"The first river you paddle runs through the rest of your life. It bubbles up in pools and eddies to remind you who you are."
- Lynn Noel, Voyages: Canada's Heritage Rivers
Mad River is a river outfitter based in Jackson WY. Our experienced guides are trained and will keep you safe while showing you a great time during one of our many scenic floats or exhilarating white water rafting trip packages.
May 24, 2011
Mad River Guide School
"The river is like a woman; beautiful, exotic, and unforgiving."
"The row, row, row your boat song has taken on a new meaning."
Day 3,4 -Kyle
"The row, row, row your boat song has taken on a new meaning."
Day 3,4 -Kyle
May 22, 2011
Mad River Guide School Day 2
"River guide school day 2. CFS 15,500, overcast with light showers, 45 degrees outside, water temp. 39 degrees. We did a flip drill today; flip drill is fun to say, not fun to do." -Kyle
Mad River Guide School Day 2
"Once again we started the day out in the boat house. This time the topic of discussion was eddies—how to recognize them, where to find them, and how to get in them. The expression of “hit them high and deep” was used often. After our discussion on eddies, several of the students gave their oral presentation, myself included. The presentations were on a variety of subjects ranging from willows to dragon flies to moose to John Coulter. From there, we had a talk about throw bags—when to throw them, how to throw them, and so on. Then we practiced a few throws in the parking lot. We also divided into teams to practice a few more new knots—the butterfly and the half-hitch. Before too long, it was time to load up and get on the river.
Today’s launch pad into the river was South Park Bridge. This time, I was with KC and each took turns practicing paddling guiding, turning, and catching eddies. After a stop at Astoria to get a bite to eat, we loaded up the boats and ourselves and headed down to West Table to re-launch. This was done to save some time. Here, we were put in new groups, and I had a new teacher, Ryan. Once again, we took turns guiding and really practiced getting into and out of eddies. We scouted the area where the ginormous landslide was encroaching on the river and impeding thru traffic on the highway.
We also talked about self-rescue and capsizing today before doing a flip drill where we purposely capsized the boat while floating downstream. Once we had people safely on the bottom of the boat, we rowed to the shore and flipped the boat right side up. The purpose for doing this was to prepare up for a possible flip in Lunchcounter rapid. This rapid came up pretty fast, and we all tied the boats up and scouted the rapid from shore. Then in we went, and each boat emerged with no swimmers. Whoop!
Our adventures on the Snake River came to an end at Sheep Gulch where we took out and loaded up the buses and made the long drove back to Jackson for a quick clean-up and debriefing." -Megan
Today’s launch pad into the river was South Park Bridge. This time, I was with KC and each took turns practicing paddling guiding, turning, and catching eddies. After a stop at Astoria to get a bite to eat, we loaded up the boats and ourselves and headed down to West Table to re-launch. This was done to save some time. Here, we were put in new groups, and I had a new teacher, Ryan. Once again, we took turns guiding and really practiced getting into and out of eddies. We scouted the area where the ginormous landslide was encroaching on the river and impeding thru traffic on the highway.
We also talked about self-rescue and capsizing today before doing a flip drill where we purposely capsized the boat while floating downstream. Once we had people safely on the bottom of the boat, we rowed to the shore and flipped the boat right side up. The purpose for doing this was to prepare up for a possible flip in Lunchcounter rapid. This rapid came up pretty fast, and we all tied the boats up and scouted the rapid from shore. Then in we went, and each boat emerged with no swimmers. Whoop!
Our adventures on the Snake River came to an end at Sheep Gulch where we took out and loaded up the buses and made the long drove back to Jackson for a quick clean-up and debriefing." -Megan
May 21, 2011
Guide School Testimonials
"Day 1 of Mad River Guide School was off the hook! I already feel more equipped to take people down the river." -Johnny Brown
Mad River Guide School 2011
It's that time of year again: the snow is melting, the birds are chirping, and the Snake River is beckoning us all back for yet another fun-filled summer. With Highwater conditions already fast approaching, you can feel the excitement that is emanating from Mad River's guides and customers alike. We are so happy to welcome this years Guide School class to learn the ins and outs of life as a river guide. They will practice rowing and rescue skills, and learn an abundance of information about Jackson's very own flora, fauna, and geography. Check back daily for updates from guide schoolers themselves, sharing personal experiences and course highlights. We hope that they will share the same feelings of respect for the river and excitement for the summertime as we all do here at Mad River!
May 10, 2011
Mad River U- Day 11
Geomorphology of the Teton Range
“Trois Tetons” were the first words uttered by lonely French Canadian trappers when they glimpsed the majestic Teton Range in late in the eighteenth century. Particularly, referring to the Grand, Middle and South Teton peaks as “three nipples (breasts)” or “Trois Tetons” the trappers would proclaim in lustful agony (Smith and Siegel, 93). This paper will try to undress some of the mystery and history that shroud these beautiful peaks with hopes that the Tetons will be fully revealed in a better understanding of the morphological processes by which these peaks formed.
A keen observer of the mostly gneiss and granite Teton range will notice the stark difference in rock composition as compared to other surrounding limestone mountain ranges. This is because of the recent formation of the Quaternary rock that was uplifted about 13 million years ago. Compared with the 345 million year old Appalachian Mountains this is a relatively young mountain range. The Tertiary, normal fault block (shown in Figure 1) was born 13 million years ago and since then has violently been active in thrusting the Tetons up and dropping the Jackson Hole Valley because of the stretch and spread of the Intermountain Seismic Belt. The Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau sit East of the belt and to the West lie the Basin and Range Province (Smith and Siegel 92). These two regions are stretching apart and allowed the great erection of the Tetons through the birth of the Teton Fault. The granitic and metamorphic rock that make up the Teton Range date back to somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 billion years ago. The limestone, sandstone, shale and dolomite sedimentary rock that make up surrounding mountain ranges were deposited by an ancient ocean that began to recede 540 to 245 million years ago forming the rock that make up the Gros Ventre mountain range (Covington and Ransmeier 5). So, from these dates we know that the uplift of the Teton Fault was so great as to expose the much older rock to majestic height and that the younger recently deposited rock was eroded away and re-deposited in the Jackson Hole valley. Although the Tetons rise 7000 vertical feet above the valley floor this does not account for the total activity of the fault in feet. If we were to add the total uplift and down thrust of both the Teton Range and Jackson Hole valley it would add up to over 33,000 feet! The valley floor has filled with deposits from volcanic ash, granite cobble and alluvium which cover much of the apparent activity of the fault (Smith and Siegel 94) figure 5.2).
Glaciation, large moving masses of ice and rock debri, carved out much of the mountain range and sculpted it to its distinct form today. This glaciation process occurred in 3 stages that lasted no later than 2 million years ago and ended about 14 thousand years ago. The glacial period ended when global temperatures rose 9-12 degrees Fahrenheit within this time huge glaciers deposited rock and debri from the upper mountains to the base of the Teton Range forming what we know today as Jenny Lake, Phelps Lake and Jackson Lake among many other features (Smith and Seigel 130). Some glaciers still exist today but these are not remnants from the million years old glaciers. They have come from a “little ice age” that occurred from the 1400’s to the 1800’s. For a brief time the earth cooled enough to allow glaciers to form mostly in the Mount Moran and have since melted to form the many lakes found in the area.
From the day they were discovered to the present the Teton Range has been enjoyed by thousands for its unmatched beauty and large “tetons” that offer to the visitor the awe inspiring nurture of mother nature. Let all who come to this majestic area milk it for all the many wonderful things the range has to offer from skiing to multi trad climbing routes there is something of interest to any party that comes her way.
“Trois Tetons” were the first words uttered by lonely French Canadian trappers when they glimpsed the majestic Teton Range in late in the eighteenth century. Particularly, referring to the Grand, Middle and South Teton peaks as “three nipples (breasts)” or “Trois Tetons” the trappers would proclaim in lustful agony (Smith and Siegel, 93). This paper will try to undress some of the mystery and history that shroud these beautiful peaks with hopes that the Tetons will be fully revealed in a better understanding of the morphological processes by which these peaks formed.
A keen observer of the mostly gneiss and granite Teton range will notice the stark difference in rock composition as compared to other surrounding limestone mountain ranges. This is because of the recent formation of the Quaternary rock that was uplifted about 13 million years ago. Compared with the 345 million year old Appalachian Mountains this is a relatively young mountain range. The Tertiary, normal fault block (shown in Figure 1) was born 13 million years ago and since then has violently been active in thrusting the Tetons up and dropping the Jackson Hole Valley because of the stretch and spread of the Intermountain Seismic Belt. The Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau sit East of the belt and to the West lie the Basin and Range Province (Smith and Siegel 92). These two regions are stretching apart and allowed the great erection of the Tetons through the birth of the Teton Fault. The granitic and metamorphic rock that make up the Teton Range date back to somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 billion years ago. The limestone, sandstone, shale and dolomite sedimentary rock that make up surrounding mountain ranges were deposited by an ancient ocean that began to recede 540 to 245 million years ago forming the rock that make up the Gros Ventre mountain range (Covington and Ransmeier 5). So, from these dates we know that the uplift of the Teton Fault was so great as to expose the much older rock to majestic height and that the younger recently deposited rock was eroded away and re-deposited in the Jackson Hole valley. Although the Tetons rise 7000 vertical feet above the valley floor this does not account for the total activity of the fault in feet. If we were to add the total uplift and down thrust of both the Teton Range and Jackson Hole valley it would add up to over 33,000 feet! The valley floor has filled with deposits from volcanic ash, granite cobble and alluvium which cover much of the apparent activity of the fault (Smith and Siegel 94) figure 5.2).
Glaciation, large moving masses of ice and rock debri, carved out much of the mountain range and sculpted it to its distinct form today. This glaciation process occurred in 3 stages that lasted no later than 2 million years ago and ended about 14 thousand years ago. The glacial period ended when global temperatures rose 9-12 degrees Fahrenheit within this time huge glaciers deposited rock and debri from the upper mountains to the base of the Teton Range forming what we know today as Jenny Lake, Phelps Lake and Jackson Lake among many other features (Smith and Seigel 130). Some glaciers still exist today but these are not remnants from the million years old glaciers. They have come from a “little ice age” that occurred from the 1400’s to the 1800’s. For a brief time the earth cooled enough to allow glaciers to form mostly in the Mount Moran and have since melted to form the many lakes found in the area.
From the day they were discovered to the present the Teton Range has been enjoyed by thousands for its unmatched beauty and large “tetons” that offer to the visitor the awe inspiring nurture of mother nature. Let all who come to this majestic area milk it for all the many wonderful things the range has to offer from skiing to multi trad climbing routes there is something of interest to any party that comes her way.
May 6, 2011
Mad River U- Day 10
Water and how it Works
Water is an incredibly important aspect of our daily lives. Every day we drink water, cook with water, bathe in water, and participate in many other activities involving water, like rafting. However, even with all of the importance water holds in our lives, many of us know very little about the water we use each day.
Since humans first settled along the banks of lakes and rivers, there has been great interest in the appropriate management of fresh water resources both as a necessity for life as well as to avoid potential health hazards. It was along the Indus in Pakistan, to the Hwang Ho in China, and the Nile in Egypt in which the first hydraulic discoveries like canals, levees, dams, subsurface water conduits, and wells were known as early as 5000-6000 years ago. The study of water became vital to these early civilizations. Egyptians were the first to observe and records the flow rates and yields of rivers about 3800 years ago, and Kautilya of India produced the first rainfall measuring instruments around 2400 years ago.
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. The term “hydrology” arrived in its current meaning around 1750, and by 1800 the work of English physicist and chemist John Dalton solidified the current understanding of the global hydrologic cycle.
The Hydraulic cycle is a simple process that is divided into five parts: Condensation, Infiltration, Runoff, Evaporation, and Precipitation. The process begins with condensation, when water vapor condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds. Condensation is a repercussion of earth temperature changes. Water fluctuates when temperatures fluctuate. So when the air is cool enough, water vapor condenses creating particles in the air to create clouds. This can be seen on plants in the morning, they are covered in dew. Once formed, winds move the clouds across the globe, secreting the water vapor. The clouds soon become too full of water which is released in in the form of precipitation: rain, snow, hail, etc, for example.
The next three stages: infiltration, runoff, and evaporation all occur at the same time. Infiltration occurs when precipitation seeps into the ground. This is highly dependent on the toughness of the ground.
Permeability is the measure of how easily something flows through something else. High permeability means more precipitation seeps into the ground. If precipitation occurs faster than it can seep into the ground, it then becomes runoff. Runoff stays on the surface and enters streams, rivers, and eventually lakes or the ocean. The water that seeped underground moves similarly as it refills rivers and keeps forward to larger bodies of water. At the same time, the sun is an integral to the cycle by causing evaporation. Evaporation is when liquid water turns into a vapor. Sunlight promotes this process as it raises the temperature of liquid water in oceans and lakes. As the liquid heats, molecules are released and change into a gas. Warm air rises up into the atmosphere and becomes the vapor in the condensation section of the process.
It is amazing the water supply has survived as long as it has. The hydrologic cycle continues to move water and keep sources fresh. It is estimated that 100 million billion gallons a year are cycled through this process. Without the water cycle, life on Earth would not be possible. We need this cycle to remain a flourishing one so all of our life processes remain functioning.
Water is an incredibly important aspect of our daily lives. Every day we drink water, cook with water, bathe in water, and participate in many other activities involving water, like rafting. However, even with all of the importance water holds in our lives, many of us know very little about the water we use each day.
Since humans first settled along the banks of lakes and rivers, there has been great interest in the appropriate management of fresh water resources both as a necessity for life as well as to avoid potential health hazards. It was along the Indus in Pakistan, to the Hwang Ho in China, and the Nile in Egypt in which the first hydraulic discoveries like canals, levees, dams, subsurface water conduits, and wells were known as early as 5000-6000 years ago. The study of water became vital to these early civilizations. Egyptians were the first to observe and records the flow rates and yields of rivers about 3800 years ago, and Kautilya of India produced the first rainfall measuring instruments around 2400 years ago.
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. The term “hydrology” arrived in its current meaning around 1750, and by 1800 the work of English physicist and chemist John Dalton solidified the current understanding of the global hydrologic cycle.
The Hydraulic cycle is a simple process that is divided into five parts: Condensation, Infiltration, Runoff, Evaporation, and Precipitation. The process begins with condensation, when water vapor condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds. Condensation is a repercussion of earth temperature changes. Water fluctuates when temperatures fluctuate. So when the air is cool enough, water vapor condenses creating particles in the air to create clouds. This can be seen on plants in the morning, they are covered in dew. Once formed, winds move the clouds across the globe, secreting the water vapor. The clouds soon become too full of water which is released in in the form of precipitation: rain, snow, hail, etc, for example.
The next three stages: infiltration, runoff, and evaporation all occur at the same time. Infiltration occurs when precipitation seeps into the ground. This is highly dependent on the toughness of the ground.
Permeability is the measure of how easily something flows through something else. High permeability means more precipitation seeps into the ground. If precipitation occurs faster than it can seep into the ground, it then becomes runoff. Runoff stays on the surface and enters streams, rivers, and eventually lakes or the ocean. The water that seeped underground moves similarly as it refills rivers and keeps forward to larger bodies of water. At the same time, the sun is an integral to the cycle by causing evaporation. Evaporation is when liquid water turns into a vapor. Sunlight promotes this process as it raises the temperature of liquid water in oceans and lakes. As the liquid heats, molecules are released and change into a gas. Warm air rises up into the atmosphere and becomes the vapor in the condensation section of the process.
It is amazing the water supply has survived as long as it has. The hydrologic cycle continues to move water and keep sources fresh. It is estimated that 100 million billion gallons a year are cycled through this process. Without the water cycle, life on Earth would not be possible. We need this cycle to remain a flourishing one so all of our life processes remain functioning.
May 3, 2011
Mad River U- Day 9
National Forest River Rangers on the Snake River in Jackson Wyoming
River Rangers are an important and integral part of the Snake River and aid Mad River’s ability to run a successful rafting company. Maintaining and patrolling boat ramps is a broad explanation of what River Rangers do on a daily basis to help visitors enjoy their time during their visit to the Snake River.
More specifically, the Rangers monitor commercial and private permit holders and ensure their permits are being used properly. They control vehicle and trailer traffic when loading and unloading watercrafts at various put in and take out ramps, which during high season, can be tricky. Rangers educate visitors about proper river etiquette, that helps sustain safe and efficient recreational use. Cleaning up trash, fixing fences, trail upkeep, and picking up recycling are also duties of a Forest Ranger.
Snake River Forest Rangers are here to make sure that visitors and river workers have a safe and enjoyable time. All river users should be grateful and respect our River Rangers…they deserve it!
River Rangers are an important and integral part of the Snake River and aid Mad River’s ability to run a successful rafting company. Maintaining and patrolling boat ramps is a broad explanation of what River Rangers do on a daily basis to help visitors enjoy their time during their visit to the Snake River.
More specifically, the Rangers monitor commercial and private permit holders and ensure their permits are being used properly. They control vehicle and trailer traffic when loading and unloading watercrafts at various put in and take out ramps, which during high season, can be tricky. Rangers educate visitors about proper river etiquette, that helps sustain safe and efficient recreational use. Cleaning up trash, fixing fences, trail upkeep, and picking up recycling are also duties of a Forest Ranger.
Snake River Forest Rangers are here to make sure that visitors and river workers have a safe and enjoyable time. All river users should be grateful and respect our River Rangers…they deserve it!
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