When I was a kid, all I ever dreamed about was being outdoors. I played Daniel Boone with my coonskin cap and dreamed of a life outdoors, hunting and fishing.
Al Simpson saved my dreams.
At 17, I set out on my own to become a guide on the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1982.
In 1993, a river trip company in Grand Teton National Park became available for sale. I pooled all my resources together, mortgaged the only equity I had in anything and bought the business.
I truly felt privileged and extremely fortunate to be in business of making people’s lifelong memories and getting paid for it.
Even though I had a huge debt burden hanging over my shoulders, I knew I could pay it off with hard work.
About mid-September as my first season was winding down, I was guiding a float trip down the river when a microburst hit the area, and the temperature dropped 30-40 degrees in minutes.
My tour decided to skip dinner and go to the hotel. I refunded the dinner portion of the trip.
Then that next January, I received a certified letter from the National Park Service summoning me to a meeting with the superintendent. Someone complained I did not provide enough cold weather protection.
The park superintendent interrogated me. He held a copy of my permit in front of me and threatened to tear it up. The superintendent told me I was finished working in Grand Teton National Park.
He said, “I don’t care if you do a thousand things right and one thing wrong, I’m going to hammer you.”
I was going to lose everything.
After several sleepless nights, someone said call Sen. Alan Simpson.
I hunted down his number and left a message for him to call, not expecting anything.
The next day the phone rang. Al Simpson asked me what was happening.
I shared my story. The senator said, “I’m not one bit happy with the superintendent anyway. I’m going to call him right now!”
The very next week I received another certified letter from the Park Service saying that my permit was on hold. I was not allowed to operate any way in Grand Teton National Park.
My dreams were gone.
Then, another certified letter came stating my permit was approved and my business could go on as usual.
I called Senator Simpson to thank him. He said that he had just made a phone call to the superintendent and that everything was smoothed over.
Senator Simpson didn’t share what he said to the superintendent. Al was pleased. Senator Simpson wished me good luck and asked me to keep in touch.
I’ll never forget he closed the call with, “Powder River Let’r Buck!”
I ended my Snake River commercial guiding career after 31 years on the river.
I’m sure going to miss Alan Simpson, a Wyoming Legend and a friend.
One phone call from a busy senator saved my career.
Bob Barlow Jr.
Storey, Wyoming
