Kayak / Tour Guide in Haines, Alaska

Kayak & Canoe Guides’ main responsibility is to carry out the company’s mission of providing clients with a safe, enjoyable, and educational wilderness experience. Haines-based guides will lead clients on their respective tours at Chilkoot Lake (lake-based kayak/canoe) and the Lynn Canal (ocean-based kayaking) site safely and enthusiastically with the ultimate goal of satisfied passengers at the end of each trip.

Description of Guided Programs: Alaska Mountain Guides Adventures offers several Haines based tours to cruise ship guests visiting during the summer season:

• Wilderness Kayak Adventure: This inland (lake-based) kayak tour takes place at the scenic Chilkoot Lake. The lake features multiple salmon spawning beds and is a hotspot for wildlife viewing during mid-summer and early fall trips. Guides will outfit guests with kayaking equipment, including sprayskirts, PFD’s, and paddles. After helping launch guests from our lakeside dock they will escort the group to various highlights along the lake before returning to the dock and helping guests back out of the boats.
• Chilkoot Canoe Wildlife Safari: Launching from the same dock as our kayak tours, this tour takes guests out on the lake in large voyageur canoes powered by a small 4hp motor with the option for guests to paddle portions of the trip.
• Inside Passage Kayaking: Our ocean-based kayak tour launches from a sheltered beachfront close to downtown and the cruise ship dock in Haines. Guests will have around 2 hours of time on the water, following the shoreline south towards a nearby state park where we can stop off and enjoy a short break on shore before paddling back towards town.

General Overview of Tours:

All three tours are 4 hours in duration (from pick up to drop off). Guides may assist in driving & guest transfers or stage at the lake/ocean to meet guests as they arrive by van/bus.

Most guests will be visiting via cruise ship (either docking in Haines directly or transferring via a fast ferry service that runs between the towns). Time management of these tours is critical as we are often aiming to deliver guests back to a departing ferry bound for Skagway.

On any given day we may run 3-4 overlapping trips at a time. In addition to these water-based tours, guides may help facilitate driving shifts or participate in guided hiking, scenic, and wildlife viewing tours.

Essential Job Functions

• Responsible for the safety and satisfaction of passengers throughout the entire duration of the tour.
• Responsible for following a strict daily schedule.
• Responsible for cleanliness and excellent maintenance of gear, trail and staging areas.
• Responsible for communicating all incidents to the Haines office as soon as possible.
• Responsible for communicating all gear and vehicle issues to a manager in the Haines office.
• Must be a good communicator with the willingness to teach and entertain guests.
• Must possess the desire to continually improve your knowledge and skills.
• Must at all times be clean, well-groomed, courteous, honest, and reliable.
• Must possess a positive attitude that is friendly, considerate, strong, and energetic.
• Must be willing to work as a strong team member, assisting in the maintenance of group morale.
• Responsible for entering hours daily in our online timesheet program.
• Kayak & Canoe Guide reports to the Kayak & Canoe site manager and the Haines Program Manager.

Experience Required to Perform Job Requirements

• Prior guiding, leadership, and tourism experience are helpful.
• Must be able to lift up to 60 pounds repeatedly throughout each day.
• Must be able to carry loads over uneven ground.
• Must possess a strong work ethic.• Must be punctual.
• Must be organized.• Must have a great, positive attitude.
• Must be comfortable speaking to large groups of people.
• Must be able to handle multiple, simultaneous groups of guests.
• Must be currently certified in 1st Aid and CPR at minimum (WFR or WEMT preferred).
• Must possess or be willing to acquire Class B Commercial Driver License (CDL).

CDL Driving: (We encourage and will offer assistance in obtaining a CDL license)

• Must have or be willing to obtain (training provided) a valid Class B CDL and contribute to bus driving duties for these and other tours.
• Have and maintain a Class B CDL with Passenger and Airbrakes endorsement.
• Pass FMCSA required pre-employment drug tests & screening.
• Be enrolled in an FMCSA required random drug testing program
• Have and maintain a valid Medical Examiner’s Card.
• Complete AMG Driver training program.