Our Guides
Jackson Hole Whitewater
Stephanie
Boathouse Manager
Stephanie is the office aficionado and can be seen multitasking the boat house while making you feel welcome in lovely Jackson Hole.
She has a thorough knowledge of the area and can give great advice for eating, shopping and lodging.
With a super smile and an eagerness to accommodate your rafting experience, Steph will leave a positive imprint on your Western Wyoming vacation.
David Tibbitts
Owner
Owner and Operator of Jackson Hole Whitewater. David has operated JHWW for over 25 years, and has built it to be one of the most respected whitewater outfits in the Jackson Hole Valley. David prides himself and built JHWW on customer safety and service that has been well recognized in the rafting industry for the last 25 years.
Tristan Jackson
River Guide
Tristan Jackson was born and raised in the Green Mountains of Vermont. He moved to Jackson in 2008 to work a winter at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and hasn’t left since. All five of his previous summers have been spent commercially guiding the whitewater canyon of the Snake River. He spends his free time on a few simple pleasures such as eating good food, enjoying good company, and exploring the valley of Jackson Hole.
Captain Ron
Bus Driver
Captain Ron has been with the JHWW team since April, 1988, back when rafts were actually made from tree logs. Prior to his much-anticipated arrival at JHWW, he had worked many fine rivers elsewhere in the World, including the Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico, the Colorado River (Grand Canyon), the Flat Head in Glacier National Park, the Zambeze in South Africa, the White Nile in Uganda and the Shotover in New Zealand. Currently Ron is set to go on a long trip paddling down the Missouri river! If you‘re interested in details of Captain Ron’s Missouri River trip, follow along at his blog by clicking the link below. click this link
Evan
Operations Manager
As a boy growing up in the east Evan dreamed of experiencing the old west as depicted in the movies. Films like “Lonesome Dove”, “Jeremiah Johnson” and “ The Good The Bad and The Ugly” seemed to consume all thought. A t a young age he could be found trying to out draw Yul Brynner while watching the “Magnificent Seven” instead of doing homework. At 18 years old Evan left his hometown and headed to Lander, Wyoming, in search of adventure. What he found was a love for the mountains, rivers, lakes and streams off the Rockies and he never looked back.
After living a semi nomadic lifestyle splitting his time between Colorado, Oregon and Wyoming Evan has managed to rack up an impressive river resume with commercial experience on 6 different rivers. He is Swift Water Rescue IV certified, and has lead river trips on the Wild and Scenic Rogue river, the Cataract Canyon on the Colorado, and the Grand Canyon on the Colorado to name a few. Along with his loving wife Sarah and son August, he is now a full time resident of Jackson. Although the days of living in a pick up truck and moving from town to town are behind him, Evans’ desire for adventure is still alive and well. Only time will tell what is in store for him around the coming river bend.
Jeff Tibbitts
Owner
Jeff has grown up around Jackson Hole Whitewater and Teton Expeditions and worked every job available since the beginning. Cook, shuttle driver, bus driver, guide GM to owner. Jeff has the know how to assist in making every guest feel welcome and satisfied at the end of the day. He is an avid skier and fisherman and loves spending time with his family!
Adam Heigel
Manager
Adam Heigel, Manager at Barker-Ewing and Jackson Hole Whitewater grew up in St. Louis, Mo where he always had a passion for the outdoors. He Grew up coming to Jackson, Wy to visit family when he finally decided to start spending his Summers there working for the family business! After, 6 years of doing almost every job in the company he moved his way up to managing the fun and lively operation! Adam, calls Jackson home now and has no plan to leave.
Will Freihofer
River Guide
Will was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Although he grew up a city boy, he has always had a passion for the outdoors. After graduating from Purdue University studying mechanical engineering, he traded a life of computers and numbers for a life of mountains and rivers. He has been living in Jackson for 5 years, spending the winters in the mountains as a lift operator for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the summers on the river as a guide for Barker-Ewing.
Zack Kresge
Bus Driver
Born in Saipan and raised in the Hawaiian islands, Zack is a fun and exciting guide! He loves the outdoors, especially water sports. Whitewater kayaking and rafting are some of his favorites. The wildlife, people, and adventures are what keep him in Jackson. With a degree in business and environmental science, and a drive for excelling in the outdoors, he is sure to know the joys and wonders that Teton county has to offer.
Tycen Birch
River Guide
Originally from Mount Shasta California, Tycen was fortunate to be raised in the mountains with a constant yearning for adventure. His parents had him on skis basically before he could walk. After graduating highschool he moved to the Tetons in pursuit of deep snow and flowy bike trails. He got what he was looking for! Tycen started his river guide career in the summer of 2017 and has immersed himself in the river culture since. In the winter you can find him flying drones for his videography business or selling skis at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He is a Swift Water Rescue Technician. With a degree in having a good time...Tycen can’t wait to see you on the river!
Matt Mulholland
River Guide
Matt is originally from Michigan. Early in life he could be found exploring the great lakes and rivers of the midwest. His passion for the outdoors was found early and fostered by his father. After learning how to raft in Alaska, on the Chilkat river, he relocated to Jackson to spend summers on the Snake River. Upon Graduating from Central Michigan University in 2008 with a degree in Accounting, he spent 5 years working in finance. Becoming a financial expert took hard work and dedication, but 40 hours a week in a cubical wasn‘t able to fulfill Matt’s passion for life. He moved to Tahoe became a ski & snowboard instructor which began a never ending pursuit to find he most epic places on the planet to adventure and play around on water.
In the winters Matt is a Snowboard Patroller in Tahoe, but plans on staying year round in Jackson. He is a wilderness first responder, certified snowboard instructor, swift water rescue technician, licensed skydiver and loves thought provoking conversations around philosophy and quantum mechanics. To Matt every day in the mountains is a good day and he is grateful to call Jackson his home. Sharing his passion for rafting and the outdoors is one of his favorite things to do.
Elliot Brose
River Guide
Elliott hails from a little backwater town called Cincinnati, which is in Ohio. After graduating Pre-Vet from Miami University he moved to South Africa where he didn’t use his degree at all, but became a marine biologist instead. Eventually he moved back to the US and got a big kid job in Chicago. He got tired of it pretty quick, so he packed everything up and moved to Jackson where he lived in his car down by the (Snake) river. He apparently likes it here because that was 5 years ago. Elliott’s been rafting all over the world from the Zambezi in southern Africa to the Pacuare in Costa Rica and the Katherine river in Australia. When he’s not in a raft, Elliott loves scuba diving, marine conservation, birding, backpacking, fishing, skiing/snowboarding, and pretending to be the next David Attenborough. Eventually he’ll leave Neverland in Jackson Hole for an illustrious job as a scuba instructor in Indonesia while also continuing his conservation and marine biology work.
Tom Kemper
River Guide
After Tom took his first raft trip on the Snake River in 1973, he dropped out of college in Nebraska and moved to Jackson Hole, and has been a river guide ever since. Except for the 15 years he lived in New Zealand and guiding on the Class IV & V rivers of both the North and South Islands, his guiding career has been on the Snake. When he is not on the river you might find him hiking or horse-packing into one of his secret fishing or hunting spots and he spends the winter as a self-employed carpenter. Tom and his wife Bonnie have 8 grandkids.
