MR. RACE & HIS CAREER

Tell us about your career in the outdoors. Why did you decide to pursue this career path and how did you get your start?

In 1985 and 1986, I attended summer programs run by the Worthington Field Studies Program. The programs took place in the summer and gave students one year of high school science credit for participation in a summer field Ecology course. The course was based out of a cool old school bus outfitted with a library that traveled all over the western US each summer. We visited different National Parks and studied the local plants, geology, etc. as well as spent time just backpacking and hiking. This experience propelled me toward an outdoor career.

When I attended college at Colorado State University, I became involved in the Forestry Department and was, for a time, a Recreational Resources major. After my Sophomore year of college, I landed a summer job as a mountain guide on Mt. Rainier in Washington State and quickly realized that I was more interested in mountain guiding than working in the park systems, and I focused on guiding and ended up with a degree in English Literature.

Why did you start the Northwest Mountain School? What inspired you and how did you do it?

A few years after college, I became a bit intellectually bored with just guiding, so I started the Northwest Mountain School. The idea was to bridge the two experiences - mountain guiding and Worthington Field Studies - in a program that offered high level Environmental Education and Climbing opportunities for high school students.

Wilderness travel, climbing, skiing, risk taking, birding, are all activities that essentially open my mind to myself, the world, human potential, etc. This all sounds very vague, but the bottom line is that I need regular contact with wild places to feel fulfilled. I assume that there are thousands of other people that need this contact to be content with life. NMS took all of my skills, and all of the things that are really important to me and rolled them into one huge project that I wanted to share with others.

I had and continue to have a great interest in writers such as Edward Abbey, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest-Williams, Bill McKibben, and Wendel Berry, to name a few. NMS seemed like an opportunity to showcase their writings and to read their thoughts while sitting in the source of their inspiration… the natural world.

At some point in 1994 I shared my idea with a man named John Ourisman. I had guided John up Denali that summer, and he had the means, experience, and enthusiasm to get me started. He essentially mentored me through the business side of things and provided much of the initial funding. There is no question that I could have never made these first steps without John's help. Once we got started, I made about every mistake in the book, and it took a good five years before I felt comfortable managing the business side of things. I had started the program at age 25, and about the only reason it survived was because I was too stubborn to give up. It was sort of a vision quest, MBA, and rite of passage all rolled into one.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment of your career? How about the greatest setback?

Taking the first step was a big accomplishment. I would hope that my greatest accomplishments are ahead of me, but there have been high points. I am very proud of the fact that the Northwest Mountain School has survived, run safe programs, and is nearing being debt free after almost 8 years of hard work. I still view it as a work in progress, and have a suspicion that this is just practice for something bigger.

The greatest setback would be the year 1999, where we lost nearly $30,000 and almost went under financially. I felt like I was spread way too thin. Oddly, the support that I received from the parents of past students, particularly Dick and Patsy Pattison, inspired me to hang in and make the changes we needed to turn things around. The bottom line for any organization is that you need to be financially efficient or you are not going to make it. Unfortunately, the finances will leap out and stop you far sooner than any gaps in your curriculum. We all go into this focused on ideas, but day to day organizational economics tend to be heavy on concrete numbers, and light on theories

What are your professional goals for the next 5 to 10 years? Is there more still that you want to accomplish?

I would like for the Northwest Mountain School to be able to operate more independently of myself. This is the ultimate challenge for any small organization that has survived for more than a few years. It is always hard to wean the organization from the care of the individual who started it. Making this separation, however, in the long run will be critical to both its health and my growth.

There are absolutely things that I want to accomplish. My nature is to be curious and want to explore. At the moment I am too deep in present projects with other guide service, NMS, and my own guiding to look too far down the road. One immediate goal is to become a fully certified guide with the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA). This is a time consuming and expensive process, but will be the norm for American Guides 10-15 years from now.

Who have been the biggest influences on your career and why?

Wendel Berry, my grandfather (Charlie Rosenquist), Edward Abbey, and John Muir. Wendel Berry and my grandfather are modern people who have lived their lives the way I would hope to live my life. Keep it simple, be generous, concentrate on balance. Edward Abbey and John Muir were both wild men and can teach about being passionately involved in our lives and surroundings. These folks are all men, and I feel like that is appropriate for a male to emulate, just as I would expect females to emulate female role models.

One other person is a mountain guide named Andy Politz. He introduced me to guiding and this way of life, and my life would be very different had I not met him.

Tell us about the most hair-raising incident you've ever encountered in your professional career.

This is hard for a guide to narrow down. It is like asking a writer what their favorite book is, you cannot simplify 14 years of climbing into one or two "most" experiences. The situations I fear the most are ones where I have lost the ability to protect my clients and students from harm. Occasionally, the mountains can throw a storm, or avalanche, or falling object, that you just cannot avoid. Dealing with these events is very challenging and, at times, very frightening. As a guide, I focus on safety and then the summit. A good guide is often having to really work to keep the two on the radar screen. I would prefer not to focus on the more fantastic situations I have found myself in. I have a clean safety record (knock on wood), and have been in a ton of scraps with the mountains. Fortunately, most were not on guided climbs.

THE ACTUAL WORK

What are your responsibilities as an outdoor guide and educator? How about as a business owner/director?

On a practical level they are:

1. Run a safe program for the guides and students. 2. Deliver an education and experience that exceeds the students expectations. 3. Do it all without having the expenses exceed the income.

On a more romantic level they are:

1. Infect my students with a lifelong desire to take risks when appropriate and to be passionate about some aspect of the outdoor world. 2. To introduce people to wild places and demonstrate how to care for these fragile spots. 3. To encourage people to be a bit subversive in a culture that has become far too focused on getting, spending, consuming, and, in many cases, destroying.

On a basic level, what skills does your job demand?

A guide must be proficient in rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, cooking, LNT (Leave No Trace), and first aid skills. You must also be able to work with all types of people, be familiar with your surroundings, and be able to make decisions on the fly. As the owner of a business, I need a basic understanding of a variety of laws, accounting practices, marketing skills, computer skills, etc…

There are certain skills you can start without (marketing for instance) and a few that you need just to get in the door (such as climbing skills). I feel my skill set has become fairly well-rounded, but I still have tons of soft areas, and areas that I work to reinforce through continuing education. Typically, I spend a minimum of 14 days per year in some form of first-aid, leave-no-trace, or guiding course, and am constantly looking for experiences that expand my skills or push me, physically or mentally.

What are the tools of the trade that you use the most in your work, meaning the essential equipment that you take on any outing?

I almost always take a backpack of some sort, and I usually pack between 20 and 120 pounds of climbing gear, food, emergency supplies, communications equipment, etc. I don't like to carry more than about 65 pounds, so I try to keep it lighter than that, and if I end up with big loads I usually look for a way to re-supply my course, or to drag the gear in a sled.

How does the reality of a career in the outdoors differ from typical expectations?

It requires making less money, working harder, and being away more than most people can tolerate. Guides have started to make pretty good money, but most of my career has involved working for the experience instead of the paycheck. After 13 seasons, I have finally reached the stage where I make enough to consider buying a house, and maybe having a family, but I still earn less than what most people expect coming out of college. Whenever I hear other guides complaining about the conditions, I try to remind them that we get several months off each year, get good exercise at work, and meet a wild cross section of people.

Guiding is good work, but it takes most people a while to realize that it is work, not play. I am confident that I could do well in the 9-5 world, if measured in productivity or income, but can't imagine a job that would make me happier than guiding has.

What are the greatest stresses of your work? What causes you the most anxiety?

Unstable snow, out of shape customers, working with other people's children, rock fall, ice fall, big storms, etc. Guiding is not terribly dangerous, but it does have more risk than an office job. I would be crushed if one of my customers were ever seriously injured as a result of my judgement. Consequently, I spend a lot of time worrying about the details of every trip. It can also be stressful to be away from home as often as I need to in the summer.

Do you deal more with outdoor novices who are looking for a thrill or serious students who want to learn outdoor skills?

I would prefer to deal with all serious students who want to learn outdoor skills, but, in reality, I deal with both. On longer programs, everyone tends to be pretty serious, but on things that take 1-3 days you often get folks who just want to try things out. In a weird way, the thrill seekers are less work to guide, so a mix of folks throughout the season provides good variety.

EDUCATION INFORMATION & ADVICE

Tell us about your formal education, including degrees, certifications and any other relevant training. What did you like and dislike about your own outdoor-related studies?

I have a BA in English Literature, and I am certified to Level 3 in American Avalanche Forecasting. Currently, I have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and I am working toward some of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) certifications.

Experience is everything, and I learned most of what I know from other guides, reading, screwing up, and just simply being out there. Don't underestimate, however, the value of a few basic courses. I do not hire guides without a WFR, and could not imagine wanting to guide without this training. If you are serious about being a guide you need to be solid in all your climbing skills, have at least a WFR for a medical certification, and can't go wrong by having a college degree under your belt. My clients are intelligent professional people or their children, and you need to be able to communicate on their level. Oddly, the degree in English was perfect for what I do each day, which is communicate, write, and talk with my customers and staff.

What's your advice for prospective students who are interested in a career like yours?

I think that new guides should start with training from the AMGA. This was not available when I started and is still not required to guide, but it is the way things will be headed in the next decade. It is difficult for working guides to go back and pick up these certifications because there are no shortcuts and you have to forego work to take the courses. The education, however, is valuable enough to be worth the hassle.

I also think that if you are going to teach climbing, or birding, or backpacking you need to be an expert. Somewhere in your resume needs to be a couple of multi-month adventures dedicated only to that activity. I don't know too many good guides who did not spend a few seasons living on nothing in the back of their car and climbing every day.

Most college courses are a great introduction to skills, but eventually you are going to need to step outside the structure if you are going to get good.

You changed from Forestry to English as a major after three years in school, but you still ended up working in the outdoors. Was this your plan all along? How did your degree in English help you to forge your career?

This was not my plan at all. I basically realized that I loved to read, and I did not love to herd park visitors through national parks. Remember that in college you have to decide at 18 or 19 what you are going to do with your life, and almost nobody is prepared to do this. If you hit the right choice at 18 you are in a minority, so why not focus on what you enjoy and are good at first.

English gave me a broad base in history and ideas, which makes it easier to relate to a wide variety of people. As a guide you know almost nothing about your clients before the trip so you need to be very flexible in how you relate to them. Read a couple hundred books and you will have something to talk to most people about.

What kinds of degrees can lead to a career in the outdoors? Is it important to have a traditional education in your line of work?

Being a good climber who enjoys working with people is all that is required. Education helps, but your outlook and personality are the most important.

What factors should students consider when choosing a program for outdoor education and experience?

I would first focus on location. Take your courses somewhere that you want to explore. As you develop new skills it helps to be able to walk out the door and use them. I went to college in Fort Collins, Colorado, which was perfect for study. Have a reason for taking courses and make sure that the course will fulfill your need.

For example, a Wilderness EMT teaches you almost nothing that is going to benefit you more than a WFR. Get a WFR and then get some frontline experience dealing with first-aid. Take all the time you would have spent on your EMT and take another course, or just go climbing. At the Northwest Mountain School, we look for one of two certifications (WFR and CPR) and then look for a well-rounded individual. Someone who is heavy on classroom courses, and low on actual climbing does not have a chance. Someone who is a great climber with a good personality might be hired as an assistant under the condition that they first obtain their WFR and CPR.

Based on what you hear in the industry, what do you think are the most respected programs for outdoor education that really make a difference to students who graduate from these schools?

This is personal opinion, but the Field Naturalist program at the University of Vermont has always seemed to standout (and is very exclusive) and I have enjoyed the company of many graduates of Prescott College in Arizona.

JOB INFORMATION & ADVICE

What kinds of jobs are available for those graduating with a degree and/or certifications in outdoor education?

You will not likely find a perfect fit on your first job. Look for a job like ski patrol in the winter. Great exercise, OK money, and fantastic training in first-aid. In the summer, try for your favored job and then take what you can get. There are a million ways to get your foot in the door, but all usually require patience and a bit of luck. I am talking about guiding here, and am sure that things are different in institutional work.

What's the pay scale for someone just starting a career? How about for those at the senior level?

People now start at about $75 per day and top out at about $250 per day. Given the seasonal nature of work, expect to start at about $10,000 per year and progress to maybe $30,000 per year. Once you hit $30,000 per year, the odds are that you have been saddled with a part-time office job, mixed with part-time field work.

What advice can you give regarding the best ways to find a job in the field? How does one get a foot-in-the-door (or would that be "out-the-door" in this case)?

• Be willing to do whatever they need. Guide Services tend to hire people they know. You have a much better chance moving from "cook to guide" than from "unknown to guide" unless your resume is perfect.

• Set your ambitions high and your standards low. By this, I mean if your dream is to work for company as a naturalist but they offer you a job as a janitor, then scrub toilets and keep working toward the naturalist job by being a great person to have around.

• Also consider going to the source. If you are calling from New York and don't plan to leave until you have a job, then I wish you luck. If you want to work for the Yosemite Institute, go to Yosemite for two weeks and check the place out. While there, stop in to the school and tell them who you are. Take one of their courses, and offer to help for free. Sending bulk resumes is a waste of your paper, and the company's time, unless they are asking you to do this.

• One last thought. Call the type of place you want to work and ask them: "How do I get my foot in the door." Many people will be happy to help. Also ask people who already have their foot in the door.

What are the three best things about working in the outdoors, like you do?

1. Great people
2. Great way to stay in shape
3. No two days or trips are the same.

How is the job market right now? How do you think it will be in the next five years? 10 years?

I am not an economist, but from my angle it seems really good and will only get better.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

What can you tell us about the history of outdoor guiding as a profession?

There are more opportunities than ever. Sacajawea was a guide. This is an old industry, and it is always changing to accommodate the tastes of the clientele. This is a huge subject, so I am going to leave it alone.

What are some trends that you see in the field that might help prospective students?

People want to climb and ski wilder and wilder stuff, so get comfortable on wild terrain. Also, realize that guide certification will be required in the not-too-distant future, so embrace it rather than avoid it. Working for a big guide service at some point is probably something worth doing. It is the main way to get a lot of experience and big guide services probably are not going away.

What do you consider to be the three greatest challenges facing outdoor education professionals today?

• A considerable challenge is a political climate that finds environmentalists fairly powerful and at odds with people even more powerful. Corporations are putting out their own brand of Environmental Education and schools with a shortage of funding are gobbling this stuff up. There is a true split in the US about how to best use our resources, with most educators leaning towards the liberal side and most funding leaning toward the conservative side.

• A young population raised on microwaves, TV, and the automobile. It can take a lot to hook a young person's attention…this is why climbing has worked so well for us.

• The perception that outdoor education is dangerous. Mention climbing and people mention the book Into thin Air; but people are farther from risk taking than ever, and it is hard to convince them that the real dangers are low.

How have computers and the Internet affected the everyday life of a professional outdoor educator and guide?

They have made it easier to communicate with a weird schedule. Although a bit of a technophobe, I have to admit that the computer has made the structure of my career possible. Our website (www.mountainschool.com) markets while we are guiding, and e-mail keeps track of everyone's questions and requests for information.

CLOSING REMARKS

Is there anything else you can tell us about yourself, your career, or the profession that would be interesting or helpful to others aspiring to enter the field of outdoor education?

You can love climbing and not love guiding, and you can love the outdoors and not want to teach about it. Be sure that you are passionate about what you do, and then realize that teaching others about it will change you. Be sure to protect what drives you carefully. I teach climbing all year, but have avoided most ski guiding, birding guiding, and fly fishing guiding because I need to keep these as well springs for my own enthusiasm.

If you have any questions for Mr. Race related to this interview, please contact him directly at jrace2@earthlink.net.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about the educational and career outlook for Outdoor Education majors, click here.

Top of Page