Indescribable Beauty – Our Epic Adventure with Teton Scenic Float Tours
By David Wade
I could not believe what I was looking at. Before me, not more than 15 yards away, stood the largest Bald Eagle I had ever seen. Perched on a piece of driftwood along the sandy beach of the Snake River, his steely gaze was locked onto me, those piercing eyes
following my every move. I felt a thrill of excitement and a bit of uneasiness realizing that a formidable predator had me square in his sights. My wife and I, sitting next to each other on this half day float tour, were stunned and silent as our raft lazily glided past this intimidating creature.
Without warning, he let out a loud cry, took to the air and majestically winged his way into the sky. A dozen adult passengers aboard our raft, burst forth in excited chatter. A magical moment for each of us. We repeatedly shared our experience with one another like children on Christmas morning. Each of us seemingly unaware that we had all seen the same thing.
A Change of Plans
An unexpected change to our travel plans meant that Tiffany and I were making the afternoon drive from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Jackson. As our Jeep Gladiator hummed along State Highway 191, we reminisced about our previous excursions into this glorious part of the country.
Tonight, we would disperse camp 25 miles northeast of Jackson with a majestic view of Grand Teton. Talking about the amazing adventures we’d previously shared here, an idea popped into our minds. A wonderful idea that made us smile before we’d even formed the words.
“Hey,” my wife started, “Why don’t you give Kirstin at Teton Scenic Float Tours a call and see if we can get in for tomorrow?” With a laugh I responded, “It’s already ringing!”
How We First Met
Two and a half years ago, Kirstin and her husband Marc had met us at the boat ramp alongside the Snake River in Wilson. With our friends, Angel and Lilian, we were nearing the end of a week-long exploration of the national parks in Utah and Wyoming. After a morning of hiking along the banks of Jackson Lake, in Grand Teton National Park, we were ready to enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the Snake River.
Marc introduced us to our guide for the day, Jo-Jo; an upbeat, experienced young man with a deep knowledge of the river and the area. We had a quick safety briefing and then loaded into the boat.
Tiffany and I have been on several river trips but we’d never seen a boat like this before. The large inflatable raft was outfitted with four rows of seating, each row with 3 oversized padded seats. Unlike other tours where passengers sat low in the boat on inflatable pontoons, these sat up higher allowing you to sit without twisting and provided stability with an unimpeded view. It was fantastic! We later learned from Jo-Jo that these are custom made boats, designed and created specifically for Teton Scenic Float Tours.
Teton Scenic Float Tours on the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming.
It’s a Date!
Kirstin answered the phone with that certain ring to her voice we’ve come to expect. She immediately remembered us and quickly had us booked on an afternoon float trip for the next day. We were so excited we nearly missed our turn; we couldn’t wait for our trip.
The rest of our drive passed quickly as we reminisced about our last float tour here, anticipating what we would enjoy the next day. As we rolled into our campsite, Kirstin emailed us instructions for arrival and an online waiver that literally took us 30 seconds to complete. Everything was in place, nothing to do now but enjoy the scenery and get some sleep.
The Moment
As the sun rose over the mountains behind us, the Tetons sang in the early morning light. It was a majestic view and we did our best to absorb it before breaking down camp. We needed to catch the first boat at Jenny Lake which left at 7:00 am so we had to be rolling early. Being on that first boat means getting to Hidden Falls before the crowds and, trust me, it is worth the effort.
We hiked to Hidden Falls and then around Jenny Lake before grabbing some lunch in Jackson and heading to Wilson for our tour. Marc met us and introduced us to some new members of his team. The company had grown since we were last there. They even have their own bus that delivers you from the parking lot to the boat; a nice touch that shows their commitment to customer experience.
Waterside, we were delighted to learn that Jo-Jo would be our guide again. It felt like a family reunion as we listened to our safety briefing and boarded the boat.
Soon we were underway and, instantly, the stress of life began melting away. Fly fisherman in their waders lined the western shore as we silently floated by. We saw an eagle in its nest, then one in flight followed by another. Distant mountains lined the horizon in every direction. The scenery was incredible and we did our best to take it all in.
Unlike our last trip, this tour was full. Somehow, we all rode comfortably and didn’t feel crowded and I thought to myself about what a huge difference these custom seats made.
A few hours into the tour we came to a bending section of river and a moment that was pure gold; a 10-minute window of back-to-back happenings that left everyone aboard feeling sublime.
First, a short bumpy and splashy section that had us hooting, hollering and laughing. Next, we saw a gaggle of geese along the river’s edge, then a beaver hard at work and finally another eagle flying low along the banks. That’s when it happened.
Without warning I found myself looking into the eyes of a massive eagle sitting on the nearby shoreline. It was shocking how close we were to each other. For sixty seconds everyone in the boat sat in silence as this majestic creature surveyed the spectacle before him; a dozen people, wrapped in life jackets floating past him with stunned looks and open mouths. Eventually (whether he decided we were of no interest or just ready to move on I’ll never know) he took off leaving us behind. We watched him for a minute, then burst forth in a series of high fives and giggling quips. Happy and amazed, we felt we had reached the pinnacle, but the moment wasn’t done with us yet.
Still basking in what had just happened, I looked up to see something sticking up out of the rugged shrubbery that dotted a small island. “What is that?” I asked. As we made the bend, Jo-Jo rotated the boat and as we moved past the shrubs, there it was.
Now unveiled was an adult female moose drinking from the river. “Moose!” someone shouted. That got her attention as if she had been called by name. This sizeable animal lifted her head and looked directly at us, trying to figure us out. None of us had gotten a photo of the eagle and now, realizing our previous mistake, the boat was suddenly filled with the sound of cameras.
For a few brief seconds, she watched us as the current pulled us past her secret watering hole. Deciding we were not a risk, she went back to drinking from the river. Before we knew it, we were swept downstream and the moment was over.
The boat was now surprisingly quiet. The amazing things we had just seen, in back-to-back firestorm mode, had each of us sitting there overwhelmed with emotion. A few hushed comments were made but no one seemed ready to over speak the trickling sounds of the river. It was all so amazingly beautiful and my mind kept playing the scenes back as if they were on a drive-in movie screen in my head.
Jo-Jo, however, knew that this ride was not over yet and with a single expert tug on the oars he gently swung the boat around and the Teton Mountains came into view. The boat went from quiet to silent, then burst forth with camera sounds as we all seemed to suddenly realize our desire to capture this moment.
A Must Do
For two and a half years we have recommended Teton Scenic Float Tours to everyone. The amazing people, the incredible location, the fantastic custom seating … it all just comes together to create something special.
I cannot guarantee that you are going to see what we saw or have the same experience but that’s part of the magic; each time you take this tour it is different and you never know what’s around the next bend.
Our trips with Teton Scenic Float Tours have been fantastic, something I’ll always remember fondly but that one 10-minute moment, is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
If you are going to be in this area, you simply cannot skip this tour. If you don’t just happen to be there, then plan it and make it happen. As for us, we will c
If you’d like to see a short video we made about this trip, check it out on your YouTube Channel by clicking here.