Who We Are
Warrior Mountain River Adventures (WMRA) is a Veterans Nonprofit and 501(c)(3) Charity which seeks to empower and bring veterans and First Responders together for community and healing. The number one thing veterans miss about being in the military is the camaraderie. Our mission is focused on being together and experiencing outdoor adventures whereby we introduce and teach new skills that veterans can take home and incorporate into their daily lives. However, most importantly we aim to disrupt 22 veterans a day committing suicide. WMRA believes when you bring veterans together and venture into the great outdoors healing begins. The two greatest injuries from America’s twenty year plus war on terror is Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Most combat veterans have experienced some type of trauma. The healing of trauma, TBI and PTSD is a lifelong endeavor. Healing isn’t limited to outdoor adventures but rather it’s a wholistic experience including cooking meals together and then enjoying those meals around a dining room table or on the side of a mountain telling and listening to each other stories and jokes.
What makes WMRA unique? WMRA is unique in that we offer trips and adventures bringing up to 8 disabled vets at a time. These small numbers create a very personal, small and intimate setting whereby strong lifelong relationships are forged. This is vital to a veteran because when PTSD triggers happen the Veteran needs someone they can call to help them get through that moment in a healthy positive manner vs not reaching out which can cause a disastrous consequence. WMRA helps facilitate and foster those life-long relationships. WMRA is unique in that we are primarily but not exclusively home-based out of the founder and Director’s personal home in the beautiful mountain town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The town is home to the San Juan Mountains and National Forrest which has magnificent rivers, trails, lakes and creeks to explore.
Each trip the goal is to introduce warriors to an outdoor activity. Most trips will introduce the Veteran to the art of fly fishing. It is always exciting to watch when a Veteran catches their first trout on the San Juan River, streams or lakes. We have done excursions where the Veteran will hike to a remote mountain lake to fish for prized native Brook Trout or float the world-famous Gold Medal Trout waters of the San Juan River below the Navaho Dam. The founder’s home sits on the San Juan River and allows the Veteran’s to get up early or stay up late fishing right out the back door. In addition to teaching Veterans how to fly fish we provide multiple other activities including wood working classes where the Veteran can make their own fishing net or fly box. Every trip includes a team hike to a waterfall, lake or just a beautiful mountain overlook. In the winter, you will find Veteran’s learning to snow shoe, snowmobile and even ski. In the spring and summer, Veterans have experienced the exhilaration of River Rafting, tubing, cycling, and hot air ballooning. In the fall, Veterans have enjoyed jeep 4x4ing and razor trails and learning about capturing that perfect photo of the fall colors.
WMRA prides itself in creating lasting relationships between Veterans, introducing them to new skills through outdoor adventures and in return creating a support network to disrupt the 22 Veterans a day committing suicide. We owe our freedom to these Veterans and believe deeply in the cause to bring health, healing and joy to their lives. Please consider partnering with our team to impact the life of a Veteran!