Doug Proctor grew up just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, where his love for rivers was seeded early in life. As a boy he spent years canoeing with his family and through the Boy Scouts on class one rivers across southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the age of 12 he embarked on his first extended canoe trip—a two-week wilderness journey in Kentucky that helped shape his lifelong passion for river travel and backcountry adventure. 

In 1977 Proctor began his professional guiding career, leading whitewater rafting trips commercially on the New Riverand the Gauley River, two of the eastern United States’ premier whitewater destinations. Over the next 35 years he built extensive experience as an outfitter in West Virginia, guiding trips through challenging Class III and Class IV waters and cultivating deep skills in river stewardship, guest experience, and wilderness logistics. 

His love of rivers and adventure didn’t stop in Appalachia. His guiding has taken him to Grand Canyon, Alaska, Chile, Costa Rica, Idaho, and numerous rivers in both the eastern and western United States. These experiences helped refine his craft as a guide renowned for both technical competence and a commitment to sharing wild rivers with thoughtful guests. 

Today Proctor is co-owner of Selway River Adventures, a wilderness rafting outfitter based in Stanley, Idaho. With his partners he operates under one of the extremely limited commercial permits on the Selway River, a nationally designated Wild and Scenic river flowing through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Trips are typically five to six days long, weaving technical whitewater with solitude and natural beauty few river runners ever get to experience. 

Proctor now lives in Stanley with his wife Cathy and their dogs, drawn to Idaho by the remarkable concentration of great rivers in the region. Guiding river trips for over 40 years, he views sharing his experience with guests and friends as not just a profession but a deep passion—one rooted in the rhythms of wild water and the stories those rivers tell. 

Show notes:

00:03:51 - The Selway River: Permit System and Access

00:05:56 - From Boy Scouts to River Guide Entrepreneur

00:07:56 - Class 6 Rafting Company Origin Story

00:09:59 - Selway River: Protected Wilderness and Rafting History

00:12:24 - Early Spring Wildlife and River Adventure

00:15:41 - Protecting Rivers and Wilderness Areas

00:17:56 - Selway River Adventures Trip Overview

00:19:38 - First-Time River Trips Need Only Willingness

00:21:41 - Wildlife Abundance on the Selway River

00:24:23 - Salmon Extinction Crisis and Dam Removal Solutions

00:26:27 - Selway Lodge History and River Adventures

00:28:21 - Epic River Adventures in Alaska and Beyond

00:30:19 - Doug's Eighth Grade Singing Trauma

00:31:53 - Three Pieces of Life Advice and Conservation

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