Jackson Hole Summer Travel & River Trip Blog

 

 

 

 

 

I’m pumped for my 5^th season at DHWW!  This season promises to be totally awesome with high water, great guides, even better office staff, and some hacky sack session outside the DHWW office!

 

With the change in the weather comes a change in my routine.  This week I’ve been busy exploring the hikes that are clear- High School Butte is still kicking my tush, but the views are great.  Josie’s Ridge and the ever-popular Snow King trek are also finally clear and beautiful as always. 

 

I’ve also been busy “exploring” (and by exploring I mean chowing down) at the local restaurants that have just re-opened.  My old standbys are still making my tummy smile- fajita plates at the Merry Piglets, massive B-B-Q sandwiches at Bubbas, and tasty burgers at Billy’s.  I’m excited to check out the new summer menus at Trio and The Bistro- my fingers are crossed for a mean elk dish and some creative use of rhubarb.  Top Chef, look out!       

Raft On,  Mary G

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!

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!

That’s right folks, if you bring your kids down the Snake River with us they could be granted the position of a Jr. Guide! All the guides at Dave Hansen Whitewater love the energy that kids can bring to a river trip, and also recognize the fact that not all kids want to sit still and be quiet through an entire 2 hour river trip. We have come up with some ways to engage your children, while educating them about guiding rivers and about the wildlife that we might see.  Kids on a scenic river trip will receive an activity booklet with a word search, a wildlife bingo card, and a tally sheet for animals spotted.  They will be taught how to spot eagles, and as our official eagle counters they will tally how many eagles we see on a trip (last year’s record was 23 eagles in one trip!).  And then, as if all that is not exciting enough, kids will be encouraged to have a go on the oars, with the guide’s help of course.  And for the more adventurous kids who are going on a whitewater trip, they will get a chance on the oars on the mellow mile and will learn a lot about safety on whitewater rafting trips.  At the end of the trip, the guide will award those who participated a Dave Hansen Whitewater Jr. Guide patch that the kids will get to bring home as a memento of their river trip. Kids of all ages and abilities, come join us!

The Ranch Inn is great place to stay while you are in Jackson Hole and only about a block off the town square. They have a wide range of rooms from standard rooms to luxury suites, all of which are very spacious and clean.  There is an indoor pool and a continental breakfast in the morning.  They are also located right next door to the Teton Steakhouse and only a couple blocks from Jedediah’s Original House of Sourdough…both have great breakfasts. 

The crew at the Ranch Inn too is very experienced.  We have been working with Jamie and Cindy for many years now and they are always very fun and professional and take very good care of their customers.   Make sure you check out there specials page – http://www.ranchinn.com/#specials and also tell them that DHWW recommended them.  The Ranch Inn is only about 5 blocks from our in town location and we can also arrange for a pickup at the hotel if you would prefer for any of our whitewater or scenic river trips.

When coming to Jackson Hole, some times the biggest challenge is finding a place to stay that fits in your budget.  The Virginian Lodge is a great place to stay if you are looking for a nice clean hotel with a great location and great people to help you.  I stopped by the Virginian this week and chatted with Jaime and she said that summer reservations are looking strong and they have some great packages and room rates.  Give them a call and mention that you heard about them through Dave Hansen Whitewater and they will give you 10% off your room.  Here is their website link: http://www.virginianlodge.com/

If you are a church group or family reunion coming to Jackson Hole and looking for some specials, we have one for you.  Raft with us and get your first night of camping free at our KOA campground that is located right on the Snake River.  This special applies to groups of 15 people or more.  We work with many church groups, school groups, boy scout troops, and family reunions throughout the year and have groups camping areas to accommodate all sizes.  Please give us a call at 800-732-6295 for more questions or check out our website at www.srpkoa.com.

The Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole (formerly known as the Wagon Wheel Village) has always been a very popular place to stay during family visits to the Jackson Hole area.  But after a long winter of remodeling, improvements and upgrades to their rooms and the whole property, it has become one of the best places to stay for your summer vacation.  Located right next door to our office and only about four blocks from the town square, The Rustic Inn is also very convenient if you are doing a river trip with us in the early morning.  Most importantly, if you tell the Rustic Inn that you heard about their property from us, you will get 10% off your room.  Check out their website at http://rusticinnatjh.com/

The Wagon Wheel is a great place to stay and is right next door to where the trips for Dave Hansen Whitewater depart from.  It is located only about four blocks from the town square so it great to be able to walk to where all the shops and restaurants are without having to worry about parking.  The property has a western feel to it to go along Jackson Hole/Yellowstone theme and there is a wide range of rooms from families looking to save a little to nice cabins along Flat Creek.