Meet Curt Howell | Professional Outdoor Educator and Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Curt Howell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Curt, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Owning my own business wasn’t really an intentional goal for me. Most of my career has centered on training and mentoring college students in outdoor pursuits programs. Helping students develop as people and learners through various outdoor adventure activities has been my focus for nearly two decades. I’ve enjoyed teaching and being part of the university scene with both the campus recreation and the academic side. I started my own rock climbing guiding company initially as a casual side gig for me to provide a new service in the San Luis Valley (SLV) and keep my own guiding skills fresh. Plus, selfishly, I thought that I’d better do it before someone else does. I’d been in the SLV for about 8 years at that point and have always been heavily involved in the outdoor recreation scene. The SLV is gaining attention as a tourist destination and has significant potential for guided trips to become more and more of a demand. I thought I’d just do a little rock guiding during the summer and ice climbing in the winter while still teaching on the faculty for Adams State. However, maybe a year after, I was approached with an opportunity to purchase Mountain Man Rafting. It has been around since 1985, beginning in Creede before moving operations to South Fork.

I was intrigued by the chance to expand beyond just guiding and into running a more expansive operation with my own crew of guides. I began to imagine a larger vision for myself and what was possible. Plus, right about that time, my application for a new Commercial Use Permit with the Forest Service was denied. I was told that no new commercial recreation permits would be issued for the Divide District. However, the permit officer made it clear that if I had an existing permit, I could apply for and most likely receive the user days I was after on the west side of the SLV. In a way, I bought a raft company to get the climbing permit that I wanted. But more so, I recognized the benefit of taking over an established river operation and the likelihood that some of the rafting clientele would try out other guided activities. Plus, running a larger guide service would be a way for me to still teach and develop young (and not so young) outdoor professionals. My wife, kids, and I tossed this idea around as we knew that it would likely mean a shift out of higher education and into full time business ownership. But, it would give me the chance to explore and diversify my skill sets in a way that I couldn’t in my current position. We’re a family that likes a bit of risk and so we decided to go for it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Narrow Ridge is an adventure recreation company based in South Fork, CO offering guided trips on the Upper Rio Grande river and throughout the San Luis Valley (SLV). Current activities include whitewater rafting, inflatable kayaking, SUP, rock climbing, ice climbing, hiking, and we also provide instructional courses in wilderness medicine and rescue. There is no other business in the San Luis Valley that offers professional guiding and instruction in all these disciplines. Narrow Ridge is, however, still a young business. Summer 2024 will be our third season on the river after taking over Mountain Man Rafting. Under the prior owner, Mountain Man did not operate at all for two years during the COVID pandemic. Also during that time, another outfitter began offering float trips on the unpermitted sections of the Rio Grande in South Fork. So, when I took over, we had a lot of ground to make up. We’ve been working hard to reestablish our presence on the river, in the community, and build relationships with our customer base.

I believe that the Upper Rio Grande is a wonderful place to recreate. The Rio is perfect for introducing people to whitewater river activities and the scenery is amazing. The western side of the SLV has for decades been a destination for visitors looking to fish the Gold Medal waters, explore the San Juan Mountains’ extensive forest roads, as well as the abundance of hiking and equestrian trails. Narrow Ridge is now providing new ways to enjoy time with family and friends and to learn new skills. We know it will take some time for folks to catch onto how fun it is to try these new things. But, we’ve already received a lot of positive feedback from those who were so grateful to get out with us to climb with their grandkids or learn to kayak. Lastly, I’m keen on ensuring our guests not only have a great time but also come away with an enhanced understanding of what they can do to help protect and preserve the ecosystems they visit. With my background in stewardship education, I felt strongly about building a business that  emphasizes our personal responsibility to take care of the places where we recreate. One of our core business values is Stewardship. We weave relevant bits of conservation education into all we do from such topics as the complexities of water issues to why securing food in campsites is important for wildlife health and safety. We want folks to know that Narrow Ridge is the premier source in the San Luis Valley for outdoor adventure recreation. We are the local professionals and the trips we run are truly remarkable for their diversity and quality.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As an outdoor professional with many interests, I recognize that I can be a bit biased in building an itinerary. That said, I think a solid summer itinerary would include a guided trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park with the vehicle based guide service Pathfinders 4×4. That way, they could experience not only the incredible dune field and sand boarding, but head up towards Medano Pass and see culturally modified trees and learn about the early history of the San Luis Valley. As an alpinist, I must recommend exploring the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, especially above the town of Crestone. These are remote and rugged peaks with exceptional climbing and see little traffic on this side of the range. For the fit, acclimated, and experienced, a car to car peak ascent of the Crestone Needle or Kit Carson is possible and can be topped off with dinner at Crestone’s T Road Brewing Company. Afterwards, the experience would be rounded out with a soak at the Sand Dunes Pool and a night out at the Dunes Experiences Desert Camp for stargazing and safari style camping. Penitente Canyon would be on the list for a day of rock climbing on technical volcanic tuff. This area holds over 300 climbing routes so there is plenty to choose from and allows one to chase the shade as it can get hot in the summer. Penitente would also be a great place to go for a mountain bike ride. The Bureau of Land Management and San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) have worked over the last several years to enhance the trail network throughout the SLV. Spending a night at SLV GO’s new Tin Can Camp provides comfort in custom built cabins, beautiful views, and offers close access to Penitente. After a day of riding or climbing, The Pivot in Monte Vista is a new pub with excellent beer on tap, cocktails, and a tasty locally sourced menu. In the Del Norte area, we could get out on a longer mountain bike ride up the Middle Frisco Trail outside of town and then hit up the town play wave to do some kayak surfing or just enjoy a dip. For dinner and an overnight stay, the best choice is the Windsor Hotel on Grand Avenue in downtown Del Norte. If the timing is right and the Rio Grande Reservoir is releasing, running the Upper Rio Grande Box Canyon below Thirty Mile Bridge campground is a must do. This 8 mile Class III/IV wilderness section is rarely visited and is fantastic for the experienced boater. There is a good chance to see bear, elk, mountain lion and moose while deep in this remote section of the Rio Grande. After running the river, a reservation at Antlers Riverside Restaurant would do just fine. Exploring the mining heritage of Creede, catching a show at its world renowned Repertory Theater, and hiring a local guide to fish the Gold Medal waters could also be added to the list. Clearly, there is a lot to do in this 8,000 square mile valley and I’ve only touched on a handful of my favorite things.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is no chance that I’d be where I am today without Bethany, my wife. We’ve been together for 22 years and without a doubt she’s the person who’s had the most significant impact on my growth as a human being and a professional. She’s been a consistent support and source of encouragement, but more importantly, it’s her integrity, self-discipline, and just her being herself that is my inspiration.

Website: www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainmanrafting/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/narrow-ridge-south-fork-2

Image Credits
Narrow Ridge for all photos