Checked Off!

It is now official. I am an Alaskan Glacier Guide. Jeff gave me the green light two days ago and I am leading treks on my own. It feels great to spread my wings a little and have more responsibility. This is just in the nick of time. Business is starting to pick up and I am leading an average of two trips a day. Combining this experience with the last month, I have decided that guiding is in fact glorified babysitting. Except the children are much older, fatter and don't listen as well. The good news is, like children, they are generally a lot of fun and really funny.

The check off involved a trip with Jeff observing me interacting with my clients. The most important thing to keep in mind is the safety of my group. Since nothing that we do is actually safe, risk management becomes extremely important. For example, if there is a dodgy river that needs crossing, I need to be able to spot the clients in a way that would hopefully prevent them from falling into the river. Needless to say, I rocked it. Flawless. So the next task was to go on an exploratory trek on the glacier. We went onto a crevasse that was about 300 feet high and hiked into a dead vent or moulin.

All and all, life is sweet. Mandy and I are looking for ways to get to Seattle. I still have no idea what I'm gonna do!!! I love being a guide.