Brian Merrill's River Blog

Hello Fellow Adventure Traveler,

I am the CEO of Western River Expeditions and the Moab Adventure Center.  I'm going to be blogging about our company, the people who make it so special, and the various adventures we offer.  That's my wife Dena with me in the photo.  We met working as guides on the Colorado and Green rivers for this company and now it has become our life.

People often say to me, "you have the best job in the world."  They are right.  I work in the best places in the world and with the best people in the world.  I hope you will come and join us.

Brian I. Merrill

Lately, there has been a lot of publicity about flooding rivers throughout the country.  The Colorado River and the Green River are no exception.  We are experiencing historic high amounts of snowpack with particularly high water content in...Read More » »

Every year, thousands of people travel to Utah's Green River for White Water Rafting.  Desolation Canyon is the most remote and pristine of all the stretches that get rafted along the Green River.  Recently, the push to find more domestic sources...Read More » »

If you read the blogs posted by our guests, you'll find a common theme.  The guides are one of the best things about our river trips.

It's really true.  The canyons of the Colorado and Green Rivers are spectacular, and the rivers are awe inspiring,...Read More » »

We get a lot of feedback from our guests via our customer comment forms and customer posted blog entries, but every once in a while I also get a nice, hand-written letter from a guest.  I decided to share this one here:

July 20, 2010
Dear Mr....Read More » »

I'm sharing a letter I received from a former guest who travelled with us 17 years ago, but still felt compelled to write.  I remember the incident she describes and how it all came together.  By our nature, river guides are problem solvers and this...Read More » »

White Water Rafting on the Green River in Utah is one of the best family vacations ever.  We get people from all over the world coming here with their children and leaving as life-long friends.

For the children, it's all fun.  The rapids, the water...Read More » »

On Thursday, I get to go on one my favorite river trips in the whole world.  Desolation Canyon on the Green River in Utah has it all.  Stunning scenery, exciting whitewater, beautiful campsites, and amazing hikes.  For a family vacation, there is...Read More » »

We are a week away from the beginning of guide training season.  Every year, we have to replace a handful of guides who have moved on to other things.  We use our experienced guides to train the new guides, and the new people always bring a...Read More » »

This video was produced by the Utah Travel Council which is doing an excellent job of promoting all the amazing vacation opportunities available in the State of Utah.  Whitewater rafting on the Colorado River is just one of the great things you can...Read More » »

Things are hoppin' here in Moab this Easter weekend.  It's the annual Jeep Safari and great people from all over the country are here to enjoy the amazing variety of off-road trails. 

On the agenda today?  An awesome Hummer Safari on the famous...Read More » »

The Salmon River in the great state of Idaho is one of the most sought after river experiences in the world.  The Middle Fork of the Salmon River starts out near the beautiful little town of Stanley, Idaho.  Stanley is nestled in the Sawtooth...Read More » »

I found this cool satellite photo of Desolation Canyon on the Green River of Utah.  Click on the link to view it.  As you can see from the photo, the Green comes out of the flatlands to the North and descends into the craggy, remote canyon.  It is a...Read More » »

Of the many...Read More » »

The Weather Channel recently featured the Green River as one of its top ten raft camping trips in the United States.  Those people at the Weather Channel are geniuses.  A Desolation Canyon rafting trip is one of the best family adventure...Read More » »

People always ask me, "which is your favorite river trip?"  As you can imagine, I like them all, but the one that really speaks to my heart is Desolation Canyon, on the Green River of Utah.  This is where I cut my teeth as a river guide, and it's...Read More » »

I grew up in Idaho, on the banks of the Snake River.  I was leading my own Snake River Float Trips from the time I was a little kid.  Of course, most of those were on inner tubes and the whitewater was non-existent, but then I discovered what...Read More » »

If you are reading this, you've probably heard of Moab, Utah.  I first visited Moab when I was in college and got a job as a Colorado River raft guide.  I knew the minute I rolled into the Moab Valley that it was going to be a huge part of the rest...Read More » »

My wife and I have three children.  For some odd reason, we chose to spread them five years apart.  So, when we vacation, the challenge is to find something that a teenager and a grade schooler can both do and be happy (our middle son is happy to...Read More » »