Water Blogged

Hands down, the #1 question we get asked all winter long is “What do you do for a whitewater rafting company in the winter?” Sometimes, I just answer “I’m a kindergarten teacher” because, while I could never do that job due to its necessity of endless patience, endless creativity and endless energy, most people understand the general concept of a day with 6 year olds. Exhilarating, inspiring and… exhausting. Well done, teachers!

But… back to my point! I never imagined what goes into preparing for a 4-month summer season the other 8 months of the year until I worked for Barker-Ewing Whitewater! Vehicles, insurance, contracts, food & beverage, interviewing, hiring, training, purchasing retail, marketing, advertising sales, website and brochure designs, social media, decisions on trips, prices, schedules, book reservations, set up the boathouse, the reservation office, the trip check-in office, meetings galore and so much more… all in all, makethis year better than the last, each and every year!

We are officially open for business for summer 2012, so give us a call!

We’re getting back in the groove of things after a great 2011 summer season and a little fall hiatus. Stay tuned for online booking availability and even some 2012 specials! Thanks for checking out Barker-Ewing Whitewater for the coolest thing you’ll do all summer! Have any great photos from your last whitewater rafting adventure or scenic float ride? Post them on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BarkerEwingWhitewater, and we’ll send you a treat!

Leta Deveraux, otherwise known as Grandma Leta and Patty Ewing’s mother, participated in Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities once again this fall. It was such a huge event, with record-breaking everything, that we couldn’t find Leta among the masses to snap a pic, but she was there and rearing to go! This photo is of Leta at Old Bill’s last fall 2010. There’s something about those Wyoming natives… Leta will be 104 on March 29 this year! Wow.

Trivia: Who is Old Bill?
“Old Bill is the spirit of community philanthropy. Everyone who participates in our community is Old Bill!” An event inspired by an anonymous couple known as Mr. and Mrs. Old Bill and put on by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities continues to raise awareness, support and funds (over 75 million in the last 15 years!) for non-profits throughout Jackson Hole. Thank you, Old Bill!

There’s no way I could forget my first day working at B-E. I arrived at the main office sometime around 9 am, only to learn that I had come to the wrong office for training. Christa (our manager) had accidentally texted her cousin Allie instead of myself to let me know that we were meeting at our location down the road. So, when I showed up at the main office, a confused Christa told me to hop in her car and we’d drive down to the other office together. It’s only a mile down the road, but there certainly wasn’t a lack of excitement present in that quick ride. We stopped briefly for Christa to grab a cup of coffee at the Whole Grocer, and as we pulled into our check-in office parking lot, we were met by a very strange scene. A disoriented black bear appeared suddenly from behind a parked car and ran past the car we were in, as Christa and I frantically tried to capture the image on our camera phones. A failed attempt to say the least, we still couldn’t wait to share the news with our co-workers inside. Our owner Frank greeted us at the front door and was the first person we shared our story with, who responded by telling us that he had never had such an experience in the 45+ years he has lived here (Christa then confessed that she had initially thought the bear was a dog, which Frank said he would never let her live down). We are now approaching the end of our summer season, and I have yet to have an experience in Jackson Hole that matches the unusual spontaneity and unforeseen excitement of my first day working at Barker-Ewing.  To this day, I don’t think I could imagine a happier mistake than arriving at the wrong office that fateful morning in the beginning of June…mostly because I can’t imagine a more thrilling way to kick off my first summer in Jackson Hole!

What do you get when a boat load of old-timer river guides and long-time locals get together on the Snake River? A boat load of tales, some small, some tall, followed by a boat load of laughs! Last Friday, August 12th, the 6th annual Legends of the Snake brought together some of the pioneers of Jackson Hole’s rafting and fishing industry. The river trip kicked off the evening, floating from Dead Man’s Bar to Moose with a lineup of Frank Ewing, John Simms, Dick Barker, Jack Dennis, John Turner, Bill Guheen, Davey Hansen, Paul Bruun, Denny Becker and more, as they took to the oars to tell their stories. The evening of river running history continued at Dornan’s with dinner & drinks… and delightful tales of the Snake River! In the photo, Frank Ewing floats the Snake, circa late 1950s.

Mark’s back for his 4th season in Jackson and 2nd season with us this summer…

“I spend my summers guiding river trips on the Snake and leading backpacking expeditions in Yellowstone. When I’m not guiding, I’m probably still on a river kayaking, fly fishing or climbing in the Tetons. Currently, I’m studying Accounting at BYU where I’ll graduate next year.”

Come jump on board one of Mark’s rafts this summer!

A Trite Allegory: Likening the Office Managers to Ice Cream

All three of the office managers have a uniqueness to them, which blends their strengths and abilities – each a compliment to the other. Their combination could almost be compared to Neapolitan ice cream. Heather is chocolate because she is tough, the boss (and let’s be honest, chocolate is definitely boss) and also because she is probably the darkest (in terms of skin color). Christa is vanilla, consistent and reliable, sweet and gentle. Janet is strawberry, quirky and fun-loving, charming the customers over with her fruity appeal. However, none of them melt under pressure, but keep up their hard work day in and day out to make this company what it is!!

Thank you Office Managers!

Was Brent your guide this summer? He’s our #1 mentioned Barker-Ewing employee in TripAdvisor reviews this year, so if you haven’t taken your trip yet…

“My trips down the Snake River began 28 years ago with a family rafting trip.  I’ve been hooked ever since!  Born and raised in South Dakota, I have always had a love for the outdoors.  This is my third year with Barker Ewing. When I’m not guiding rafts down the Snake, I’m guiding hunting and snowmobiling trips in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone!”

Perhaps you’ll come back to visit Brent this winter!