Grand Teton’s Killdeer: A Bird of Action

Killdeer

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…

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‘Tis the Season

‘Tis the season of light, warmth and cheer! One festive tradition during these dark days of winter is the simple kiss under the mistletoe. This tradition originated in Europe with the Norse tale of the death of Baldur, the God of innocence and light by an arrow made of mistletoe. His mother Frigga’s tears restored…

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Learning from a Nuthatch

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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Best Job in the World

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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Winter has ended

Grand Tetons in Spring - Snake River float trips

The long winter seems to have finally ended. (Except for the ongoing snowstorms and freezing temperatures so typical of “springtime in the Rockies.”) My wife and I have just returned from a cross-country ski around our local golf course, and the signs of spring are everywhere. Just since last weekend, we’ve noticed so many changes:…

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The 21st of August

Total Solar Eclipse over Jackson Hole - Barker Ewing float trips

The 21st of August was a truly magical day in a valley that has its fair share of magical days. We see glorious sunsets, bitter cold blizzards, gale force winds, towering thunderstorms, majestic mountains, spectacular views of the nighttime skies, and a wide variety of wildlife and bird life. In short, it’s perfect here. And…

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