May 23, 2024
I’ve been guiding hikes in Southern Utah for a while now. I never foresaw being asked to do guided hikes as one of the outcomes of writing a historical feature series about interesting places in Southwestern Utah and the surrounding area. It’s been seven years since I started writing the St. George News Days Series and the opportunities stemming from it keep piling up. Just a few days ago, an acquaintance stopped me in the store telling me how much he enjoys my historical radio spots on the Hurricane, Utah radio station, 104.5 FM. That is another historical activity I was invited to start approximately two years ago.
My Pedigree
Three years ago, the Hurricane Peach Days Committee asked me to be in charge of the annual hikes along the Hurricane Canal for the annual city festival, which takes place every Labor Day Weekend. They told me I was the clear choice because of my historical interests and my pedigree – the fact that my ancestors helped build the canal and my father was “ditch rider,” or water master for the Hurricane Canal Company. Leading those hikes has been a rewarding experience, a true labor of love. A few fans over the years have suggested that I start a guided hiking business and this spring, I got the strong feeling that I should give it a try. Naming the fledgling venture was easy – Ranger Reub Adventures.
The Nickname that Stuck
My social media channels that promote my writing and other Southern Utah historical pursuits are “Ranger Reub.” My original Instagram was hacked and I lost it, but I renamed the new Instagram account “Ranger Reub Adventures.” Little did I know at the time that it would be the future name of a tour company. The genesis of that name stems from a lifetime of enjoyment of the outdoors, specifically national parks. My college friends started to call me that and it has stuck, even 25 years later. I even wrote a column for my college newspaper under that pseudonym. I’ve never actually been a park ranger, but I feel like I do about the same thing as an interpretive ranger does, just not in a national park.
A True Tagline
My tagline for my company is “excursions away from the crowds” because it is true. I will be leading people on hikes that most tourists skip over because they are more interested in the biggest draw of the area, which is obviously Zion National Park. While the scenery surrounding the Hurricane Canal and Confluence Park is not national park worthy, it is still different than most visitors will see at home and the story of the places I’ll be showing hikers is fascinating.
I hope you’ll consider joining me on some unique treks through Southern Utah history along the Hurricane Canal and Virgin River, about 20 miles west of Zion National Park.