Can you make a living guiding hikers on the AT?

[The Doctor]

I have been studying chemistry and am about to graduate soon. In the last few years I have fallen in love with backpacking and was wondering if it is possible to abort plans to work a 9-5 and ultimately become a work slave. Or is it possible to maybe have an adventurous career as a guide on the AT and or other trails in the U.S.? Any thoughts?

[Appalachian Tater]

Yes, I think you should take the summer off to play around and then go on to graduate school and then get a job for a large multinational corporation. It is not uncommon to have feelings such as yours when nearing graduation but you don't want to end up a poor hobo. If you wanted a life like that you should have gone to UGA instead of GA Tech.

[bigboots]

I know there are people who do that. A lot of college kids during the summers do such work. Sign me up if you find a year round way to backpack for a living!

But

Bigboots

[bigboots]

I know there are people who do that. A lot of college kids during the summers do such work. Sign me up if you find a year round way to backpack for a living!

But this reminds me of the other post today about taking inexperienced people into the backcountry. Might not be so much fun???

Bigboots

[Smile]

I need a sherpa for my next hike

[T-Dubs]

I think it would depend on your definition of 'living'.
I think Matt Foley made a living as a motivational speaker but I'm not so sure it's something I'd want to do.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oID=1524342447

"I am 35 years old."
"I am divorced,
and I live in a van, down by the river"

Come, join the worker bees. It's really not all that bad (he says from retirement)

Tom

[take-a-knee]

Invent something people are willing to throw money at you to own dozens of them like Ray Jardine did ( Ray invented the Self-Locking-Camming Device for climbers) and you can be a worldwide adventurer like he's been.

[Ramble~On]

It can be and is done.
There are degrees...Outdoor Leadership and Parks & Rec. Management.
You can "bounce" jobs by the season and location, work for any number of camps, groups like "Hoods in the Woods", Boy and Girl Scouts, At Risk Youth, National Outdoor Leadership School. Outward Bound, SOAR, etc.
There are PLENTY of people who bounce between different camps and organizations leading backpacking and other type trips...most include rock climbing or a ropes course and some form of water travel either whitewater or flat. Most of the organized type camps that deal with at risk youth offer 8 days on 6 days off and average 32K to start. These organizations seem to be doing a good bit of hiring..... high turnover ? but that could be to the advantage of someone looking to do a lot of bouncing around place to place and never burning bridges, buiding a resume, making a living backpacking-working in outdoor pursuits. Course making a difference in someone's life at the same time is better than flipping burgers for about the same salary.

[kayak karl]

I think it would depend on your definition of 'living'.
I think Matt Foley made a living as a motivational speaker but I'm not so sure it's something I'd want to do.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oID=1524342447

"I am 35 years old."
"I am divorced,
and I live in a van, down by the river"

Come, join the worker bees. It's really not all that bad (he says from retirement)

Tom

living on the river is nice,
except on foggy nights

[A-Train]

Yes, possible to make a living off leading trips, but probably not very feasible on the AT. Look at a company like Mountain Travel Sobek. They lead very high end (read: expensive) trips around the world and i imagine pay well. Other organizations like NOLS and Outward Bound have career tracks though I imagine the pay isn't great. However you're workin outside all the time which sure beats looking at a computer screen from 9-6

[Monkeyboy]

Or you can do like Jules in "Pulp Fiction" and just "Walk the Earth"

[4eyedbuzzard]

I have been studying chemistry and am about to graduate soon. In the last few years I have fallen in love with backpacking and was wondering if it is possible to abort plans to work a 9-5 and ultimately become a work slave. Or is it possible to maybe have an adventurous career as a guide on the AT and or other trails in the U.S.? Any thoughts?

Actually physically guiding people on the AT? No, very doubtful, as there are almost no skill deficits that usually lead to death/serious injury. Leading higher altitude and expedition climbs and teaching climbing/mountaineering? Yes.

Now you could possibly thru-hike a few times and then turn it into a living by publishing a guidebook, becoming an environmental activist, running a website, etc. Well, least 'till you PO'ed most everybody and got tired of doing it.

[Tinker]

You probably could make a living, though a meager one, and only part of the year, but people who are looking for a guide want an expert, which requires some time on the trail, and they also usually want security and comfort. In short, they're probably not the kind of people you'd want to guide.
I co-led a weekend trip for REI back in the mid 80's. Keeping people of different interests, dispositions, and hiking abilities together was more than I could do and call "fun". Not long after that, I began hiking mainly solo.

[Ramble~On]

Actually physically guiding people on the AT? No, very doubtful, as there are almost no skill deficits that usually lead to death/serious injury. Leading higher altitude and expedition climbs and teaching climbing/mountaineering? Yes.

Now you could possibly thru-hike a few times and then turn it into a living by publishing a guidebook, becoming an environmental activist, running a website, etc. Well, least 'till you PO'ed most everybody and got tired of doing it.

I wonder if he's talking about.............

[4eyedbuzzard]

I wonder if he's talking about.............

Nope. Just a hypothetical example.

[ScottP]

If you've fallen in love with hiking you'd best go back to school and get a teaching degree.

[A-Train]

If you've fallen in love with hiking you'd best go back to school and get a teaching degree.

Haha very true. All my hiking buddies are hikers, or is it the other way around?

A major reason i'm looking to go back to school to become a school counselor. Can't argue with 14 weeks vacation! Though you gotta like the job too!

[A-Train]

woops. Meant to say all my hiking buddies are TEACHERS

[envirodiver]

Or you can do like Jules in "Pulp Fiction" and just "Walk the Earth"

Yes but he had just gotten off of Brain Detail and he was a bad a*& MF.

I co-led a weekend trip for REI back in the mid 80's. Keeping people of different interests, dispositions, and hiking abilities together was more than I could do and call "fun". Not long after that, I began hiking mainly solo.

I was a scuba diving instructor for several years and experienced the same thing. Unfortunately sometimes when you take something you love to do and turn it into a job, it becomes...well a job. Sort of takes the shine off of it. Also, if you take it seriously the stress level can get pretty high due to the responsibility that you accept.

[budforester]

I did something similar one fall... best job I ever had. Unfortunately, the pay was low, work was hard, there was no insurance, no retirement, no work in the off- season. If there had been a living in it, I might still be there. It would have to be part of some paying enterprise, like a resort or retailer or park, or be secondary to some related money- maker like writing, photography, search and rescue, moonshine still, etc. If you finish the degree, you can throw it away whenever and go hiking but would be harder to go the other direction, returning to the studies later.