Would you ever hire a wilderness guide?
Jan.03, 2011 in
Uncategorized
For a long time I have wanted to be a wilderness guide and have decided to make it a reality. If you were traveling in northern Minnesota would you hire a guide to lead your trip? Places like BWCAW and the Superior Hiking Trail and other areas in this region. I am a 31 year old male and an ex marine.
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:11 am
There are jobs like that all over the place. Most states have laws where you have to be a licensed guide such as here in Alaska. Also some areas have quotas of how many guides can work in an area. I was a big game guide in Alaska for a few years and also worked on and off with a photography wilderness guide service. In both cases my job was to make sure clients were safe and had a good time. But I got to tell you; you have to have people skills! You will run into some of the most aggravating jerks you could imagine and worse! Oh most are swell folks but some have real issues. And remember if they get hurt they might be able to sue your tail off. So make sure you have good insurance, like a 1 million dollar coverage plan.
I think you would enjoy it, I did but my old body is just too beat up to handle groups of people in the wilderness these days.
You might consider working for a guide service to pick up ideas and it gives you a reference. The outfits I worked for could care less if you had a major in wildlife biology if you didn’t have experience in the wilderness they could refer to.
The trick is to find an area people want to see and experience and make sure they have fun. Sounds easy but its not.
I wish you well in your endeavor!