About Our Staff

Meet our knowledgeable, caring guides

At Cascade Outdoors, we believe the quality of your Ocoee River rafting trip depends upon the skill and experience of your guide and the other staff members on your trip. We are a family-run business, and we know that YOUR Ocoee rafting trip is THE most important rafting trip of the year.

Nothing can ruin a rafting trip like feeling you're being rushed down the river or having an inexperienced or uncaring guide. By the same token, you can't have fun if you're scared or feel unsafe. Therefore, we feel it is important that all of our guides have the necessary training and experience to confidently and knowledgably guide you down the river. We hold our guides to the highest standards: every single one of our employees boasts an impressive whitewater resume before we even hire them; then, they must complete one of the most rigorous on-water training programs in place at the Ocoee River; and, finally, they must complete a state-approved First Aid, CPR, and/or Wilderness First Responder training course. Guides receive further instruction in dealing with youth, international, and special needs rafters.

In addition to all this, we are implementing a swiftwater rescue training module to enhance river safety for our guides, our guests, and everyone else on the Ocoee River. When you choose Cascade Outdoors for your Ocoee River rafting trip, you know that you'll be cared for by a knowledgeable, clean-cut, and caring staff.

Staff Highlights

Kip Gilliam, Owner and Guide
Kip started kayaking in 1997 and has traveled throughout the United States, New Zealand, and Europe with his kayak. In 1998 he began video-boating and raft guiding on the Ocoee River, and then in 2003 he opened Cascade Outdoors. In addition to kayaking and rafting, Kip plays guitar and piano for his 1 year old daughter and flies airplanes.

Frank Hinkson, Driver Extraordinaire
Rowdy rafters don't intimidate our driver, Frank, because he drives Cleveland city school children during the school year. Born in Jamaica and raised in Barbados, Frank moved to Cleveland, TN in 2004 so that he and his wife could attend Lee University. When Frank graduates from Lee, he hopes to teach physical education. In between rafting trips, you might see Frank hiking the scenic trails along the Ocoee River or even working out in the parking lot. And if you're not a Pittsburg Steelers fan, don't let Frank find out.

Josh Stafford, Trip Leader
Josh has been with Cascade Outdoors since we opened, and he has been rafting on the Ocoee River even longer. Josh started whitewater canoeing over a decade ago, though he quickly switched to kayaking and raft guiding. He has kayaked or guided on rivers throughout the country (most recently returning from Colorado) and, for some reason, feels most at home living in old rafting buses with the love of his life Esmeralda (who is awfully cute, despite having 4 legs and a tail). Josh is a recent graduate of Chattanooga State College with a degree in art, focusing on photography.

Danny Fisher, Guide
When he's not on the river, Danny loves playing ice and roller hockey. (He's so good-natured on the river, we assume he has a more sinister side that only emerges on the court.) An avid whitewater kayaker, Danny has worked at Cascade for the past two years. Soon, he will graduate from the University of Memphis with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Ashlee O'Steen, Guide
Although she's a Chattanooga native and loves the Ocoee River, Ashlee has paddled extensively throughout the United States, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. In addition to all things whitewater, Ashlee loves dogs, thunderstorms, and lightening bugs. She will graduate in August from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Secondary Education.

Lowry Shaw (a.k.a. Rodeo L.), Guide
Lowry didn't start kayaking until he was 50 years old, but he's been kayaking or rafting nearly every day the Ocoee runs for the past decade. An ex-Marine with an M.B.A. and a BS in engineering, Lowry keeps himself busy in between rafting trips by kayaking, caving, snowboarding, and learning to fly his new ultralight.

Haley Mills, Guide
Although she's been whitewater kayaking for 8 years, Haley thought it would be fun to race concrete boats. We tried to tell her concrete wasn't the most state-of-the-art boat material, but she disagreed: she's majoring in concrete industry management at Middle Tennessee State University, so maybe she knows something we don't. While she doesn't recommend rafting the Ocoee in a concrete boat, she will build you some concrete countertops.

Kendall Ginn, Guide
A native of Rome, GA, Kendall has been guiding at Cascade for the past two years while completing her nursing degree. She recently graduated and is working as a trauma nurse at Chattanooga's Erlanger Hospital.