About Us

This quotation sums up our guiding philosophy beautifully. As members of the Association for Experiential Education, the guides of Winding Waters River Expeditions support and practice learning through experience on each of our river trips. We have had great success and fun teaching guests to row for a combined 30 years. Past groups have been composed of families, friends, teen adventure camps, teacher workshops, and wilderness therapy groups. Our passion for running rivers is infectious and we want to provide a safe and fun way for people to experience this passion with us. We also want to instill knowledge, skill, and confidence in our guests by putting them behind the oars, if they are seeking the challenge. By the end of one of our trips, we find that our guests have become empowered as the captain of their own boat. They are challenged to describe the feeling that comes after safely rowing their raft through class III and IV Whitewater. It can truly be a life-altering experience. Beyond the philosophical aspect, we make sure our clients are safe, comfortable, and having the time of their lives!

Our mission at Winding Waters River Expeditions is to provide our river guests with the highest quality vacation by adhering to our core principles of safety, fun, education, and hospitality. The owners of Winding Waters River Expeditions, Paul and Penny Arentsen, as well as many of our guides, have diverse backgrounds in experiential and traditional education, watershed science, wilderness medicine, natural and cultural history, wilderness therapy, and wilderness ski guiding. We place an important emphasis on total river awareness, complete guest satisfaction, and good, clean fun.

Our specialty is providing a fun, creative, unique, and comfortable experience for our guests in a rugged, remote wilderness environment. As residents of Wallowa County, Oregon, we understand and appreciate the complexity and ruggedness of high desert environments. We are proud of our excellent safety record due to the awareness and precautions taken by our experienced professional guides.

We have found that our unique approach to our river vacations has allowed our guests to the have the time of their lives while learning a little more about this magnificent place, each other, and ultimately themselves.