Rafting
The Ancient History of Barker-Ewing
Barker-Ewing’s official origin story begins in 1963, but Dick Barker’s love of the Snake River and his involvement as a guide and float operator actually started much earlier. Dick was born in 1936 and spent his summers at his family’s summer home in Moose, Wyoming. In the mid 40’s Dick’s mom, Jane, moved out to…
Read MoreWe Float on Water
The decades-old cinematic question, “What floats in water?” brings up classic responses. “Small rocks.” That’s a no go. “A duck.” Now we’re getting somewhere. Other correct answers include geese, pelicans, flotsam, and wood. For us river people, the most truthful answer is, “We do, on our boats”. Today, winter still covers the valley floor. We…
Read MoreFish like an eagle
Earlier this week, one of our visitors sent us a video taken from a Barker-Ewing raft of a bald eagle fishing for trout. The video shows a bald eagle circling above the river. The eagle quickly identifies its prey and then swoops down and drops into the river, grabs the fish with its talons, and…
Read MoreGrand Teton’s Killdeer: A Bird of Action
Imagine drifting down the Snake River, with the majestic Grand Tetons looming overhead to the west. Suddenly, a flash of brown streaks across the shoreline with fast, stiff, and intermittent wingbeats, its shrill two-tone call echoing in the air. You’ve just encountered a Killdeer, a fascinating shorebird that thrives in Grand Teton National Park! While…
Read MoreCelebrating Mother’s Day, a New Season and Opening Day on the Snake River!
It’s mid May and the days are growing longer. Resident and migratory birds are singing their nesting songs, and a sense of renewal hangs in the crisp Jackson Hole air. Here at Barker-Ewing Scenic Float Trips, the long winter has ended and opening day for our Snake River rafting season in Grand Teton National Park…
Read MoreDip! Wade! Swim!
The water ouzel was my father’s favorite bird. Sometimes I think it was his favorite because he liked to say “water ouzel.” Try it, it’s fun! There are five water ouzel varieties throughout the world, and our local ouzel is the American dipper. (Not as much fun to say.) The American dipper is roughly robin-sized…
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