Inside Pagosa Outside

“We are proud to be voted as Pagosa’s favorite river outfitter”

Owners Tobi and Alison Rohwer fell in love on a river trip in 2004, got married in 2008 and purchased Pagosa Outside in 2009. They bring with them years of experience, a wealth of knowledge, and a young couple’s enthusiasm. Tobi has worked as a whitewater guide for the last 15 years, amassing over 25,000 miles on rivers all over the West and Alaska. He most recently was employed as operations manager at Pagosa Outside and has worked hard to grow it into Pagosa’s favorite source for outdoor adventures.

After finishing her studies in wildlife biology at the University of Georgia, Alison moved to Colorado to pursue her degree and was swept off her feet by the enthusiastic river guide soon to be her husband. She supports Tobi’s rafting dreams by working as a professional environmental consultant by day and the behind-the-scenes wizard for Pagosa Outside by night. As the “brains” of the operation, Alison holds the place together, keeps tabs on all the details, and makes sure the shop has a feminine touch.

Our goal is to share our love of Pagosa and invite you to see why we have decided to call this place home!

Why Pagosa Outside?

We take pride in being the best outfitter in the area.  The thing that makes us different is that we pay attention to all of the little details that that make our trips the best around.  We care that our guests are safe, comfortable, and have a great time.  It is a point of pride that we run new boats, have nice clean gear for our guests, and operate smooth trips by being time efficient in all the little places that add up to make a big difference.  We take pride in working in a fun, professional and rewarding workplace, so we do everything we can to maintain that.  Everyone that works at Pagosa Outside is part of a fun summertime family that cares about the company and takes pride in its successes.

A Note From the Owner: I worked for 15 years as a whitewater guide before becoming an owner.  I know that there are quite a few things that can make a difference in a guests experience.  I’ve been able to learn something we apply at Pagosa Outside, from every other company I worked at as either a guide or manager.  I know that the quality and attitude of your guide makes the biggest difference in the quality of your trip.  I have strived to create the workplace I always wished I had when I was working for other companies.  With a professional and motivating workplace where we do everything we can to support our staff, we draw the best employees and keep the most motivated staff people who take great pride in where they work.

Gear: You’ll notice that our vans and buses are cleaned daily, our raft fleet is constantly being updated so that we have the best craft for each different section of river that we run, and our high-quality splash gear and life jackets are clean and comfortable. We take on the extra expense of having the finest gear available and pride ourselves on making the extra effort to maintain it.  We know you’ll appreciate the difference it makes in the quality of your trip.

Convenience: We have the shortest shuttles in town. Our downtown location means that you will spend more time on the river and less time driving to get there. Our Mesa Canyon put-in is only 4 blocks away.  Our store serves as a launching point for all of our trips.  Here we offer a great selection of whitewater gear, clothing, souvenirs, and all of those often forgotten accessories.

Photos: We offer photos of your trip available to purchase at our store immediately after your trip.  We keep our photo prices well below the industry standard so that you can take your memories home with you.

Value: Not only do we feel that our trips are the finest in the area, but our prices are the lowest around. We aren’t paying commissions to booking agents or a concierge which means we can pass the savings on to you. We rely on locals to send folks to Pagosa Outside because that’s where they go, not because we are paying them a commission.

Please take the time to shop around …. we are confident our trips are the best in town!

Guides: Our guides are what makes the biggest difference.  They are local characters, lovers of the outdoors, professional fun hogs, and just friendly people who love what they do, where they work, and take great pride in being a vital part of the Pagosa Outside team.  They are all trained, licensed, certified, and experienced in sharing the magic of the Pagosa area.  These guides have all chosen Pagosa Outside as their place of employment, so rest assured that you will be travelling with the finest guide staff around.

Meet Our Guides:

After running his own business for many years, Jay escaped to Pagosa to live the simple life.  He found the love of the river later in life than the rest of the crew, but has been quickly making up for lost time.  He has a deep appreciation for powder days at Wolf Creek and sunny days on the river that only someone who has lived in the ”real world” can. 

Erin Laine
Trip Leader, Guide