Zachary Collier

Middle Fork of the Salmon Sweep Boat Driver, Guide School Instructor, Office Manager and All Around Great Guy

In only 35 years, Zach Collier has experienced more than many people do in their lifetime. He has a strong penchant for travel combined with a curiosity for life that have guided his leaps between adventures and have left him always landing on his feet.

Zach grew up in Reno, NV, and since his days as an Eagle Scout he's developed a strong affection for the outdoors. His college years were spent at UC Davis where he put his love of numbers and science to work for a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1998, while attending grad school at Stanford, Zach began his illustrious career as a river guide for ECHO. He continued to spend summers on his favorite river, the Tuolumne in California.

Somewhere between getting his master's degree and river guiding, Zach found time to explore the world. He rafted throughout South and Central America on rivers in Chile, Honduras and Costa Rica. His friendly nature ensured that wherever he went, he'd find good times and meet great people. He's traveled extensively throughout Southeast and Central Asia visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Tibet and Nepal. He feels comfortable among new friends and is always up for new experiences.

Once he had conquered the world, it was time for a new, and possibly more challenging, quest as a high school math teacher. This was a great job choice for him as he possesses an enthusiasm that could inspire even teenagers but also left his summers free to continue guiding for ECHO. Zach spent three seasons navigating the sweep boat on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. He then put his teaching skills to work by developing, implementing and instructing at our Guide Schools.

A few years ago, Zach decided to embrace his love of outfitting and quit teaching to work full-time for ECHO as the general manager. He now works in the office doing mounds of paperwork, but even this could not break his creative and curious personality. Zach paddled ECHO into the 21st century by designing and maintaining our web site, as well as supervising the creation of our online reservation system.

Zach continues to guide each summer and is hoping to draw from his experience abroad to add more international excursions to ECHO's offerings. He'll be leading a trip to Bhutan in the fall. Guests remember Zach's competitive spirit in games like chess, hunker-houser, and Koob. He completed the NYC Marathon in 2007 and also enjoys downhill and cross country skiing. Anyone that gets to do a trip with Zach will not be disappointed.