T-bone is a Senior Guide here at DH, marking his 8th season as one of the best guides on the Snake River. Not only does he have round-the-world river experience and certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, he can also play the guitar, recite Hamlet’s soliloquy, and jam on the harmonica as he rows you down the river. T-bone attended the University of Utah, however, he still found a way to raft Utah’s Cataract Canyon in the middle of winter. T-bone co-created the Black Canyon of the Bear Whitewater Festival, which includes a day of music, food, prizes, and of course, kayaking. Proceeds from the festival benefit charities around the world. Despite all of these impressive qualifications and talents, the best part of T is his great attitude and big heart—somehow made even bigger with his new Border Collie puppy Grace.

Full disclosure: Ryan is here for our kickball team. As a two-time Notre Dame All-American athlete, we decided he’d do okay in the outfield. Well, maybe it wasn’t entirely for kickball...but Ryan has excelled at every outdoor sport he’s tried, and this kid’s a born leader. Ryan helped bring in a stellar mentoring program that teamed Notre Dame athletes with “At Risk” middle school students. This program became so successful that it is now used as a template for college student-athlete mentoring across the country. Ryan has approached his second season as a DH river guide much like his aptly named position on the lacrosse field: Attack. Ryan can get you super wet rafting through Lunch Counter, and then turn around and make you laugh hysterically with his Chris Farley impression during the Mellow Mile. This kid takes on anything that comes his way with All-American focus and passion, and we couldn’t be prouder to see that Snake River cowboy hat atop his head while cruising down the canyon in a big, blue Dave Hansen raft.

This is Lauren’s first season guiding for Dave Hansen, but she fits with our company like a T-grip fits a palm. First of all, she has extensive river guiding experience working five years forWorld Wide River Expeditions on the Cataract Canyon, Westwater Canyon, the Moab Daily on the Colorado River, and Desolation and Gray Canyon, and Gates of Ladore on the Green River. Aside from the local rivers, she has rafted on the main Salmon, the Pacuare River in Costa Rica, and a section of the Snake river called the Murtaugh. On top of being a river junkie, Lauren is also a fantastic athlete. She attended Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah and was All-American Cross Country runner while double-majoring in early childhood and elementary education. Like most river guides, Lauren has a love for exploration; she spent 19 months on a mission for the Latter Day Saint church in Cape Verde, Africa and was fortunate enough to travel throughout the region. If you can believe it, the kid is also fluent in Portuguese, and is conversational in Cape Verde’s native dialects of Sanpadjute and Bedu. She spends her down time playing music (mostly piano & guitar), crocheting and rock climbing. Whether Lauren is laughing at your corny jokes (she loves them, so make sure to brush up on your knock-knocks before you hop on her boat), climbing the face of a mountain, traveling the world, or guiding you down the Snake, Lauren approaches all that life brings her way with a dedication to “go the distance”. Her friendly personality and big heart make her the complete package, and we are lucky to have Lauren guiding for DH this summer.

Jeff and the Snake River go together like a paddle and a raft. Born in Salt Lake City, Jeff made it up to Jackson for his first rafting trip down the Snake at a whopping 10 years old, and his heart’s never left. Jeff has been safely guiding every kind of rafter---from age 5 to 85---down this section of the Snake for the last 10 years. Nobody gets more requests from repeat customers than Jeff. Anyone who wants to question his loyalty to rivers should show up at West Table put-in around 5 A.M. where you find a lone car in the parking lot covered with kayaks, paddles, life vests, and river stickers. That car will most likely be empty and Jeff will already be on the river, whitewater kayaking at the crack of dawn before a 10-hour “work” day on the Snake. Jeff is a career river guide, and this summer marks his 11th year of professional river guiding.

Chase was meant to row river trips. One of his earliest memories is a classic: at the wise and adventuresome age of four, his mother set him in the driver’s seat of the anchored family row boat, handed him the oars, and let that little guy loose. He rowed many-an impressive circle that day, and has been hooked ever since. As he got older, his love of water turned him on to competitive wakeboarding which he participated in until he headed off to the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!). At UW, Chase earned a degree for International Studies and Political Economy while also studying in Vietnam and traveling through Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Peru. However, no matter how thrilling his classes were, the closer he came to graduation, the less he wanted a “real job.” He found that “non real job” when he moved out to Jackson and became a DH guide. The last two winters, he’s logged countless days on the mountain tearing of the fresh snow and conquering the backcountry. More than anything, though, Chase truly enjoys being on the oars and getting people wet on the river. We are so lucky to have him back for another season on the Snake!

Kyle came to us from Brunswick, Maine where he grew up canoeing and camping with his family. A naturally talented athlete, Kyle played soccer on the men’s team at the University of Maine, where he also earned a B.S. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. Not only did we hire him as a ringer for the company kickball team, but Kyle is also a phenomenal guide. Maine’s Class V rivers are no joke, and we are thrilled he moved out here and joined us at Dave Hansen five years ago. Good thing he’s agreed to a lifetime contract because he’s now indispensable as both our DH manager and river guide. Kyle has more integrity than most people, and we are lucky to have him for another season to keep the office running smoothly, to kick homers on the kickball diamond, and most importantly...to guide us safely and happily down the Snake River.

We are so fortunate to have Becca guiding for us this season on the Snake. This is her 3rd year as a commercial river guide, but Becca has also privately rafted on the Gros Ventre, Grey’s River, and the Kennebec river in Maine. Becca hails from Brunswick, Maine---yes, we know that a lot of our guides are from Maine----and she attended Weslyan University to study Neuroscience and Behavioral studies. If it isn’t obvious already, Becca is a smart cookie. Get this: she is fluent in Spanish and is planning to attend naturopathic medical school in the fall. Becca has brains AND brawn, though, people. Not only is she stellar on the kickball field, she is an avid skiier and snowboarder, mountain biker, and soccer player. Becca has even taught adaptive skiing and snowboarding for adults and children with disabilities, which highlights her best quality yet: her giving heart. When Becca isn’t outside enjoying the Wyoming wilderness, you can find her pastel painting and “bedazzling things”, a favorite of her pastimes. On or off the river, Becca has a dazzling personality and a plethora of unique talents, and we can’t wait to see where life takes her. For now, we are so happy to have her as a river guide at Dave Hansen!

Billy came to us this season from Kuna, Idaho with a love for all things involving water. He has two years of experience as a whitewater kayak guide on the Salmon River as well as two previous years of guiding experience on the Snake, and he has also rafted and kayaked on the Payette and the Middle Fork. Billy loves to guide folks down rivers, but growing up in Idaho---the epicenter for all things fish-related in the west---he fostered a deep passion for fly-fishing and has even won a Wyoming Cutt-Slam award. On top of being an avid fisherman, talented guitar player, and charming river guide, Billy is also currently attending BYU and completing his undergrad in Facility and Property Management. Billy is a seriously talented river guide and safety kayaker, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have him guiding for DH on the Snake this summer!

Bud is an owner and guide for Dave Hansen Whitewater. Born and raised in the Bay Area of California, he owes his love for rivers to his father, cousin, and uncle. A spoiled child, Bud was lucky enough to spend his high school summers guiding fishing trips on the Truckee River, and his college summers out here guiding in Jackson Hole for Snake River Park. Let us just say, Bud has never strayed far from rivers. After 14 years on the Snake River, he still yells out river commands in his sleep. Bud and his amazingly fabulous wife Kelly, were lucky to spend a year working with Dave before taking the plunge and buying the company in 2003. Bud and Kelly feel eternal gratitude for Dave, and their goal is to keep Dave Hansen Whitewater thriving for yet another four decades. Oh, and if it’s not too greedy, they’d love for their two girls be on the oars by the age of 12. Yes, child labor is illegal, but I think there are ways around it when they’re your child.

Carson joined us at the beginning of this season with plenty of river guiding experience and plenty of enthusiasm for all things outdoor-related. Having spent three years guiding the Westwater and Cataract Canyons on the Colorado River as well as three years guiding five-day trips on the Main Fork of the Salmon, Carson is now an invaluable member of the DH family. This native of Salt Lake City, Utah is an an avid skiier, mountain biker, and rock climber, but he is in his most natural element when he is playing on rivers. Whether it’s whitewater kayaking or raft guiding, Carson can always be found with a smile on his face when he’s “working” on the Snake. Beside his ability to give a wickedly funny and equally informative safety speech in true river guide fashion, Carson is fluent in Hungarian and considers his role as “Daddy” to his son Asher, 4 1/2, his most important and enjoyable job---period. This seriously devoted river guide and father has a deep love for mountains and rivers, and he couldn’t fit in better with our DH crew and the majestic wilderness of Wyoming he loves so much.

Cris is both a gifted teacher and an outdoor addict, which makes for a killer river guide. At 14, she started her first job as a cashier, which gave her the rock-solid conviction that her “real job” would be in one place: outside. Since then, she has spent her winters teaching kids to snowboard and her summers teachings kids to row and paddle down the Snake. The DH Jr. Guide program is currently thriving because of Cris’ creative and dedicated efforts, and many kids barely taller than a paddle owe their guide patch to her help. Cristina is from New Hampshire and graduated from Vermont’s Johnson State College, earning a degree in Outdoor Education and Adventure Education/Wilderness Leadership (Cristina is so brilliant, she actually found a way to earn college credit with classes in whitewater kayaking, camping, and snowshoeing). Although she has a full-time job working with at-risk youth for Teton Youth and Family Services, we are thrilled she has returned to guide at DH for her fifth season.

Born and raised in Jackson Hole, mountains and rivers are Owen’s lifeline. His family took him on his first raft trip down the Snake at the ripe age of four, and he has not stopped running rivers since. Owen has paddled or rowed his way down rivers in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and even Costa Rica. Making his home in the Kelly Yurt Park (a small community of Yurts 12 miles north of Jackson), Owen uses this special place as a base camp for climbing, skiing, and backpacking in the Tetons. As if that weren't enough, you will also find him biking the trails in the Jackson valley, hunting in the fall, and hanging with friends and family year-round. If you are like his employers and curious about his name, it is Czech in origin and was changed slightly when his ancestors arrived at Ellis Island and pronounced their name “Papinczaak”, and it was subsequently written down as “Popinchalk.” Owen is another one of our returning guides who has signed a lifetime contract with Dave Hansen Whitewater. He is looking forward to being on the river and explaining what a yurt is to all his clients.

Charlie comes to us as a first-year guide from---you guessed it!---North Yarmouth, Maine. Chuck is a “Mainiac” born and raised, having grown up on the ocean lobstering, canoeing, and sea kayaking. He even stayed in his home state to attend the University of Maine, and he received his degree in Parks Recreation and Tourism. Needless to say, this kid loves the water and being outdoors as much as is humanly possible. When he arrived in Jackson this Spring, Chuck was surprised at just how many people lived in our little western town (North Yarmouth is not quite as large in population...if you can believe it), but he embraced his new home with open arms and a big grin. Chuck also jumped into guide school head first and learned everything he could possibly learn about the Snake River, including the necessity of a wetsuit in 40-degree snow run off. When Chuck is not guiding folks down the river, expect to find him hitting the trails for some serious hiking and mountain biking. We are so happy to have Chuck as a new addition to our DH family and we look forward to seeing him on the Snake in a big, blue Dave Hansen boat for many years to come.