Jackson Hole Summer Travel & River Trip Blog

I rolled into Jackson Wyoming with a car full of books, blankets, a bamboo plant, and my favorite passenger-seat companion: my guitar.  After making the trek from Pennsylvania to Utah, I couldn’t wait for the five hour drive to be over and to be back in the Wyoming Wild.  The mountains in Star Valley were still frosted with winter, reminding me of the high water season I’d get to be a part of.  With each mile gone by I was closer to a season of hard work and adventure.  I’ll never forget pulling into the Dave Hansen Boat House to see the guides unloading the boats and life jackets and the sky a cloudy, cool overcast.  I was greeted with big, warm “Patagucci” hugs and even bigger and warmer smiles.  I was back for my second season at dee aych double dub (DHWW) and, like a seasoned river worker, was planning on staying through the late season.  Almost all of the Dave Hansen family were back on board and I was prepped for a good summer. 

June was rainy.  And cold.  But the water was awesome.  And the Dave Hansen customers that met us during the early water season were almost as stoked as all of us were.  Donned in wetsuits and splash gear they were geared up to take on the Class IV rapid Lunch Counter. 

July meant hot days and starry nights, “surfing,” and the rise of Big Kahuna (a rapid that doesn’t exist in high water but that is the rapid king when the water is low).  The busy season was upon us and we met people from all over the world.  We met people from Germany, the Netherlands, China, New Zealand, and Brazil.  July also meant the completion of many of our new river guides training (including my own)!  Many hours spent learning to read water, carry out and instruct on safety procedures, and basically help the people coming to raft with us have the best time possible.  

At the beginning of August we received an email that announced the following:

The 2009 Best of Jackson Award in the category of River Trips goes to…

Dave Hansen Whitewater

A big thank you goes out to all of you that have made this summer what it is.  It has been fun extending the Dave Hansen family and getting to experience the river at all of its levels and changes.  We have loved getting to know you on an individual basis and have loved even more trying to get you soaking wet. 

When I dipped into Jackson Hole I had no idea what this summer would bring.  I ended up with some incredible friends, great Chaco tan lines, and a lot of adventurous memories to take with me in the upcoming winter months.  I’m still looking forward to the remainder of this season.  The changing leaves to observe on the scenic trips, the continuation of whitewater, the cooler nights and the campfires that come with them.  We look forward to meeting those of you who are autumning with us. 

Raft on. -Emily

 

As the parents of two little adorable girls, Bud and I try very hard not to force the kids into liking what we like. Even though we live for the outdoors and relish sports (check out our kickball obsessions), we have always vowed to accept our kids for who they are. Easy, right? So even though my own parents had to bribe me to wear dresses, I have not batted an eye at my little girls’ near-daily fashion show of pink dresses and shiny, sparkly jewelry and seemingly endless hair combing. But there is one issue that is a deal-breaker for us, and that issue is the river. As owners of a river-rafting company, how could we manage if the loves of our lives hated rivers? So of course, our logical solution was to start taking them on the river as infants! Problem solved. Except that while my five year-old Jacie could practically live in the water, my six year-old became hesitant last summer when the Big Kahuna rained all over her. In anticipation of our annual trip down the whitewater, Hyla spent the whole winter declaring, “I am not going through the Big Kahuna without some goggles and an umbrella!” So imagine my delight when Hyla said she would join her sister and her cousin Kai for our annual family whitewater fest. We happily squeezed them in to wetsuits, tightened up their jackets and could not stop smiling as the three joined hands and walked down the ramp to start their adventure. The first twenty minutes as we went through any kind of wave, Hyla would ask with her big, blue eyes, “Was that the Big Kahuna?” But before long, she and the kids began to move up to the front of the boat, laughing and clapping as each wave soaked everybody in the boat. And when it came time for the Big Kahuna, I could not have been more proud to hear Hyla scream out, “Whitewater is AWESOME!” And you better believe I am searching for some pink, sparkly lifevests.

My my, it has been quite some time since we’ve taken up the pen- er, keyboard- and entered the wide world of blogging- but have no fear! We’re back in business baby!

Here, for your reading pleasure, our July in review- eight thoughts for the seventh month:

7. We’ve got a new crop of “office girls” marinating here- let’s get a round of applause for Arne “Cutie Pie” Carter, famous for his message-less emails, Jason “I’m tanner than you are” Laughlin crushing it on phone lines one through four, and Tyler “Don’t let my giant beard scare you” Babcock- who’s beard really is giant. These three, ladies and gentlemen, are going places.

6. “Wilson” and “South Park” have become quite the dynamic duo- the “Veggie Delight” as we in the office affectionately refer to them have really been living it up on the river and putting the fun in class one.

5. Bryson White has won the prestigious “Prince of the River” Award. We look forward to him continuing his princely duties of rowing river trips and looking handsome. Look for his starring role in Hyla and Jaycee’s new spin on a classic, Snow White and the Seven River Guides.

4. In other news, our shirtless wonders have been crushing the life jacket tan lines. Move over Shirtless Sundays- we’re now looking at something more like Shirtless Mondays through Friday. What a treat.

3. In the wide world of office dog news- Presley the Poodle has only run into the wall three times this month- huge improvement over June, Pres!

2. Hansen Bowling was a huge success, with teams crushing it on the lanes of the ultimate Elks Club. Pizza was a hit, as was the MC Hammer dance off…and the Celtic dance off…and the twist off…and the hula-hoop off….all of which I was somehow involved in. Arne, you are a formidable foe.

1. So far this month, Jason’s beard has been deemed “fierce”, “well groomed”, and of course, “soft yet manly”. He loves working with the office girls.

 

If you happen to be in Jackson, don’t miss playoff season.  It promises to be a real gas.

For those of you who love online updates and videos as much as some of us do (cue the Youtube generation) here is something new to watch about the Dave Hansen gang.  The Local News at 8, which covers Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming, did a news spot on the economy and weather conditions of the Jackson Hole area and how it’s affecting local business, in particular river business.  Two local businesses were featured and Dave Hansen was one of them.  Watch for T-Bone’s harmonica playing and Jason talking about the company and the anticipated summer season.  Way to represent our company guys!  For more info on our guides or on our trips click on the highlighted link. 

You can watch the video here.  

http://www.localnews8.com/global/story.asp?s=10545926

 

 

 

 

 

However, our two o’clock crew had a different approach.  They came out of our dressing rooms like a bunch of dancers taking the stage at a Beyonce concert shakin’ their tushes and posing in their saucy booties.

 

And let me tell you something- I have never seen wetsuits look so good. 

 

They worked those tight spandex-ed unforgiving pieces of rubber like Tyra (Banks) had just placed them in Jackson for an ANTM* photo shoot. (*For those of you who aren’t as obsessed with the CW as I am, I’m speaking of America’s Next Top Model- a show that tugs at my heartstrings and makes me want to practice my runway walk.)

 

After crushing it in an impromptu photo shoot in front of the Dave Hansen Bus, the crew loaded up and took off on an excellent whitewater adventure.

 

2pm trip- I like yo style.

Woke up this morning a little groggier than usual- could be the allergies, could be the fact that I’ve been watching a dog that loves to get me up at 5:30 am.  Thanks, Hoback.  In any event, my magic elixir (tea and honey) couldn’t quite snap me out of it.  I continued to stumble through my morning until customers started showing up for a 10 am scenic…and I got to meet “the ninja”.  Let’s call him Frankie.  Pre-Pre-Tween Frankie rolled up into the office to rock it.  After informing us that he was actually probably most likely over eighteen, we agreed to settle on a still exorbitantly high seventeen (Frankie actually did have a rockin’ scab under his bottom lip that, in the shadowy morning light, did look oddly like a goatee- which I guess could make him look like a very very short seventeen-year-old).

 

After convincing him that even though he was born in a cold state and probably has excellent frigid waters tolerance, we got Frankie into a mini man wetsuit.  In which he looked like a superhero.  Or a ninja.  As I suited other customers up, I hear Frankie from behind the dressing room door say, “I’m like a ninja.  Ninja’s are deadly and silent.” [pause] And then ominously, “And also unspeakably violent”. 

 

I have one word for comments like that coming out of a kid wearing full wetsuit gear:  Awesome.

 

Turns out that they were lyrics from a kids song (did you know Bare Naked Ladies has a whole children’s album???  Look out Rafi!)…whatever.  I’m still impressed with his vocab and the way he easily spliced song lyrics into everyday conversation.  We might have a pop culture genius on our hands.  Interestingly, “The Ninja Song” is not Frankie’s favorite.  It’s actually Track 23, which I encourage you all to check out. 

 

The point of all of this?  It’s awesome how a customer can make your day.  Rock on and Raft on.

 

Sitting in the office having some tasty yogurt trying to decide if I like the crunchy granola I put in it.  The verdict is still out.  Mary and I are listening to some rockin’ tunes on Sirius Radio’s “Soul Town”- its definitely a customer and employee favorite (although if Kyle had his way we’d be listening to Grateful Dead Central or something to that effect).  Ooh!  Hall & Oates just came on…got to love a little blue-eyed soul.

 

 

Needless to say, things are cruising at a pretty slow (though steady) pace in the office since the airport closed down (nice timing, Jackson).  However, the calls are still streaming in with people getting their summer trips together. 

 

We’ve been taking quite a few Jackson locals down the river before our crazy summer starts…let me say that they were looking oh so fine in their wetsuits as they took off.  Hope they got some serious wave hits today! 

 

In other news, Emily has just returned to the office for the summer.  Our blonde office worker count is now up to 2.  The brunettes are still defeating us.  I’m thinking of adding peroxide to Mary’s shampoo.  Fun fact of the day: Emily can speak fifteen (yes, fifteen) dialects.  And she does a mean German accent.  Which I think is the most awesome talent ever.  I might just start calling her Helga. 

 

Ok, I think you’ve heard me ramble enough. 

Rock on and Raft on friends. 

 

Over and out-

LP

The Painted Buffalo inn is located just three short blocks from the historic town square in Jackson, Wy, and is a great place to stay while visiting the greater Yellowstone area. Whether you are looking for a nice mellow vacation filled with shopping and eating at nice restaurants, or a more adventurous vacation filled with rafting, mountain biking, and fly fishing adventures, the painted buffalo has a nice comfortable place for you to stay. The Painted Buffalo is more than just a place to lay your head, with daily maid service, luggage hold, babysitting, traveler’s checks cashed, secretarial SVC, a gift shop, an on-site beautician, pet friendly, free parking, laundry service, and a swimming pool, not to mention a wonderfully helpful staff, you can be sure that all your needs are met. To top it all off, the painted buffalo is a short walk from the Dave Hansen Whitewater office in town, or we can arrange a pickup for any of our whitewater or scenic river trips.