Guide Jobs at Trek Alaska

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Multi-Day Wilderness Guides

TREK ALASKA

Explore some of the most amazing and remote wilderness destinations in Alaska. Many of our trips are in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park which at 13 million acres is the largest and wildest park in the system. With no roads and no trails this is a chance to do real backcountry wilderness guiding.  When not in the backcountry enjoy staying in McCarthy, one of the coolest mountain towns in the country. McCarthy is smack in the middle of the park and is reached by the only road in the park.

Trek Alaska started in 2003 by owner Greg Fensterman, author of Hiking Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, published by Falcon Guides. While most of our trips are still in the park, we also operate treks in Lake Clark and Gates of the Arctic National Parks as well as Denali State Park and other areas.

CLIENTEL

Groups can be private groups of family/friends or ad-hoc collections of independent travelers joining together for a wilderness adventure. Clients come from all over the world so there is a lot of diversity of cultures and experience. Ages can range from families with young children to adults into their 70s. Though some may have considerable backcountry experience, for many this is their first Alaska trip and their first time in such remote, off-trail country.

OUR TREKS

We like to keep things small and personal. Most groups max out at 5 participants. Trips are 4-9 days long ranging from easier base-camp outings to very challenging point-to-point treks. All trips begin and end with a flight in a small, single engine bush plane that might be a single passenger Super Cub or a 5 seater DeHaviland Beaver.

Every route is different, each with its own challenges including stream crossings, bushwhacking, glacier crossings, boulder fields and more.  A week long trek in the Alaskan backcountry is going to be much more challenging then a trail hike in the lower 48. Routes are 100% off-trail for a truly remote, wilderness emersion.

LIVING IN MCCARTHY

Accommodations are provided at the Trek Alaska property and include a private wall tent that is clean and spacious. It’s an 8x10 canvas tent over a wooden frame that is in good shape and a pleasant shelter. Tall enough to stand up in without bending over.

There is a small “guide shack” for storing food, preparing and eating meals and just hanging out. It includes a propane stovetop, sink, water, table and chairs. There is plenty of shelf space to store personal food. There is a nice camp shower that provides hot water with descent pressure. There is phone service here (4G LTE in fact!) but you need to have a Verizon account or the local provider Copper Valley Telephone.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Because we only focus on deep-backcountry, multi-day treks we are a small group. So we are looking for a few guides but no intern positions are available.

Qualities that we are looking for include:

• Rock-solid backcountry skills, especially navigation and route-finding
• Good off-trail experience
• Absolute confidence in your ability to guide clients on routes that you have not previously done.
• Strong people and communications skills with a very wide range of personalities and experience levels
• Good organizational and leadership skills
• Ability to roll with the punches and adjust to the unexpected
• Must have current WFR certification (or equivalent)

HOW TO APPLY

Submit the following to trips@trekalaska.com

Resume - a record of employment, education and training.

Trip Log - A log of work related and personal (multi-day) backcountry trips

Cover Letter - a chance to highlight some parts of your background that might not come out in a resume. Tell us what you hope to gain from a summer with Trek Alaska, and your short an long term goals as a guide.

PDF file format is preferred

Email to: TRIPS@TREKALASKA.COM