Our Story

Galena Lodge is owned by the Blaine County Recreation District and operated by a concession agreement with Kyle and Chelan Oldemeyer under a permit with the Sawtooth National Forest.

What that really means is that we are a hands on small business focused on elevating our guests' recreational and outdoor experiences with quality food, service and rental equipment.

Kyle first came to Galena as a seasonal employee in 2013 and met Chelan at Galena in 2016. We became Galena managers together in 2020, got married at the lodge in 2022 and became the operators  of Galena Lodge in 2023.

Kyle is an Idaho native, born and raised in Boise while Chelan originally hails from Wenatchee, Washington. Both of us now consider the Wood River Valley and Galena Lodge to be our home.

Our backgrounds in recreation and teaching as well as our passion for all things outdoors have been a natural, if unlikely fit, to operating a business in the middle of an expansive National Forest. We look forward to offering satisfying outdoor experiences to our new and returning customers from near and far!

Our loaner dog Rio will be happy to join you on a hike or snowshoe or just some extra pets and love on the lawn. His sister Fly stays in the office but sends her love. We have occasional guest appearances from other staff dogs too so keep your eyes peeled the next time you are at the lodge! 

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Our Team

The magic of Galena stems from our incredible staff, we couldn't do it without them so take a moment to meet the Galena family

Mike Lincoln: Found Galena 17 years ago and has come back multiple times to add up to seven years working in the restaurant. He loves Galena for the winter backcountry access and summer mountain biking scene. His favorite menu item is the veggie burger with bacon! 

Tyler: is our Galena Lodge bike shop manager. He spends his time living in Crested Butte Colorado when he is not here. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in Forestry. He enjoys biking, skiing, snorkeling and RC rock crawlers. He really likes the Galena Lodge classic chocolate chip cookie.

Matheu

Katie: This summer is Katie’s second season with Galena Lodge. Katie works the front of the house serving up delicious food, her favorite menu item is the ginger sesame bowl.  Katie’s other passion lies in health and wellness practicing acupuncture. When Katie is not working you will find her on the trails with her newly adopted dog Walter. ​

I like to run, rock climb, hike, read, and take photographs. I enjoy partaking in activities outdoors and I am excited to be leading your child outdoors as well this summer! This is my first season at Galena Lodge and I come all the way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Kate: loves living in a yurt at the headwaters of the Wood River. It’s her fourth season working in the kitchen and restaurant at Galena. She loves backpacking, skiing, reading, and playing music. 

Stacey: I'm originally from Alaska but I call home Salt Lake City these days. I love to bike, ski, run, and generally play outside! This is my third summer at Galena and you can find me adventuring during every second of my free time.

Shelley: so excited to spend her summer at Galena with her dog Cassidy. Her guilty pleasure is Neil Diamond and she is still searching for the perfect slice of pie. 

Connor: this is my first season as a kid's camp counselor at Galena. I am from Maine and moved out to Idaho this past winter to work in the Galena ski shop teaching nordic lessons. I am very excited for camp and to dive into all the activities Galena has to offer during the summer season! I am also an avid birder, and will happily identify any mystery bird photos you may have

Tilly: I have grown up in Boise and I enjoy Galena. I am returning for another Summer as a GYAC counselor and I look forward to having fun with campers. I love the mountains. I love streams. I love adventure and I love camp. I look forward to time that allows kids to play outdoors and I am in school studying to be an educator!

Sarah: works in the restaurant and this is her fourth season at Galena Lodge. Sarah typically spends her summer backpacking. In her free time she enjoys playing the guitar!

Annalee: Originally from Wisconsin, Anna has lived and worked in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and California and is excited to be back for her second full summer at Galena. She is passionate about sourdough, baking, teaching, skiing and biking. She loves beans and chocolate. ​

Haydee: This is Haydee’s third season at Galena Lodge. You”ll find Haydee in the kitchen whipping up hearty meals for guests.  Haydee enjoys solo backpacking and is looking forward to learning beekeeping and having hives on her family property in Peru. 
Favorite Galena sweet treat: Don Bar with ice cream.

Tony: was born and raised in the Wood River valley. He likes to hike and play bluegrass and is studying environmental studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla Washington.

Henry

Logan: Recently graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise. Her favorite Galena snack and guilty pleasure is a Don Bar! 

Holly: ​After growing up in Washington and attending college in Maine for geology and visual art, I moved to Idaho this past year and immediately fell in love with the landscape and ease of access to ski and bike adventures. My teaching job in Ketchum enabled me to spend afternoons and weekends up at Galena- what a dream to now be working in my favorite place to play, with an awesome community!

Lou: I grew up in the northern panhandle of Idaho! I’m going to school at the University of Idaho for Studio Art & Design with an emphasis on Graphic Design. I have 9+ years of experience with kiddos and I’m excited for my first season at Galena!!

Lila: With every passing summer of bike camp at Galena, I have fallen more and more in love with the beauty and accessibility of such an awesome place to work and play. When I’m not biking with kiddos, you can find me ski touring, biking (probably slower than I do at camp), boating, serving up hotdogs at Irving’s, sneaking mango sorbet from the shop, or at the University of Tennessee studying Biomolecular Engineering!