Besides my new lifelong career with Barker-Ewing River Trips, I spend my time with my fabulous husband Bill and my crazy yet endearing labradoodles, Needle and Thread. I love quilting, baking, throwing clay, laughing…and sky diving! I am very much enjoying this great summer on the river!
I am far from what my last name represents! I love Barker-Ewing so much that I’ve been here for 9 years… Barker-Ewing loves me so much that they keep hiring me back! I’d love to share with you my stories, my expertise and my charm on the river, so request me!
Lindsay with an A–that is my name. This is my fourth season guiding on the Snake River. My guiding on the Snake as allowed me to gain the experience to explore other rivers on private multi day rafting trips. When I am not guiding I am riding my mountain bike, camping, backpacking and chilling with my friends. I have spent four years and Jackson Hole exploring the land and playing as much as I can in this beautiful place. I try to work hard to support my traveling bug in the off seasons. This last off season I spent some time in Florida with some girlfriends enjoying the sun, exploring southern Utah and New Mexico with a friend backpacking, hiking and enjoying ruins of the ancient Native Americans, and spending quality time with my sister in Guatemala. If it weren’t for my thrill of adventure and spontaneity I wouldn’t be where I am today. I look forward to the summers in Jackson almost more than the winters and I am excited to be spending another eventful year on the river!
Who am I: A very funny, mature and humble individual… 
Reason I came to Jackson: To play hard!
I love the winters! Snow angel-making, some of the best happens here; Snowboarding, now and again I actually make it down the mountain gracefully; Fishing, I have a personal goal to catch every species of willow in the valley with my fly rod.
Where I am from:
Rapid City, South Dakota. Then onto the University of Wyoming 2006, with a degree in Pre-law, Criminal Justice before sauntering West to yonder Jackson Hole.
Work I do:
River Guide: whitewater, scenic, fishing. Work at a therapeutic treatment facility for at risk youth.
It was not the last day of skiing for many, but it was for me… I was born in the summer, and I live for the summer! But, I did go with the flow and dress up for the occasion, because truly, what fun would it be to ski Jackson Hole without gold pants on?! My outfit (and celebration antics) were tame compared to the hundreds of clever skiers I saw that warm, blue bird day.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s brand new aerial tram survived its first winter and lives to tell the stories to anyone who jumps on board this summer. Summer…ahhhh! It’s right around the corner. We are in full swing in the office and can’t wait for the season to begin! I love the river, and if I have to live through an unbelievably snowy Jackson winter to enjoy all the rapids to come, so be it!
Ferry Peak is the southern most peak in the Snake River Range and sits at approximately 10,000 ft. with 360 views of surrounding valleys. Last weekend, in the spirit of spring, we decided to give this classic spring ski a go. For the first hour, you are still in the trees as you gain access to the ridge that will meander to the summit.
Once we hit that ridge and the sun started to poke through, I could not help but smile and be so incredibly grateful that this amazing place was just designated as Wild & Scenic. A huge undertaking and a great success. We live in such an amazing place!
Of course, in the 5am departure from Jackson to head out for this ski, I forgot my camera. Probably for the first time ever, I was happy to have the camera on my cell phone. While the pictures aren’t great, hopefully it will provide a brief glimpse of the Snake River Canyon in winter. I will try and do a summer hike, with my camera 🙂 and post some pictures of the hills draped in green and wildflowers for comparison!
Picture if you will, us following Mountain Goat tracks (yup, they are abundant down here) along the ridge and seeing them perched on the various rock outcrops! A truly spectacular sight! And to think I had only previously seen them while on the water…sorry my cell phone just doesn’t have that great of a zoom.
Once to the top, and a quick bite to eat, it is all smiles as we ski back down to the valley we so love below.
It is official! The House voted 285-140 to approve the omnibus lands bill, and is now complete with President Barack Obama’s signature! This now designates the Snake River headwaters as Wild and Scenic, will protect 387 miles of the Snake river and its tributaries, as well as put 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range off-limits to oil and gas drilling.
Thanks to the late Sen. Craig Thomas for his vision in protecting these natural treasures, to Sen. John Barrasso for carrying on Thomas’ legacy and working diligently to pass the bill, and to each and every one involved in accomplishing this goal.
It is good to get away, and it is good to come home…
Winters can be a bit long lasting here in Jackson, so generally speaking, we all try and find some time South of the 43rd parallel for a little bigger dose of Vitamin K. This year, a road trip to Mexico was in the plans. Armed with information, bear spray, and of course my guard dog, Rosie, (Rosie is my co-dependent German Shepherd I adopted 5 years ago. If you join us on a river trip, you will likely meet her, the “bark” of Barker-Ewing) we were off in our van for a few weeks of fun!
We traveled through Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Jalisco and Nayarit, all very beautiful and diverse states within Mexico. Some of the highlights were hiking in rugged Copper Canyon, driving for entire days and only actually make it 150 miles because the roads are so curvy in the Sierra Madres, the landscapes of Chihuahua, surfing in warm water in Nayarit, whale watching, Blue Booted Boobies, climbing, and of course, sunshine and flip flops. In total, we traveled about 5500 miles round-trip!
Having driven as far South as the 21st parallel, and come home again, I am reminded what a lucky girl I am to call Jackson Hole home. We had 44 degree mornings recently, which aided in the ever wonderful sound of snow melting. Birds are becoming more active and Southern slopes are starting to show terra firma. A combination of the people and the place, I am reminded what a magical valley this is. It is this time of year with the hints of warm weather to come that I cannot wait for summer! In the interim, there is plenty of work and play gearing up for the great rafting season that awaits!
I was 11 years old, looked like a boy and had no fashion sense. I was on a 5,000 mile roadtrip West from Georgia with my family. We hit everything from the Alamo in San Antonio (Dad’s favorite), to Rocky Mountain National Park where I celebrated my 11th birthday (and got a walkman!), to Santa Fe’s open air markets full of turquoise…finally landing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To this day, my Mom’s favorite place in the world.
The oldest of four, I was the only one that went whitewater rafting on the Snake River. I’d broken my arm the day before our roadtrip, so my Dad wrapped my cast in plastic, the guides did their safety spiel, we bundled up as it was a cooler day and took to the rapids! The photo was captured that day…and it did not reveal itself again (thanks to my Mom’s belated photo organizing project) until last year.
I’ve lived in Jackson Hole for 7 years now and have worked for Barker-Ewing the last 3. Little did I know, until this photo appeared, that I went whitewater rafting on the Snake, with the very company I now work for, 21 years later. It’s a small world! Jackson is the place I now call home…and a great excuse for my family to HAVE to visit Jackson Hole, the Tetons and the Snake River.
