The Redside Foundation

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The Redside Foundation

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Supporting the health and strength of the professional outdoor guiding community. Why the name?

Inspiration for the Redside Foundation

The Redside Foundation was created (2010) in loving memory of longtime Idaho River Guide Telly Evans (1974-2010). Telly was a dedicated Middle Fork of the Salmon guide, a legendary interpreter of the wilderness, and a compassionate friend to all. Sadly, behind his generous smile and unyielding passion, Telly hid a pain that would eventually steal him from the river and friends he loved. The Redside Foundation strives to foster his spirit in others by protecting the health and wellbeing of his guiding family. There are three distinct reasons we chose the name “Redside” for this Foundation: 1) Redside is an infamous rapid on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River – one of Telly’s favorites despite the nervousness it generates, 2) Redside conjures up images of the majestic native sockeye salmon on its life fulfilling journey to the heart of central Idaho, and 3) no one will ever forget Telly’s enormous red beard and token chops.

10/15/2026

That’s a wrap on Scholarships and Professional Development Grants for this year! 🎉

Notifications have gone out to all applicants, whether or not they were awarded a grant or scholarship this time around.

Our Ad-hoc Committee was blown away by the quality of the essays submitted. The competition was fierce!

To everyone who applied: thank you for trusting us with your story.

Awardees will be announced in the coming weeks. For now, join us in celebrating every guide who is pursuing certifications and courses to sharpen their craft, as well as those earning degrees and training at accredited colleges, trade schools, and universities.

The guiding community is full of smart, talented people, and it’s our absolute honor to support them. 💛

Here's a note we received from Anson Shimeall, a Redside Guide Scholarship Awardee last year: 'I’m honored to be awarded this scholarship; there couldn’t be an organization that I would rather receive support from. The transition from guiding back into academic life is a brutal one, and the Redside Foundation does incredible work. As I mentioned in my essay, this adjustment has been hard for me, even considering that I have a wonderful support system– my family and close friends– to fall back on. For guides who may not be fortunate enough to have that support, a resource like the Redside Foundation is absolutely critical. I am happy to receive your support, and I hope to give back to the Foundation in the future in whatever capacity I am able to.'

image: Anson Shimeall

10/13/2026

The ad-hoc committee reviewing all the amazing photos submitted for this year's contest is currently hard at work picking the winners for each category and determining which images will make the 2027 Redside calendar.

SO MANY AMAZING images were submitted this year that they are finding it hard to choose but are determined to narrow it down.

In the mean time, please enjoy this submission by Matt Morris: Jakob Shiffman and Sophia Murray scouting Fitz’s Patching Wall, the most prominent class IV boulder garden of the two mile long Three Forks Series on the Upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River. July 2026

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day.

In an industry built on toughness, taking care of your mental health can feel like it's not part of the job. But it is. Guiding is physically demanding, seasonal, stressful, isolating at times, and it asks a lot of you. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

And the number one factor in good health is community.

Community is one of the most powerful tools we have. When one guide talks openly about their own mental health- therapy, burnout, or dealing with a hard season - it changes what's normal for everyone listening. Silence keeps people isolated. Honest connection builds a net underneath the whole crew.

This is part of 'setting safety' for your crew! You never know who needs to hear "me too."

If you're struggling, talk to someone — a friend, a fellow guide, or our Guide Helpline (208-740-1192) available 24/7.

And if you're doing okay, take a minute to check in on someone who might not be.

image: Addy Gesteland

10/08/2026

Grief.

Grief lives in the guiding community.

Most of us carry the memory of someone we lost on the mountain, on the river, or to something no one saw coming.

We don't talk about it enough.

So today, we want to point you toward Bright Shadow, a resource partner with a huge library of support including recommended articles, podcasts, and books. They offer retreats, a book club, workshops, and a blog that doesn't shy away from the hard parts of grief.

And if you need to talk to someone or are struggling with grief, our Guide Helpline is here 24/7: 208-740-1192. You don't have to carry this alone.

image: Kat Cannell

10/07/2026

Are looking for the best employee for this winter or next summer?

You know who rules? GUIDES!

Why you ask?

1. Calm under pressure — they're experts at managing risk and stay composed when things go sideways

2. People skills — they read groups, manage expectations, and keep people safe and engaged, often with other strangers

3. Adaptability — weather changes, plans change, gear breaks — guides problem-solve on the fly, constantly

4. Physical stamina and reliability — early mornings, long days, tough conditions

5. Leadership without ego — they lead groups while making it about the guest's experience, not their own

6. Multitasking — logistics, safety, teaching, hospitality, cooking — all at once

7. Grit and resourcefulness — they make amazing things happen with what they have, often in remote settings with no backup

8. Genuine passion — most guides do this because they love it, and that kind of intrinsic motivation carries over into any job

If you are looking for someone with those kinds of superpowers, please send your job posting to [email protected] and we will add it to our Guide Friendly Job Board. We promise you'll find rockstar!

Do you know who took this pic? Please tag them in the comments💖

10/05/2026

Holy Applications, Batman!

Well done, Guides!

A record-breaking number of you applied for scholarships and grants. Many of your essays are incredible and really speak to the depth of your experiences. They are making the Education Committee experiences all the feels.

We are so honored to support the guides who are putting in the work, getting the certifications and degrees that will make a difference in their own careers and in the lives of their guests, crews, and communities. We are so proud of all of you!

We will communicate to the awardees and those we hope try again in about two weeks-ish.

Image: Stronger Together - S. Walton

10/04/2026

We're often asked how to join our network of therapists — and today we just want to say thank you to the ones already doing this work.

We have a core of about 20 fully licensed therapists who all fully get the guide life and its ups and downs. Some have special skills like EMDR or group trauma debrief. Additionally, there's a full roster of fully licensed therapists that are available for certain cases. All of them are incredible and we feel so fortunate to have this network that regularly lets us know how much they like working with guides.

That said, if you are a fully licensed therapist in one or more states that we serve - ID, MT, WY, and CO - and are called to be part of the Redside Network, please see the FAQs on our website on how to proceed. While we aren't currently looking for new therapists, this can change at any time!

Image: Joe Carlson, one of our amazing therapists!

10/03/2026

Do you know that we offer FREE financial health coaching for professional guide in MT, ID, WY, and CO?

The heart of our services for supporting and strengthening the guiding community is centered in mental health, BUT mental health is deeply tied to many aspects of life including our finances.

If you could use some professional advising to on paying down debt, building wealth, starting a business, buying a car, or anything else- we've got you!

Ready to get a handle on your finances? Head to the link in our bio, "Financial Health Coaching for Guides", and fill out a quick request form. You'll be matched with one of our volunteer financial planners (who are guides themselves, so they get it) for a free coaching session to help you build a solid plan.

It's never too late to start, and you don't need a huge or steady income to start making better moves with your money.

image: ?? If you know- please let us know so we can give credit where credit is due!

10/01/2026

It's International Coffee Day!

Question: what's your method for making coffee- in camp, at the yurt, on your tailgate?

Do you have a secret method? Like adding cold water or dropping a whole egg in or a full arm spin to settle the grounds?

Please share your best method OR the craziest thing you've seen a guide do to make the Go Juice below!

image: Skip Volpert

09/30/2026

Last day to enter the annual photo contest!

Send your images in by midnight.

Every year we build a calendar from the best photos you share from life in the mountains, on the water, and out on the trail. We sell it to fund counseling sessions for guides - and it sells out almost every time. Your photos literally help other guides get the support they deserve.
What's in it for you:
Top pic in each category (wildlife, portrait, landscape, action) wins a prize
Best overall shot takes the grand prize
Every photo we select = a free calendar for you
Big thanks to our friends at NRS for incredible prizes for this
The details:
Photos must be your own
Send up to 3 images to [email protected]
Include a caption with the place/name
1MB+ files, landscape orientation preferred (we'll make exceptions for a truly incredible shot)
Deadline: September 30, 2026
*Heads up — submitted images may also show up on our social, newsletters, etc.
Let's build the best calendar yet.

Send us your favorites to [email protected]

Address

PO Box 8734
Boise, ID
83707

Telephone

+12087401192

Website

https://linktr.ee/RedsideFoundation

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