Bring the kids, and make them into Jr. Guides!

Posted by cristina on Mar 28th, 2009
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Two Successful DHWW JR. Guides!

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!

Paddle to Saddle

Posted by cristina on Mar 15th, 2009
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Leo and Glen enjoying the "Saddle" side of the Paddle to Saddle Package
Ever wonder how those first cowboys must have felt riding in the mountains of Wyoming? Or how about how the first adventurers felt when they floated down the Snake River when they first came to Jackson Hole?  Well now you can find out! What better way to experience the rolling hills and majestic beauty of Wyoming than from the back of a horse? And even better, you can have the wild Wyoming river experience in the same day.  And still even better, if you book a paddle to saddle package with Dave Hansen Whitewater you receive a 10% discount on both activities! If rafting and horseback riding sounds like too much in one day, there is always the option to split these activities up over a couple of days.  The paddle to saddle package can apply to our whitewater, scenic, or combo trips, and there are a variety of different rides available. Come sign up for a packsge trip this summer at Dave Hansen Whitewater!

400 inches and growing!

Posted by Dave Hansen Whitewater Staff on Mar 13th, 2009
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Deep Snow in Winter means great summer season for the Snake River
The total accumulation of snow at the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has hit 400 inches! And with another three weeks of ski season left, there is potential for a lot more accumulation.  The ski area has received 401 inches of snow at the upper mountain, and 314 inches at the mid mountain area.  What does snow mean for the rafting season in Jackson Hole you ask?  Well, we are all hoping for another epic spring runoff season like we had last year, and we need the snow to pile up in the mountains now so that in a few months when the temperatures rise and the 2009 rafting season begins there is plenty of water for our enjoyment.  The more snow we get now, the higher and more exciting the whitewater river trips will be this spring and summer.  So pray for snow folks, and then come whitewater rafting!

Rafting in the winter!?

Posted by Dave Hansen Whitewater Staff on Mar 8th, 2009

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Floating the Snake in the Winter
Thats right folks, our guides are so excited for the upcoming 2009 rafting season that they could not wait! Two of our guides, Carsten Stuhr and Cristina fenner, along with a group of other river lovers floated the 13 mile scenic Wilson to Southpark streach of river on Tuesday March third.  At around 1400 cfs, the flow was a lot less than is seen during out normal boating season, but people who go rafting when there is still a lot of snow on the ground are far from normal.  Instead of launching from a beach like we do in the summer, the rafts entered the river with a splash by sliding down a steep snowy bank – with people in them!  What is usaually a 2-3 hour trip took around 5 hours, and everyone involved loved every minute of it. Sure, everyone was a little chilly in the end, but that is to be expected when the temperatures are below freezing. Hawain shirts were worn in celebration of the start of the 2009 boatin season. A couple of young men who were wearing full dry suits even swam alongside the boat for awhile! Jackson Wyoming, where you can ski in the summer and raft in the winter if you try hard enough, or do both in the same day!

We are not kidding about the highlight…

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 8th, 2009
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Where did that come from?!
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That's what I call whitewater!
There are a lot of great things to do when you are visiting Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park.  There are thousands of things to do.  You can hike around Jenny Lake to Inspiration Point and up Snow King Mountain.  You can go horseback riding through Buffalo Valley or into the Wind River Range and Hoback Canyon.  You can go fishing on Yellowstone River for the Fine Spotted Snake River Cutty or hook into one of the monster Brown Trout living on the South Fork.  But not all of these activities will create expressions and laughs like a whitewater trip through the Grand Canyon of the Snake River.  Ok…so we are quite biased…we admit it, but these pictures are pretty good evidence!  Can’t wait for the season to start.  We can’t wait to see you at Dave Hansen Whitewater.

Jonathan King – Guiding the Winters in Chile

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 7th, 2009
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Jon paddling the winter in Chile

Who says you have to sit on you paddles during the winter and wait for summer to come…some guides just go find another summer.   Just got this picture from Jonathan King, who after his summer guiding the Snake River in Jackon Hole for DHWW, went back down to Chile for the winter to guide for Chilean Adventures, teaching and guiding kayaking trips (http://www.chileanadventures.com/kayaking.htm).  From the pictures, you certainly cannot argue with why he went back.  Jonathan is going to be back for another summer though in Jackson Hole, guiding whitewater and scenic trips again and also teaching the rest of the river guides some Spanish paddling commands.  You can read a little bit more about Jonathan and our other guides on our Meet the Guides page.

Granite Hot Springs and Hoback Canyon…a Must See!

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 6th, 2009
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The pool at Granite Hot Springs
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As beautiful as any mountain scenery that you will see on your trip
Deservedly so, when people come to visit the Greater Yellowstone and Jackson Hole area, many of the hikes and sites around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National park tend to be the places where people want to visit the most.  From Old Faithful to Hayden Valley to Jenny Lake and Signal Mountain, there are so many places to see that many people forget about the beautiful sites of Hoback Canyon. One of our most favorite places to go at Dave Hansen Whitewater is Granite Hot Springs, which is about 25 miles south of the town of Jackson Hole.  During the spring time, fields of wild flowers are blooming as you are surrounded by the Snow capped mountains of the Wind River Range.  There are a few forest service campgrounds as you drive up the dirt road turnoff to the hot springs just off of Hwy 191.  There is a beautiful waterfall (this waterfall was filmed in a scene of the movie a River Runs Through it) as you approach the hot springs where a man made pool was used for people to take a dip in. If you prefer to be fully immersed in nature, you can also dip in the hot springs that are just at the base of the waterfall on the other side of the river from the parking lot.  Just follow the sulphur smell!
A great day in Jackson Hole that we recommend all the time is to do our 16 mile scenic whitewater combo trip in the morning down the Snake River Canyon.  We tell people they should drive their car and follow our bus to Hoback Jct where our bus can then drop them off on the way back and they will be a lot closer to Granite Hot Springs.  After the combo trip which include a deli lunch, you then can cruise on up to Granite Hot Springs for a hike and then a dip in the pool.  It is a can’t miss day!

Fighting Aquatic Invasives

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 4th, 2009

So, let’s talk Aquatic Invasives…because if we all want to continue to whitewater raft and float and fish the rivers and streams in Jackson Hole and around the world…we need to learn a few things that we can all to to help preserve are bodies of water.

 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are aquatic and terrestrial organisms and plants that have been introduced into new ecosystems (i.e. Great Lakes, San Francisco Bay, Florida, Hawaii) throughout the United States and the world and are both harming the natural resources in these ecosystems and threatening the human use of these resources. AIS are also considered to be “nuisance” species or “exotic” species and the terms are often used interchangeably.

How do these things get transferred from place to place?  Well there are a number of ways, but mostly through people traveling to certain areas of the world and bringing back plant life, insects, mussels, etc. unknowingly.  For example a fishermen may travel to New Zealand and fish in rivers there, using the very same wading boots that he uses when he is home.  When he comes home and gets his equipment out to fish his favorite local stream, he is risking transferring the New Zealand mud snail to this stream unless he is very smart and cleans his equipment before he uses it in another body of water.  From boats to rafts to anchors to nets to wading equipment it is very important for everyone to do their part and make sure they thoroughly clean their equipment after every trip (whether it be going to New Zealand or just fishing you local river).

The Snake River Fund continues to take a leadership role in combating the spread of invasive species in the Jackson Hole area. This marks the third year of the Fund’s drive to educate the public and help coordinate policy to protect our pristine resource.  The Snake River Fund has put dipping stations at many of the ramps around the valley to allow fishermen to dip their equipment before and after their fishing day.


The Fund has worked with this group to draft a comprehensive strategy to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives into the Snake River. Grand Teton National Park is set to adopt a new policy, for instance, by which boat owners must certify that their crafts either have not been used in infested states or have been properly cleaned.  Prevention and education is definitely the key in managing this problem.  Fortunately, relatively small changes in individual and industry behavior can have huge benefits and impacts towards AIS introductions.  For more information, please check out a great article written by Paul Bruun in the Jackson Hole News and Guide: http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?ctg=8&csfd=1

The Cleanest Buses in Jackson Hole!

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 3rd, 2009
Leo and the love of his summer!
Leo and the Cleanest Buses in Teton County
So we know that a whitewater or scenic river trips down the Snake River just does not start and end with your time on the raft.  Oh no!   There is always going to be a little bus ride and that is where Don and Leo come in…thanks to Leo Bridgers and his wife Sue and to Don Parkinson, we know we have one of the best fleets of buses and vans in Jackson Hole.  We definitely take pride in maintaining them and keeping them clean and ready for use.  All of our bus drivers have a little “entertainer” in them too.  Whether it is pointing out the best places to eat as they are driving you through town or telling you a little bit of Jackson Hole history on your ride or slipping in a joke or two, we know that it is the whole experience that makes the trip memorable, not just the river trip experience.  Just make sure Leo does his Elvis impression for you…

Billy’s Burgers

Posted by Bud Chatham on Mar 2nd, 2009
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Part of the crew at Billy's Burgers
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Little Slice of Heaven
OK…so when I was running trips for dear old Uncle Stan at Snake River Park back in the college days (check out the my story page on our website… www.davehansenwhitewater.com/about_us.shtml ) Billy’s Burgers might as well been our kitchen.  Everyday, after being on the river all day and maybe just eating a banana or granola bar, we would come back to town, sit on the counter barstool at Billy’s and put away at least one half pound burger, and yes sometimes two!  It was the perfect ending to the day.

This is not only the best burger in Jackson Hole, but one of the best burgers I have ever had…and I do consider myself an expert in the field.  And still, to this day, the price for the half pound buger (with grease and juice dripping down your elbows) and a basket of fries is still just $5.25 with tax.  An absolute steal in Jackson Hole.  The place is usually packed, but don’t be too discouraged because they move people out pretty quickly.  You can also order the burgers inside the Cadillac bar or also order the burger to go and just cruise on over to the Town Square park across the street and eat it there.  If you can though, it is fun to sit inside the Billy’s portion of the restaurant…it is very lively and entertaining.  Whatever you do though, don’t miss this meal!  It is located right on the Town Square, inside the Cadillac restaurant, which is right next door to the Million Dollar Cowbay Bar.

Side note…working on the river could not have been a better job for a college person…but I always had the dream of flipping burgers at Billy’s.  The running commentary with the customers, the chance to say “Order Up!” after every burger that was completed, free burgers all the time (that could have been dangerous though)…it would have been a dream.  Tried to get a part time gig there once, but the shifts just did not work well with the river schedule.  I am still holding out hope though one day…OK…this is getting too deep!

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