About Tyler Williams

Tyler Williams knows adventure. Williams has rappelled slot canyons, bushwhacked through rain forests, trudged across deserts, paddled more than two hundred rivers worldwide, and spent as many nights under the stars as under a roof. In 2006, he became the first to travel British Columbia's Fraser River from source to sea—an 800-mile mostly solo journey. He was once featured as one of Backpacker magazine's "tough dayhikers," but his true calling lies in multi-day wilderness trips. His favorite backcountry haunts range from Alaska's glaciers to the depths of his backyard Grand Canyon, where he is a leading authority.

The son of a professional football coach, Tyler's youth was dominated by team sports, but by his teens his athleticism began to morph into an obsession with outdoor adventures: backcountry skiing, backpacking, canyoneering, whitewater kayaking, whatever it took to explore in the wilderness.

Tyler studied geography at Northern Arizona University before shedding academia to pursue a different path. Through his twenties, Tyler lived out of a pickup truck as an itinerant river guide from Idaho to West Virginia, and most points in between. Off season travels took him to Mexico and Central America, Japan, and Canada.

In 1998, Williams wrote his first book, Canyoneering Arizona. This ground-breaking guidebook helped develop the fledgling sport of canyoneering in North America. Using the momentum of his successful debut, Tyler published his second book, Grand Canyon River Hikes, in 2001. His highly acclaimed Whitewater Classics was released in 2004. Williams' latest title, Paddling Arizona, came out in January, 2007. All four titles are published through Williams' publishing company—Funhog Press. "Fun-hogging" is certainly something Williams knows well, and the results of his exploits often appear in the pages of Paddler and Backpacker magazines, among others.

When he's not in the field conducting book research, or chasing a magazine story, Williams is a professional river boatman, an interpretive wilderness guide, and a scientific field assistant on plant and animal surveys throughout the Southwest. Between travels, Tyler can be found at his home office in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he lives with his wife Lisa.

 

Tyler Williams' slide shows.

Funhog: One who possesses, holds, acquires, or hogs an inordinate amount of fun.
When author Tyler Williams chose Funhog Press as the name for his publishing company, it was more than just a catchy phrase. Tyler is the embodiment of "Funhog." Williams has made a career out of his passions, and his presentations reflect this. His slide shows are journeys of adventure, visually stimulating, entertaining, thought provoking, and informative. Tyler weaves stories together seamlessly in a rich dynamic display, finding a comfort level with his audience that makes even the largest venue seem intimate. His natural and honest approach creates a fun atmosphere that communicates well, and inspires thoroughly.

Fraser River—Source to Sea
In 2006, Tyler became the first to run British Columbia's Fraser River from its very source to its mouth in the Pacific Ocean. As Tyler summarizes the trip, "It took 3 boats, 6,500 vertical feet, and 800 miles." Join Tyler as he: bushwhacks in the Canadian Rockies, paddles the remote Fraser headwaters in a miniature pack raft, follows in the footsteps of mountain man Simon Fraser, breaks up fist-fighting indigents during a town stop, and runs 70,000 cfs of whitewater through infamous Hells Gate in his quest for salt water.

Rivers are perfect metaphors for life. Tyler's source to sea presentation traces the life of the Fraser, and the lessons he learned while following its course. His presentation illustrates how to adapt to changes, the necessity of planning, and the rewards of persistence.

This show is suitable for any organization or event seeking a motivational adventure speaker. It can also be tailored to educational venues, focusing on the geography of watersheds, and the cultural and physical characteristics of British Columbia.


Whitewater Classics
Talk about the ultimate paddling safari! Williams criss-crossed North America while conducting research for his book Whitewater Classics - Fifty North American Rivers Picked by the Continent's Leading Paddlers. Tyler visited whitewater rivers from southern Mexico to California's Sierras to the Appalachians. Highlighted in the show is a solo trip retracing the route of legendary Walt Blackadar. Tyler's 10-day journey down Alaska's Alsek River included close encounters with rolling icebergs and grizzly bears. Williams' presentation features the best whitewater destinations on the continent, places like Skookumchuck tidal rapids in British Columbia, and "the Deliverance river," Georgia's Chattooga.

This show is a perfect match for paddling clubs, and anyone seeking a motivational adventure presentation. It is also appropriate for educational purposes, catering to physical and cultural geography classes, watershed management, and recreation studies.

 

Latest Funhog Adventure News

Source to Sea Quest Continues
In 2006, Tyler Williams became the first to paddle the entire length of British Columbia's 800-mile-long Fraser River. He didn't know it at the time, but that trip served as the first in a series of river journeys forming the project: Source to Sea—exploring western North America's rivers from headwater to salt water. Williams' quest is to run the continent's major Pacific-draining waterways; the Fraser, Columbia, Yukon, and Colorado, from source to sea.

In 2007, Tyler took a year "off" from the ongoing expedition to run the contentious Klamath River, where dam removal could be the first important step in restoring a severely threatened salmon population. His experiences from that exploited river system will serve him well this year, when he attempts to descend the Columbia by starting on the nearly salmon-less Salmon River in Idaho.

Williams' trip will start by hiking into the Sawtooth Mountains, where he will locate the Salmon's highest source before launching in a portable pack raft. Near Stanley, Idaho, he will switch to a whitewater kayak, and ride springtime's freshet for 425 miles to the Snake River, and the inland "seaport" of Lewiston, Idaho.

Here, Tyler will run headlong into the dilemma of migrating Columbia salmon. The ocean-bound fish are severely impacted by dams and current-less reservoirs on the lower Snake River. Tyler, too, will likely be tested by flat water and legendary headwinds on this crux segment of his trip.

Continuing by sea kayak, Tyler hopes to reach the Cascade Range by mid-July. After paddling past the confluence of the Willamette River and city of Portland, his final challenge will be in negotiating treacherous ocean currents at the mouth of the Columbia. Should he reach mother ocean, Tyler will have completed leg number two in his odyssey of headwaters to salt waters.

New Guidebook
Funhog Press will release its fifth title in the winter of 2008 / 2009!

Arizona Summits – south: A Guide to Mountains and High Points will lead adventurers of all abilities to the best peaks of southern Arizona. Everything from paved parkways to gripping fifth-class rock climbs will be covered in this exciting new guidebook. Most of the routes will fall more into the range of standard hiking, but Tyler has made a point of covering a variety of routes for this inclusive guide. “I’ve really enjoyed linking the geography of our state through the research for this book,” Williams says, “and I want readers to gain that same sense of place.” Dedicated peak baggers will recognize most of the airy destinations, but much of the book’s content will be new territory for Arizona hikers. Standard routes like Camelback Mountain will certainly be covered, but Funhog fans can be assured that surprises await in this new book.