Jackson Hole Summer Travel & River Trip Blog

So some of our blog followers might be from the Idaho area and have already watched the KIDK evening news.  For those of you who aren’t from the area or don’t have cable (maybe because you live in a tent down by the river) here’s what’s up.  Jason Laughlin, one of our guides here at DHWW, used his awesome guide skills and rescued a drowning man on the North Fork of the Snake River in Idaho.  Check out the news special on this link.  http://www.kidk.com/news/local/46760777.html

Rock on Jason.  Way to keep that life jacket on hand!

 

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.

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

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!

 

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

OK…is it fair that Dave Hansen Whitewater’s first big group of the year on the whitewater section could also be our best group of the year?  Not only was the average age of this group 68 years old.  Not only did this group of adventurous seniors want to go on a whitewater trip rather than a scenic float trip.  But they wanted to go on a whitewater trip that left town at 8am…when the temperature in the morning was 32 degrees and the high for the day was going to be 42 degrees!   We were half expecting a call at 7:15 from the group leader after they stepped out of their hotel that they had decided to switch to a scenic trip. 

 

But no, this group was ready to go on a whitewater trip down the Snake River.  We picked them up at their hotel at 7:15 and took them to our office to get outfitted with wetsuits and booties.  Our guides had donated all of their extra fleece to this group and they were ready to go to the river. 

Though there were flurries of snow throughout the trip, this group had a great time laughing and paddling through the waves.  One of the adventurous rafters, Patty (age 72) even declared after getting soaked by a big wave at lunch counter and laughing it up with her other mates, “I think this is the most I have ever laughed in my life.”  Our guide Matt Lynn, said it was one of the most memorable trips that he has ever been on.  It definitely make us feel lucky to be apart of a company that allows us to interact with spirited people like this. 

 

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!

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.

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.