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View Full Version : MATC still looking for Ridgerunners for this season



Doc
03-08-2019, 10:09
MATC still has an opening for this season 5/18-10/20/19. The caretaker/ridgerunner position is a great way to still be involved with the hiking community and to get paid for it. The ideal candidate has extensive hiking experience, history of working with the public in some capacity, knows LNT or is willing to be trained, and comfortable living in remote locations where educating the hikers is a priority. If interested check out matc.org or contact me via a PM. I'm one of three on the hiring committee and would be glad to talk more about our program. Doc

KimShea
03-12-2019, 12:21
This is now my retirement plan. Just got to make it 9 more years & hope they're hiring then.

AllDownhillFromHere
03-12-2019, 14:24
I was a caretaker back in 2002. Very rewarding experience. Highly recommended.

JPritch
03-12-2019, 15:00
Are PT/weekend positions ever offered for Ridgerunners along the AT? This sounds like a dream PT job.

2NewKnees
03-19-2019, 21:22
Is this a paid position? Definitely something I would love to do when I retire from teaching.

Slo-go'en
03-19-2019, 22:35
Is this a paid position? Definitely something I would love to do when I retire from teaching.

I'm pretty sure it's a volunteer thing. If it is paid, it will only be enough to almost feed you, but at least it would be something. When I worked for the GMC, I got $20 a week plus whatever I collected in overnight fees. I probably averaged about $40 a week. Of course, that was a long time ago...

Doc
03-20-2019, 06:35
It pays $15/hr. for a 40 hour week. I like to joke with our Ridgerunners that they should pay us for the privilege of living and working in Maine on the AT but no one has offered to do that.

Starchild
03-20-2019, 07:21
I'm pretty sure it's a volunteer thing. If it is paid, it will only be enough to almost feed you, but at least it would be something. When I worked for the GMC, I got $20 a week plus whatever I collected in overnight fees. I probably averaged about $40 a week. Of course, that was a long time ago...
It's both but the pay is low - except for part of MA which is a state position and I believe done by DEP, which also has the shortest on trail requirements, I believe 2 nights out per week and meeting day - which for a RR is a full 40 hours. But the position, depending on location sometimes could include housing. If one can get that their expenses really drop, so even if pay is low it should be enough.

However the for pay position is much more demanding. When I RR the Smokies it was 5 days/4 nights, and those days were fixed and pretty inflexable (Th to Mon). Meaning if a storm was coming on Thursday you could not postpone it a day and make it up at the later half. The 5 days/4 nights on trail means one is working well over the 40 hours that they are paying. Add to this when one gets back one still have a lengthy report to submit that could take 1/2 a day, then resupply - so it's working 6 day's a week and much more then 8 hours per day. Overtime is acceptable for the report time, however one never makes up for the amount of time working in the hourly rate. One's route can be changed, and that could be at the request of a hiking club. I guess one could compare it to thru hiking with 5 days on trail then 2 in town, but to me it didn't feel the same, it is quite different when other people chose your days and routes. I did find it quite hard (even more so since my mom passed away while I had that job and I had to leave because of that) and very un-thru hiker like.

For this reason, and talking to other RR's, they have switched to volunteer, which gives them a lot more flexibility of time and route.

peakbagger
03-20-2019, 17:46
RR positions are usually graduates of natural resources programs where getting a paying job in the field is tough. Folks string together multiple jobs and sometimes internships to finally get a resume that gets into entry level full time job.

mverville
03-21-2019, 11:46
Love to [email protected]

One Half
03-21-2019, 13:50
It pays $15/hr. for a 40 hour week. I like to joke with our Ridgerunners that they should pay us for the privilege of living and working in Maine on the AT but no one has offered to do that.
How does that 40 hours actually shake out? Is it 8 hours of hiking, sleep on trail, 8 hours hiking, sleep on trail, and repeat for "40 hours of work" over 5 days or is all the trail time, minus maybe sleeping, considered work hours?

Starchild
03-21-2019, 15:32
How does that 40 hours actually shake out? Is it 8 hours of hiking, sleep on trail, 8 hours hiking, sleep on trail, and repeat for "40 hours of work" over 5 days or is all the trail time, minus maybe sleeping, considered work hours?

It's a 5 day work hike, and you are on the job pretty much all the waking time, there is little down time. Usually one can leave later on the first day and get out earlier the last. The hiking is what it is and usually not long distances, each day you have a destination to make. One carries extra weight with maintenance tools and trash collected. There are chores along the way, you can't simply pass by a shelter, you have to stop to clean it, inspect it, and clean the privi, fire ring, measure water source flow rate. On the trail one must note problem spots and do trail maintenance one can do by themself, and also greet and preach LNT to passing hikers.
They like it see submitted as 8h/d for 5 days on the time sheet. I often submitted it as 5,10,10,10,5 and about 3-4 OT for the report, as that is closer to reality. To be honest it was more like 6,12,12,12,4, and 4 for report.

AllDownhillFromHere
03-21-2019, 15:33
When I was a caretaker it was 10 days on, 4 off. And I generally "worked" 8 hours most days - cleaning the site, chatting with hikers, doing some paperwork. then other days I'd climb a mountain and stay up all day to keep people walking on rocks, not shouting, leashing dogs, etc. 3x a year I did a 40ish mile section hike, cleaning shelters, reporting on broken waterbars, talking to people about LNT, etc.

One Half
03-21-2019, 15:45
It's a 5 day work hike, and you are on the job pretty much all the waking time, there is little down time. Usually one can leave later on the first day and get out earlier the last. The hiking is what it is and usually not long distances, each day you have a destination to make. One carries extra weight with maintenance tools and trash collected. There are chores along the way, you can't simply pass by a shelter, you have to stop to clean it, inspect it, and clean the privi, fire ring, measure water source flow rate. On the trail one must note problem spots and do trail maintenance one can do by themself, and also greet and preach LNT to passing hikers.
They like it see submitted as 8h/d for 5 days on the time sheet. I often submitted it as 5,10,10,10,5 and about 3-4 OT for the report, as that is closer to reality. To be honest it was more like 6,12,12,12,4, and 4 for report.
So how many hours do you feel you actually "worked" or hiked for your 8 hrs per day? And were you on trail for those 5 days the "whole time?" i.e. you were sleeping at shelters or elsewhere on trail correct?

Starchild
03-21-2019, 15:55
So how many hours do you feel you actually "worked" or hiked for your 8 hrs per day? And were you on trail for those 5 days the "whole time?" i.e. you were sleeping at shelters or elsewhere on trail correct?
The work is about 12h/day for full days on trail (wake up and go to sleep on trail). Correct, I would be on trail the whole time of the 5 day/4 night shift.