1.800.365.1800 | 307.733.1800
Local: 307.733.1800
Our guides are professional boatmen who have acquired a thorough knowledge of the natural history of Jackson Hole. Sharing their experience and perspective will add a meaningful dimension to this memorable adventure. The more you learn of the rivers, mountains and glaciers and the more familiar you become with the wildflowers, birds and animals, the more you can relive the early history of the fur trade era. And, the more fully you can project yourself into the yesterdays of Jackson Hole, the more you will delight in finding a portion of that past alive today!
Reed Finlay
our Head Boatman, graduated with a degree in History from Davidson College in North Carolina, his home state. He has been a Barker-Ewing guide since 1994, and during winter is a ski patrolman for the JH Ski Area. When time permits he enjoys backcountry skiing, including a 25-day circumnavigation of the Jackson Hole valley as well as a ski descent of the Grand Teton.
Steve Heksel 
joined us in 1997 after having spent six years as a whitewater boatman in the Snake River Canyon. He has worked as a horse packer and wrangler, and guided snowmobile tours in Yellowstone. More recently, Steve built his own log cabin, which uses solar power. His interests include telemark skiing and whitewater canoeing.
Michael Inman
knew from the age of nine, when he first floated the Snake River, that he wanted to grow up to be a boatman. Following his pre-law studies at Rice University and the University of Wyoming, Michael spent a year at Grand Cayman in the British West Indies as a Scuba Divemaster. He became a Snake River guide in 1999, and on days off he is often climbing, hiking and camping in the Teton and Wind River Ranges.
Neil Huckin
follows the lead of his father who guided for us in the late sixties. A 19-day trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1995 sparked Neil’s love for river-running; since then he has run the main and lower Salmon, San Juan, Cataract Canyon and many other western rivers. Neil’s other interests include rock climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and photography.
Steve Bywater
joined us in 2003, with a background of guiding on the Kenai River in Alaska as well as on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. He grew up in a park service family in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and spent two seasons here as an interpretive Park Ranger following his graduation from Utah State University. Steve has traveled extensively in Europe and Southeast Asia as well as in Central America where he acquired a proficiency in Spanish.
Grant Bishop
is a native to Jackson Hole who spent his early years living at Teton Science Schools in Grand Teton National Park. Before joining us in 2006, he spent three seasons as both a whitewater and scenic guide, and he has rafted and kayaked numerous rivers in other parts of the country. Several years spent living abroad have given Grant a proficiency in German, Italian and Spanish. He spends his winters as a telemark and Alpine ski instructor.
Jim Stanford
is a New York native who came west after earning a degree in History from Duke University. This is his ninth summer on the Snake as a scenic and whitewater boatman, and his river experience includes the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and the Urubamba in Peru. He is a freelance writer and photographer who enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing and music.
Beau Baldock
a Jackson Hole native, spent his childhood exploring Grand Teton National Park as a son and grandson of Park employees. When not in the Park, he spent summer days rafting sections of the Snake and Hoback Rivers south of Jackson. Nordic ski racing, college and work have led Beau to travel in Europe, Latin America and India. He speaks Spanish and Norwegian fluently as well as conversational Hindi. A recent graduate of Middlebury College, Beau is pursuing higher education in the fields of sustainable architecture and international development.
Jens Gade
is a second-generation Barker-Ewing boatman and native of Wyoming. After graduation from the University of Wyoming in 2005 with a degree in Music Education, Jens accepted a teaching position at the Jackson Hole Elementary School. An avid fly fisherman, traveler and musician, his river experience includes Cataract Canyon, Gates of the Lodore, Desolation Canyon, Snake River Canyon and multiple Grand Canyon and San Juan trips. This is Jens first year with Barker-Ewing.
Matt Kirby
joined us in 2005 after studies at the University of Arkansas in Commercial Recreation and Engineering. His river experience includes trips on the Dolores, the Lower Salmon and the Shoshone; he also enjoys climbing and telemark skiing. Winters find Matt at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort where he is on the snow making crew.
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© 2008 Barker-Ewing Scenic Tours, Inc. The Original 10-Mile Float Trip in Grand Teton National Park.