Driver/Guide Experiences
It's a very difficult task to describe the job of driver/guide
in Denali National Park in just a few paragraphs, mainly because it's so
much more than merely a job...
I came to Denali in 1994 with nothing but a curiosity about Alaska and a
desire to make a few bucks; the day I arrived at the park absolutely all
of that changed. The resource is more than amazing. Stunning scenery,
beautiful and abundant wildlife, the highest mountain in North America.
The place is simply one of the most gorgeous on the face of the earth
bar none.
The job that you are applying for is in the
midst of all of this. It is the guide in Denali that has the opportunty
to witness and interpret it all. I always say to my passengers that when
the biologists want to know what's going on in the park, they come to
us. When the rangers want to know what's going on in the park, they come
to us. As a guide in Denali you'll see and learn more about this gem of
a subarctic ecosystem than just about anyone on earth. The position, I
truly believe, is less a job and more of a privilege.
That being said there are also many challenges that the job entails:
- First and foremost are the driving aspects and safety. You will be responsible for transporting up to 50 people over a road that has elicited more than just a few gasps from my passengers over the years. There are extremely high passes, challenging road conditions and tricky weather conditions. All in all the job of driving the park road is one to be taken very seriously.
- The resource demands more than some effort on your part. People come from literally all around the globe to experience and learn about Denali. It is up to the guide to make their time on the trip enjoyable and enlightening. Now this obviously doesn't mean that you are going to show up with an abundant knowlege of the resource, but you will be expected (by management as well as your passengers) to have a handle on the basics, and, most importantly, a sincere desire to learn and grow as a guide.
- People are a BIG part of the job, and they run the gamut believe me. You have to remember that people all have their own agendas and come with their own baggage. As a guide you are required to deal with it all. The good thing about working for the Backcountry Lodge is, I believe, that these particular folks have made an extra effort to see it all. They want to go to the "end of the road", they are prepared, and, generally speaking, 99% delightful (and 1% horrible).
These are the main points to consider, and I'm sure there are
many more. Though the job is much more fun than almost any
other (certainly that I've ever had) there are serious considerations
and serious challenges to it as well.
The real beauty of this job is that each and every day is
completely different: different people, different wildlife sightings,
different weather and light. Will the mountain be out or won't it? I
wonder if they'll be any grizzly bears on Highway Pass today? Are the
wolf pups going to be out at Caribou Creek? It's really a mystery to be
solved, every single day that you do it.
The hours are long, the weather can be terrible, and the
people with their demands and expectations can be a pain. All of this is
certainly true. But if you want to challenge yourself by taking on the
position of guide in Denali? It will change you forever; I have no doubt
about it.
Peter Berman
