All Forward!

Is there anything better than sunshine, 80 degree weather, and a gushing river with the backdrop of the snow-capped Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming? Not for all of us here at Dave Hansen River trips. The weather has been amazing this past week, which helped to melt snow and increase the water flow of the Snake—making it the most epic whitewater season since ’97. Needless to say, we have all been basking in the burning sunshine and cooling off in the 45-degree river as much as possible, and we are all giddy at the thought of the rest of the season ahead!
2011 marks our 44th season as a commercial rafting company on the Snake River, and we couldn’t be luckier to live in a place where we can get people soaking wet on a whitewater trip and call it our job. In early May—when we were still getting inches of snow up on the mountains and dealing with dreary, grey skies in the valley—our guides and office employees alike were chomping at the bit to get on the river. There were a few things stopping us, though, like the snow-covered put-in at West Table and just a little bit of a landslide in the canyon that blocked the roadway for two weeks. Even our radio tower was damaged due to the 740 inches of snow that fell this past winter. However, all these challenges helped to bring us closer as a team at Dave Hansen and prepare us for… well, anything!
Our guides busted their neoprene-covered tushies to prepare for this season during guide school the last week of May, and our office employees worked hard to fill up our trips with eager guests. Almost like magic, the canyon opened up and the snow started to melt. June brought sunnier days and plenty of fantastic folks looking to raft, and just like that…we kicked off a busy and fun-filled season on the Snake!
Despite any challenges we’ve faced lately, we couldn’t be more thankful for our home here in Jackson as well as the gushing river, majestic mountains, and the blooming and bustling wildlife; however, what we are certainly most thankful for are the people we get to meet everyday. We love working with one another, we love making new friends and putting smiles on their faces, and we love the river rafting community on the Snake. To quote a famous college football coach from the 60’s, “you win with people”. We certainly feel that way every single day. Now, if we could only win a kickball game…