The Expeditions Guide Opportunity

You will lead educational, fun, and safe backpacking trips via our Opal Creek Expeditions program. Small groups of youth ages 10-17 traverse miles of backcountry trail, summit ridgelines and peaks, and visit subalpine lakes and streams, with you and one other guide as their leaders.

During your many weeks leading trips in various wildernesses, you’ll lead using your backcountry skills such as navigating, tying knots, cooking, and practicing stewardship. As you teach the ins and outs of backpacking you’ll see each participant’s confidence grow—in their skills and in themselves.

Connection between the group is as important as backcountry skills and your role as a facilitator is integral to that connection. You will draw on your previous experiences with youth to create a fun and positive outdoor space.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

We are less interested in the titles you’ve held and more interested in what you’ve actually done and who you are. A successful candidate will have experience with some combination of the following: 

• 1+ seasons backcountry guiding experience
• 1+ seasons working with youth
• Backpacking experience, personal/professional
• Strong group leadership and management
• Experience with a diversity of communities and cultural backgrounds
• Navigation and backcountry cooking skills
• Backcountry medical experience
• Local ecological knowledge
• Able to lead groups on hikes up to 10 miles with heavy packs
• Able to pass a criminal background check
• Valid driver’s license