Tate Higgins

Middle Fork of the Salmon Guide

Tate is one of the few guides that actually sent us a paper resume and cover letter by US Mail when applying for job with ECHO. We were so impressed with his eloquence and his choice of premium paper that we interviewed and hired him as quickly as we could.

I believe that anyone who wants to learn can be taught to get a boat down a river, but that being a raft guide is about taking care of people. It's about educating, nurturing, leading, entertaining, and safe keeping. A raft full of strangers is the perfect classroom, and the river washes away the feeling of stranger pretty quickly.

- Tate Higgins from his cover letter

Tate grew up in South Carolina but headed West to Colorado and Montana to explore the Rockies. He received an M.F.A. in creative writing and taught composition and creative writing at Colorado State University. However, Tate felt that he really found his tribe when he realized he could call sharing rivers with people a job. He's been a roamer without a permanent address ever since. He refers to the back of his truck as home.

He's a Wilderness EMT and a Whitewater Rescue Technician. He loves to fly-fish, cook outside, learn new things, and share smiles with new people. When not guiding for ECHO, Tate can be found riding in the back of ambulances, teaching first aid for the Wilderness Medicine Institute, and searching for someone to publish his articles and stories.

His favorite places are the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho, the Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru, and any river he’s meeting for the first time.