Employment
HELP WANTED: Horse wranglers, hunting guides, packers, cook--Summer/Fall 2006
OutWest Guides in Marble, Colorado, will employ 3-4 qualified horse wranglers and hunting and fishing guides, as well as one nanny/wrangler, for the upcoming 2006 summer and fall seasons. We look for neat, clean, professional people who take pride in their hard work. Employment preference is given to non-smoking applicants with experience in horse packing, elk and deer hunting, flyfishing, and horseshoeing. The season runs from May 15 through November 15. Doris is Swiss and speaks German with the children, two boys, ages 10 and 12.
We put over 1,250 people on horseback last summer, ranging from one-hour meadow rides to 5-day overnight pack trips. We also guided 50-60 half-day and full-day flyfishing trips, as well as over 50 elk hunters on average 7-day excursions. We’re also the only outfitter in Colorado to offer blue grouse hunts. We're busy!
The job descriptions at OutWest Guides are very diverse. We need people who are open-minded and flexible, who have a cheerful disposition and a strong customer service ethic. We’re willing to train bright young people who have an honest desire to learn about the mountains, horses, hunting, fishing, dogs, birds, kids, wildflowers, and all the things that make Marble, Colorado, a special place. Typical jobs may include guiding horseback rides and wilderness pack trips, cooking for a group in the high country, setting up camps, guiding elk and deer hunters, training young horses, and guiding flyfishing trips and blue grouse hunts. Of course, there is a good amount of general ranch work, such as building fence, irrigating, cutting firewood, cleaning stables, repairing saddles, clearing trails, making beds in the lodge, and bucking hay bales. It’s all part of the job.
If you’re a grumpy person who likes to be alone, if you’re a smoker, if you’re significantly overweight, and you like to cause tension and discord among the rest of the staff, look elsewhere. We’ve always said that we’d rather take a bright young person with a college education, a strong physique, and a happy smile and teach him or her our business, than to hire one of the experienced old grouches out of the bar so he can blow whisky breath and cigarette smoke on our clients and talk about his divorce all day.
We're close to the Aspen area, so our pricing is higher and therefore our tips are higher than most places. During the summer, it's not uncommon to make $80 a day in tips, though you can also make $20 on a slow day. $40 a day is about average. We start our staff at $1,500 a month plus housing. That includes a $1,200 monthly salary with a $300 monthly bonus for finishing out the season. Highly qualified applicants may receive higher compensation.
During the hunting season, our tips have been outstanding. Good guides can make tips of over $1,000 each for a week of guiding and wrangling during elk season. Tips average at least $500 a week. Most of our staff members have been able to save several thousand dollars over the course of a summer/fall season.
Our housing is very good--we have a 1,400 square foot apartment downstairs in our lodge with a small kitchen, bath, living room, storage, etc. It's very comfortable for 3-4 people.
We're very proud of our horses. Most of our riding stock is registered stock, including Arabians, Missouri foxtrotters, Tennessee walkers, quarter horses, and paints. In particular, we have several young horses and ponies that we’ll be training for English hunter/jumper events. A young horsewoman with knowledge in English riding would be welcome on our staff.
We do not discriminate in our hiring choices. OutWest Guides is an equal opportunity employer. By necessity, however, our employees must be physically fit and able to quickly mount and dismount a horse and perform jobs that require physical strength.
The scenery here is outstanding. We're surrounded by the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness on one side and the Raggeds Wilderness on the other.
We value the following skills:
Horsemanship—English and Western
Foreign languages
People skills!
Child Care
Horse packing
Fly Fishing
Elk hunting—bugling, calling, packing
Mule deer hunting
Driving a truck and trailer
Horseshoeing
Knowledge of power tools—chain saw, power drills, generators, etc.
Knowledge of hand tools—axe, hammer, saw, etc.
Knowledge of driving and operating a farm tractor
Cooking
Irrigation and haying
This is an excellent place to work—great housing, beautiful environment, outstanding horses, and excellent compensation. Check out our website at www.outwestguides.net or email us at info@outwestguides.com. (970) 963 4688. |
