Jackson Hole Summer Travel & River Trip Blog

 

As a West Coast kid who grew up pearl jam grunge in Seattle with jeans and flannel shirts lining the drawers, I chuckled as I read the New York Times article entitled “Dress for Success, Again,” which profiled these young 20-somethings who are ramping up the office dress code: “Today the well-off 55-year-old is likely to be the worst-dressed man in the room, wearing a saggy T-shirt and jeans. The cash-poor 25-year-old is in a natty sport coat and skinny tie bought at Topman for a song. Young men are embracing the “Mad Men” elements of style in a way that the older men never did, still don’t and just won’t.”

 

The article went on and on describing the younger generation that wants to revitalize fashion and bring back the suit and tie. Poor saps, I thought.  Thank goodness Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where everybody walks around in fleece and gore-tex, doesn’t hold true to the hoity-toity urban style.  Thank goodness we work in a place where the ski-bums can sit right next to the millionaires at the Brew Pub and you would never know who is who.  Anybody in a suit in this town immediately elicits the response, “Well, what’s with him?” 

 

Multiply that by a power of 100 at our Dave Hansen Whitewater office where we’re thrilled when guides show up with clothes that don’t smell like wet dog.  Standard uniform includes chacos, DH hat, board shorts, and a shirt that you bet your lifevest was sniffed that morning before deemed wearable.  About the most GQ we get around here is when our fashionable van driver matches his visor with his t-shirt, which guaranteed, gets an ooooh and ahhhh from the office staff. 

 

This suits my husband and I just fine.  I mean heck, Bud has such an aversion to formality that when he was in furniture sales, he would visit with major buyers wearing his suit and green Tevas on his feet.  No Gucci kicks for this kid. I remember one day when I was a teacher, I was so tired of wearing professional clothes, that when I played volleyball with the staff before school one morning, I pretended I forgot my dress clothes at home.  “Shucks, I’ll have to wear my sweats and tenneys to class today. Hehe”

 

So I read all this New York Times hoopla with smug indifference.  I was haughty, in fact, sighing in superiority as I gazed over at my husband and caught my breath. Not because he’s a 35 year-old hunk who benched 225 yesterday—but because he had on his Target river shorts and white crew socks…. Which suddenly reminded me: Wait, didn’t all those young 20-somethings smirk at his get-ups? Didn’t the office crew chortle when Bud would walk in with yet another mis-matched shirt and short combo? In fact, their regard for Bud’s style of riverguide clothes was so bad that they all pitched in for an end of the season present: new, stylish board shorts. Even a remote outdoor playground has its dress code standards.  The younger generation has spoken.

It’s hard not to feel incredibly lucky living alongside the Snake River.  I love Jackson and will always consider it a second home.  But meeting our guests from all over the world, has got me up and wanting to travel again.  Call it the Burnworth wanderlust, but I’m always jazzed about hearing new places to travel to.  Today was no exception.  An awesome group from Washington state came in to talk about their Jackson Hole Whitewater Trip (Yowzers Lunch Counter is huge right now! :)  ) and they thought I was a girl they served on the Peace Corps with.

 

Turns out they worked in education and wrote proposals to help build the technology and general maintenance of the schools in South Africa.  Pretty cool.  Coincidentally the girl they knew was named Emmy.  (Mine name is Emily.)  No such luck, I was not Emmy.  And, I have not been in the Peace Corps or lived in South Africa.  Though check in a few years and maybe I will be.

 

We had quite the morning here at Dave Hansen…eleven brave souls dove into our giant blue Caddies for a scenic tour down the snake under cover of cloud and threat of rain.  And rain it did.  
 
True to Jackson Pioneer fashion, everyone braved the elements with admirably high spirits- and loads of ponchos and blankets.  I myself felt a little like a pioneer- because a.)  I’m a dork and b.)  I am still obsessed with Oregon Trail.  “Caulk the Wagons and Float” we did as we took on the Snake and everything she had to offer us.
 
And, let me tell you- she had quite a bit to offer.  From rushing water to misty clouds to giant floating trees there was quite a bit of excellent action this morning.  Aside from the action, we also found the trip to be quite educational.  For example, we learned that Bald Eagles dig the rain- there were three checking us out as we floated under them.  Pelicans, on the other hand prefer to just chill in bunches, bow their heads, and look miserable. 
 
They could take some lessons in enjoying the moment from our guests! 
 
After sliding out of the boats, peeling off life jackets, and getting a cup of steaming hot chocolate, everyone was still smiling. 
 
Sticking it out in the elements and enjoying the surrounding beauty? 
Now that is some Jackson Spirit!
 
Well done Becker, Fox, Cook and Wolff families!  We’d put you in our covered wagon any day.

We could not have asked for a better May in Jackson Hole!  When the weather can traditionally range from 1 foot of snow (jeans and t-shirt weather for locals) to 80 degrees (time work on your Teva tan weather), we have been very lucky this spring to have crisp spring like morning with blue sky and afternoons that warm up in the 70s.   The Dave Hansen Crew has had some unbelievable scenic trips, with the highlights being a herd of 30 elk crossing 25 feet in front of the rafts and seeing a cow moose with her newborn calf who could not have been much more than 2 or 3 days old (she was still trying to figure out how to use those long legs on the river rocks).

The whitewater tripshave been spectacular.  The warm weather during the day and the cool nights have started a gradual snow melt and the river level has been inching up, giving our guides new waves to play with everyday.  We took down a great group of family and friends yesterday.  All styled out in wetsuits and splash gear, Pradeep and his crew crashed through the waves at Station Creek, S-Turns, Cutbanks, and skirted around 3-Oar Deal (Class VI hydraulic…definitely one you want to skirt).  And this was just the first half of the trip!  “You mean they get bigger!” Everyone said with a laugh floating through gauging straights as Kyle was giving everyone ready for the second half of the trip.   They blasted through Lunch Counter and Ropes.  Went down the slide at Champagne and finished off strong in the playground of waves through the 3/4 mile stretch of Cottonwoods.

The water this season is going to be ideal.  The snow melt has been steady and the weather level is going to stay up at some fun levels that we typically do not get a chance to see for a long time.  It will then settle down into its great normal level all the way through September.  We are looking forward to having a great season getting people soaked!

That’s right folks, Dave Hansen Whitewater is open for business! We ran our first scenic rafting trip of the season on Saturday, April 18th. Two customers and two guides, Cristina and Matt boarded a boat under the Wilson Bridge on this beautiful sunny day and floated all the way to the South Park bridge. Not only was it a beautiful sunny warm Saturday, but there was plenty of wildlife to be seen.  We saw eagles, osprey, a red tailed hawk, a falcon, and many American white pelicans.  And the wildlife was not sitting around either, the osprey were diving for fish, the pelicans were herding fish to eat, and we even saw an eagle and a red tailed hawk fighting over hunting territory! We even had our first junior guide for the season! Twelve year old sean got to try his luck on the oars, andhe learned a thing or two about the wildlife we saw.  Whether you live in Jackson or are just visiting, a leisurely float down the Snake River is a great way to spend a day!

Not only does Jackson Hole have a huge variety of wildlife, but it has a variety of plant life as well.  Jackson Hole is not the name of the town (Jackson is), but of the entire valley that runs between the Grand Teton Range of mountains and the Gros Ventre range of mountains.  The trees that you will observe on a Dave Hansen Whitewater or Snake River Park river trip are certainly different than those that wou will see while hiking at higher elevations.  Deciduous trees that prefer to grow in an aquatic habitat include Aspens, Cottonwoods, Willows, and many others.  The cottonwood trees are spectacular to look at year round, flowering in the spring and turning yellow and orange in the fall.  Cottonwood trees are also a favorite nesting site of the American Bald Eagle. You would never guess by looking, but aspen trees are one of the world’s largest living organisms, because an aspen grove all comes from the same root system.  When you float the Canyon section, you will get to see how a forest fire can affect the trees of the area, and see how forests can regenerate after a large fire.  Learn about the devastating effects of the pine bark beetle on the lodgepole pines and other deciduous trees.  Breathe in the fresh mountain air created by these trees as you take in their majestic beauty from the river.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is closing down for the season today, Sunday April 5th.  The mountain will be open from 9-noon tomorrow for employee appreciation ski day, but will not be open to the general public.  We have had some of the best skiing and riding of the season here this spring, with over 100 inches of snow falling in the last three weeks of the season. Many members of the Dave Hansen Whitewater and Snake River Park team have been out enjoying some last great powder turns while they still can (without hiking for it anyway).   The total snow depth has reached 502 inches, which is well above the average of 459 inches a year over the past 10 years. After tomorrow the lifts will be done bringing skiers and snowboarders up the mountain until next December, and we will finally be able to give our full attention to the preparations for the upcoming 2009 summer rafting season. while the hardcore skiers and snowboarders amongst us are sad to see the ski season ending, the excitement is growing for the upcoming summer season.  The recent large amounts of snowfall are setting us up for some great rafting this year!

Whether you consider yourself an expert ornithologist and bird watcher, or you think all birds are either sea-ducks or land-birds you will be sure to see birds that will dazzle you when you float the Snake River in Jackson Hole with Dave Hansen Whitewater. Of course we have spectacular large birds of prey including bald eagles, osprey, and different species of hawk and falcon. Your experienced guides will point out nesting sites, tell you interesting facts about these birds, and sometimes you can even catch a glimpse of an eagle hunting for fish. And then of course you will have the aquatic birds (known to some as “sea-ducks”) such as American white pelicans, trumpeter swans, great blue herons, merganser ducks, and black necked stilts. See nesting sites in the banks for bank swallows and belted kingfishers, and watch the swallows swoop and dive for the insects that they eat. Mountain Blue birds hope from sage bush to sage bush.  Hear a Northern Flicker drum a cottonwood tree along the bank.  See an American Dipper dive under water pick up a stone fly nymph and deliver it to its nest in one seamless motion.  These are just a few of the types of birds that you could see!

The Snake River Brewpub has been a favorite of the local jacksonites for years, and now it is easier than ever for you to experience a local favorite. They have now expanded their location since last summer, and have re-opened bigger and better than ever. What a good way to end your day after a scenic or whitewater river trip with Dave Hansen Whitewater than with a cold frosty micro brewed beer and a tasty meal! Or be sure to check out their $7 lunch specials. The Snake river brewpub offers indoor and outdoor seating, and serves everything from tasty appetizers to delicious salads, pasta dishes, and sandwiches, and even mouth watering wood-fired pizzas. The beer that is served is brewed right there on site, and includes something for every beer drinker’s palate.  Cant decide what to get? Try their sampler, which includes small glasses of different beers of your choice. And brewpubs are not just for adults. Snake River Brewpub is definitely kid friendly, and they do have a kid’s menu. Be sure to keep an eye out for our own Will Pasquill, downing anywhere from 1-3 plates of nachos at happy hour after a long day on the river. Come experience a local favorite!

Dave Hansen Whitewater has teamed up with Brushbuck Guide Service to offer you yet another amazing package deal! As if a scenic, whitewater, or combination river trip on the mighty Snake River is not enough, you could follow it up with a wildlife tour. Brushbuck guide service offers a variety of wildlife tours in both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.  Their experienced guides will bring you to their top wildlife viewing hot spots, where you will have the chance to view grizzly and black bear, eagles, elk, bison, wolves, pronghorn, moose, as well as a wide variety of other smaller animals and birds. You could hop on one of their very popular Grand Teton Wildlife Dawn or Dusk tour which not only includes wildlife viewing, but also is filled with history, park landmarks, and world-famous scenery.  With the experience of floating the historic and scenic snake river, and a wildlife tour in Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Parks, you are definitely experiencing a great variety of what this amazing corner of the world has to offer. With this package deal you receive a 10% discount on both your river trip, and your wildlife tour. For more information about our package deals, visit http://www.davehansenwhitewater.com/packages.shtml.