Month One as a Guide

After a bit of a hiatus (that I apologize for) we are back! It’s been a busy month, but a month full of all the good stuff. We started it with the graduation of another Moorman in Orlando and some relaxation in the mountains of North Carolina. A quick tour through the south ended a fun period of peace and a lull without work! It was time to get back to the ole grind. And off to Montana we went.

The Blue Ridge Parkway - Asheville, North Carolina

Let’s back up for one second because I should probably update you. This summer I have the utmost pleasure of being an adventure guide for Austin Adventures. This is an adventure company that goes above and beyond, with multisport trips all around the country and even more all over the world. I get a chance to guide in not one but TWO beautiful places this summer: The San Juan Islands in Washington State, and my very recent former home of Yosemite National Park! For a while now, guiding has been at the top of my list for cool jobs and I am so glad to have a crack at it with Austin Adventures. So, it was off to Billings for guide training! The nervous excitement turned to pure excitement after meeting my bosses and the coolest guide team around; and yes, I formed that opinion while sitting through days of informational training so that’s how you know it’s real! After Billings, we moved to the beautiful and tiny town of Red Lodge and The Yodeler Motel.

New friends paired with the mountains. Awesome.

The beginning of June - ready to start the season!

Something about those mountains!

Sunset over gorgeous Red Lodge.

Roughly 2 weeks later, the Greater Yellowstone area saw catastrophic flooding. The devastation was brought to many towns in the area, including Red Lodge. The Yodeler was by far one of my favorite lodging experiences and was one of the many small businesses that were hit hard. We thank you for the incredible guest service and hospitality and wish you luck in rebuilding.

In my favorite border town: Gardiner, Montana.

Roosevelt Arch, the original entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Mount Washburn from a bridge in Canyon Village.

How incredible is Tower Road?

Shadows playing over Yellowstone's Grand Canyon.

My first time seeing Tower Fall. :')

Lake Yellowstone from Storm Point. Oh yes.

With a van and equipment transfer underway, I had a couple of days to explore Yellowstone before disaster hit. Visiting some of my favorite places again was a sight to behold, and seeing a new friend after missing out on the 2021 season - TOWER ROAD. I drove that gorgeous high-elevation road numerous times in absolute awe. If you worked in Yellowstone in summer ‘21, this one is for you! A long drive to Seattle was then completed and it was time for the Dream Team to get started.

The San Juan Islands are located just off the coast of Washington State nestled in between the lower 48 and the Canadian border. I have the pleasure of being paired with Bob Crank for the summer. It’s hard to describe Bob but this man of mystery is one cool dude that you will hear a lot about for the remainder of the summer. For gaining personal knowledge of the trips, we get one “scout week” to run our trip and be prepared for guests. It was both of our first times out there and boy, did we do our homework. Lots of hiking, education, meeting new people, and trying the food in the area (YUM) - some of my favorite things to do of course. We ran through things like where to deliver some interpretation/knowledge of the history of these islands, such as the good old "Pig War” dispute, as well as getting familiar with some incredible wildlife like bald eagles, black foxes, and orca whales!

Into the woods of Moran State Park - Orcas Island, Washington.

Bald Eagles in Roche Harbor, San Juan Island.

A sunny day in the East Sound of Orcas Island.

Orca whales in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

There’s a lot of prep in trips as an Austin Adventures trip. In a week without any guests, the most important word I took away was Bob’s favorite: efficiency! To be a great guide is to use our time wisely without rushing it in order to nail it. After one week with guests, it’s safe to say Bob has started training me well in the art of guide excellence. We had a blast putting our best foot forward and creating a memorable experience for our guests. Even through itinerary hiccups that were out of control, thanked us many of times for our professionalism and enthusiasm. I was sure to thank them as well, in trusting this rookie with their vacation and allowing me to add my personal flavor to a trip we wouldn’t forget.

So, this is why I have been so busy. Learning the ropes of an exciting and fun job. I get to learn about some beautiful areas and show people what they’ve got to offer. There’s so much to offer in these trips and I am excited to write about the San Juan Islands because they deserve their own post, that’s for sure. After June in the San Juan’s, it’s 6 weeks in California before closing out the season in Washington. One month down, and a lot more to go!

Bob (left) and myself getting prepped in Yosemite!