Along the lazy, tranquil, rushing, surging river,Dense hatches of gnats and mayfliesBriefly cloud the banks and darken the skies.For feeding fish, they’re a life giver. Below the rippled surface, rocks lurk near.They never move, yet break the flowOf dividing currents, some fast some slow,The river tells me, place the oars here. Logjams and sweepers, hazards…

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Late last June, I embarked on a midday trip with some friends on our glorious Snake River. The river was flowing fast due to the ongoing effects of the late spring runoff. Jn just the first 4 miles of the trip, we had seen Bald Eagles, Mule Deer, Red-tail Hawks, Mergansers, Ravens, Geese, and some…

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Verne Huser, the first Barker-Ewing river guide

Barker-Ewing has been around since 1967 and has a name in the hyphen. Our first hired guide was Verne Huser, who liked to say that he was the “hyphen” in the name. He and his family worked with us for a few years and then he moved on to year-round” jobs before returning for a…

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learning from a nuthatch

Another delightful holiday season is wrapping up, and family and friends are hunkered down in anticipation of the cold days of midwinter and I am learning from a Nuthatch. The winter solstice brought an end to short dark days and started our slow climb towards summer. Here in Bozeman, north of Yellowstone National Park, the…

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Barker-Ewing Scenic Float Trip River Guide, Eric Barker

River Guiding: it’s the best job in the world. I have been a River Guide on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park for 25 summer seasons. I return each year for the same reason as all the other guides: I love it. Spending time outdoors, piloting a raft, and looking at the river,…

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