boating off the grid, climbing mountains, or spending time with his wife and little boy. Justin is beyond stoked to be a part of the Colorado Rafting Company team!
Chris Coats
Business Partner/Guide Trainer/Trip Leader
Chris has been rafting and kayaking in Colorado since 2001. He started his professional guiding career on the Cache La Poudre River outside of Fort Collins in 2005. In 2014 Chris purchased Good Times Rafting, an established rafting business with permits on the Arkansas River, Blue River and Upper Colorado River. As the owner and operator of Good Times Rafting, Chris has trained, managed and befriended dozens of professional guides in CO. In 2019 Chris joined forces with CAG to develop Colorado Rafting Company. He brings a wealth of river knowledge and business to the team. Chris loves small boats in technical whitewater almost as much as he loves giant gear boats in the Grand Canyon. When he is not guiding rafts down the river Chris can be found fly fishing, gardening and hangin out with his wife and 2 kids. You will be hard pressed to find a whitewater enthusiast with more dad jokes than this guy!
Pete Gajewski
River Guide/Trip Leader
Originally from Detroit, Michigan Pete grew up spending most of his time on lakes and rivers from fishing to kayaking or anything he could do to get out on the water. He moved to Colorado in the winter of 2015 in pursuit of the mountains and skiing but knew he wanted to get back on the water any way that he could, which eventually led him to become a white water rafting guide. Pete is Swiftwater Rescue certified and has been a commercial raft guide now for 5 years with over 3,000 river miles on various rivers across the State. He is a Trip Leader for CRC and wants to show you an amazing time down the river!
Kevin Howard
Guide Trainer/Trip Leader
Kevin escaped the corporate world in 2010 when he returned to his native home of Colorado in order to chase the white water….thawed or frozen. In his 10th year guiding, Kevin’s favorite type of boating is in the narrow, steep, and technical rapids of Colorado. In his free time, he spends as much time as possible on the multi-day river trips of the Colorado River basin. To him, there’s nothing more peaceful than seeing the moonlight on a canyon wall while sleeping on his raft.
Corey McClure
Guide Instructor/Trip Leader
Corey grew up just outside of Kansas City and spent most of his early years helping out on his Grandparents farm or learning to smoke traditional KC BBQ with his brothers. Frequent family trips to snowboard and raft in Colorado throughout those years instilled a sense of adventure and would later draw him to the mountains. After graduating with a degree in Finance from the University of Kansas, Corey moved to Colorado to start his "real job" but would unknowingly begin an outdoor guiding career instead. He has been a professional river guide for the last 6 years and has over 3000 miles of guiding experience on various rivers and creeks around Colorado. While not entertaining guests down a stretch of river, you can find Corey a top one of the many high peaks in Colorado, or kayaking whitewater with his buddies. He is honored to be part of the CRC team and is eager to show you a great time on the water.
