"You're Being Such a Passenger"

An ultimate line to behavior check another tour guide is simple: You are acting like such a passenger right now. 

Not intended as meaning curious, spirited or eager; the adjectives you'd think would be associated with passengers who are experiencing the trip of a lifetime. Rather, this line is intended as a verbal slap and is the same as saying "You're being a fucking idiot".


This line wouldn't exist if it wasn't from experiences during the season. I went into this job bright eyed and hopeful that my passengers would be eager young travelers like myself. To be fair, I'd say 90% were and I've made some lifelong friends around the world. However, it's that other 10% that the stories are always about.

If you are preparing to book a tour, whether in the states or abroad. Here are the Top Five Passenger Do Nots.

1) "Why isn't the Wi-Fi working?" - Guess what, your tour leader does not care and finds it insanely petty that you can't be disconnected from the world for a few hours or at most a few days. Turn off the phone and interact with the people or nature around you.

2) During a drive in the middle of the country - "What's that (insert completely random object like fence or post box sign here)?" - Believe it or not, America is HUGE and no tour leader, regardless of how many seasons on the road, is going to know every mile of every road and every fence post on every street corner. If you couldn't answer the question about the middle of nowhere in your own home country, we can't either.

3) Insanely specific questions about things you don't honestly care about - "How deep is this random alpine lake that we stopped at for lunch?" or "How tall is the tallest tree on this hike?". We can see right through your gimmick. We know you don't care and are just testing our knowledge to see if we are capable of answering. Quit being a jerk and save it for when you actually are curious for the answer.

4) Google Fact checking your guide = Not cool. Sure, we all make mistakes. Maybe I said 510 ft and it's actually 520 ft. But guess what, I was close and you get the picture or point. When a passenger uses Google to double check some fun facts I'm spitting out, you're just being a show off that nobody likes. As guides, we are trained and study our asses off but nobody is perfect. Again, you don't actually care about that answer or the specific measurement; you're just being a dick.

5) Thinking that because you have a guide, you don't have to act like a human adult - Yes, you have a tour leader who is supposed to prep you and plan things and make your travel as stress free as possible. However, this is not permission to act like a complete insufficient human being. Pick up the garbage you dropped, leave the area the same if not better than you found it, stop trying to feed a goddamn squirrel after being warned countless times that they are wild animals, and quit complaining about things that can't be changed like the weather or how long the drives are.

As a tour leader, I love my job and find it immensely rewarding. I have the opportunity to do amazing adventures and take people on fantastic itineraries around a truly beautiful and diverse country. Yet the passengers and group members can make or break even the best planned trip and most senior tour leader. Some senior leaders say that one day, I'll quit actually caring about my passengers and their experiences and it'll just be a job. I don't want that day to come. I hope I continue to genuinely care about making a lifetime experience for people. However, as a potential person on one of my future tours, all I can say is; "Don't be such a Passenger" - be a traveler and explore with some intelligence and common sense.

Visual example of an awesome group #CurtisCrew

What is it like to be a guide?

5 months ago, I agreed to pack a bag and travel from my comfortable lakeside home in Washington to the beautiful wine region of Northern California to be trained to become a North American Adventure Guide. As a first time guide, I had no idea what it was that I signed up for. The job description was vague (at best) and even after completing a month long training course, I was still completely clueless. In a nutshell, it seemed that I should only imagine myself in a van with thirteen foreign strangers whom have the independence level of a newborn infant and answering all their naïve questions about why the wi-fi (wee-fee) isn't working while maneuvering and preventing every possible road born death scenario possible. That's pretty much the message I ascertained from training. However, my first season as a guide experienced far different scenarios.

  (My first Northern Cross Country Trip - 1 month, 6,000+ miles)

 Let me start by saying this; guiding is no walk in the park. I know that it may seem like all we do is laugh, drink, meet travelers and have a kick ass time. And sure, that is a good chunk of the day. But the other part of the day is internalizing all our "O shit, I think I'm lost" moments or subsiding our rage when someone says "Sorry, I broke (insert expensive piece of gear here)". The job even goes as low as eating a box of graham crackers in the back seat of the van with the doors locked while crying by oneself because you are out of cell service and you just need one damn normal conversation that isn't about tomorrow's itinerary and that's something no passenger would understand. Being a traveling guide is the most absurd sense of loneliness. You are constantly surrounded by individuals and conversation yet with an endless facade. After countless memorable and beautiful moments shared, these people pay you and disappear from your life and you are left alone yet again for several days in a dingy, ghetto Motel 6 in the butt hole of LA or New York or Las Vegas before beginning the process with new strange faces all over again.

Don't I make this job sound so appealing?

However, at the end of even the roughest day, this is still the BEST job I've ever had.

Imagine waking up along a lake in beautiful West Yellowstone. Your passengers are still sleeping. You fire up that propane and the smell of coffee begins to fill the air. Since it's the Northwest, you bust out the Huckleberry Syrup you secretly bought during the groups free time yesterday. The sun is slowly breaking over the mountain range in the distance and the campground has a soft yellow glow. Sizzling flapjacks are on the skillet and the group is starting to crawl out of their tents as the baked breakfast aroma mingles with the scent of fresh pine. Then, as the weary eyed travelers begin gathering around the table, everyone freezes.... Only feet away, traversing through the tents like a dazed passengers, is a male bison. Passing your group as if a stalk of trees, the bison wanders off into the forest just as the first batch of pancakes is ready to be served. "Good fucking morning, y'all"is the Australian's comment, and all you can think is "yea, good fucking morning".

That is one the the many stories from this season that makes me love my job.

Now this season as given me a lot, but is has also completely deprived me of any free time. Therefore, I am planning on committing the next few weeks to retelling some of my favorite experiences and stories from this season as a guide. Hopefully, you find them as amusing or intriguing as I have. If not, I'll reread these anecdotes before hitting the road next season and hopefully I'll make my future self chuckle (Hi future self!).

Class is Out

Reflecting on the last five days creates a unique paradigm wherein the week is lost in translation. Through travel, I’ve come to the conclusion that time is measured in personal growth instead of minutes to the hour. Therefore, since Monday it’s been light-years.  To be frank; training week was nonstop. The amount of information crammed into five days was more than studying for most entry-level college exams. Learning did not stop once the conference door swung home, rather the whole week experience has been learning and preparing for future endeavors. Better to provide too much information when training a guide rather than not enough.

A surprise factor to the introductory guide life was how well the group is meshing. Twenty strangers from across the country, ranging in ages 22-38, both inexperienced and experienced are all dropped into a training camp sight for an indefinite period of time – sounds like a reality TV show, right? Wrong.

Not a single moment of fighting, bickering, under the breath talking or any alternative sense of the word “drama” has occurred. Nights and days breeze by as individuals’ float amongst one another to find commonalities, seek stories to exchange and offer ideas and advice. Some nights are filled with s’mores and ghost talks, while others are investigating a campsite break-in (a story in itself). Morning starts around 6am; group members gather around the breakfast pit to whiff the aroma of coffee and exchange slight profanity over the bitter cold of the campsite. Once caffeine kicks the personality awake, we are driving our van caravan through winding redwood roads and passing Sonoma wine country vineyards while exchanging musical tastes and singing along to the words we know. My personal favorite moment of these drives was the daylight. Driving through rolling hills cradling a lingering mist as day breaks through scattered trees in an attempt to possess a new day and clear away the persistent shadows from an envious night. A true Golden Hour to filter these pristine memories of guide training.

Yesterday was day 5 of training the final day of in-class learning for two weeks. The crews packed up the trailers and were given the itinerary for the “Training Trip”. I’d like to keep some mystery as to the experiences we are about to have, but I’ll let you know this; it’s going to be incredible! After laundry and a pizza party (at the laundry mat, of course) the group called it an early night in preparation for today. I’m finally sitting ALONE at a coffee shop, catching up on writing and letting my notes and lessons sink in from the last few days. We’ve been unleashed upon the city of San Francisco and have this free day to do as we wish. Although running through the redwoods for sunsets helped; some personal time in my own mind has been greatly needed.

Tonight is an exciting activity that the company was generous enough to organize for the group. We are scheduled the take a sunset sailboat tour through the Bay of San Francisco provided from one of the company’s partnered with TrekAmerica and Intrepid Tours. I’ve never sailed and I can’t wait to experience it for the first time! And then tomorrow, our two week training trip begins……

To Guide or Not to Guide?

The chaos has begun and one could safely say; We have no idea what we are doing. That's right. The future guides who will be teaching the ways of the American world and educating international visitors on this lands culture, history and lifestyle have absolutely NO idea what we are doing. Yet want to know what's great? We are passionate to learn.

On only the completion now of Day Two, I can safely say that through the exhausting schedule and constant information bombardment, the fire to learn is only fueled more. The group of recruited guides has a plethora of experiences, strengths, backgrounds and inspirations. Ranging from an backpacking German who hasn't established "home" in 10-years to a young girl from Boston who has never backpacked before in her life; These future American Guides have the commonality of a thirst for adventure.

I had hesitations and fears when agreeing to being an Adventure Tour Guide. The thought of being solely responsible for a group of international citizens is still a daunting task. Additionally, the knowledge required to be a memorable is successful guide has required more homework and research than (frankly) most my college courses.

Joy comes from the realization that regardless of the fear of a new challenge and unknown tasks that may arise, the rewards are far greater. When envisioning cooking breakfast over a campfire within the valley of Yosemite as my sleepy eyed group stumbles out of tents or explaining the definition of a "two-step" while chowing down at a loud country BBQ in Texas - there is going to be no greater job in the world.

So far, the longest time I've had to myself has been the 5min walk from our training base camp to the conference center to learn logistic materials. Therefore, blogging and keeping updated will be a task. However, it is my goal to document the thoughts, fears, confrontations, joys, challenges, rewards and joy I experience as a first year guide with PEAK Adventures. Not only to serve as a resource and personal success (or possibly failure) story for others interested in entering into the same career path, but also for myself as a personal escape and recant of my day and adventures.

On that note, exciting news of the day: I've received my first clothing sponsorship! Bombsheller is a "bomb" legging company based out of Seattle that my sister and climbing friends told me about. Needless to say, these tights are dope and I was able to sweet talk my way into swag.

Check out the sight if you want some outlandishly awesome tights for yoga, climbing, chilling or whatever. Us my code to get a discount even (#jackpot)

Discount code: TrekkingWithBrooke

http://shop.bombsheller.com/landing 

Enjoy shopping and I'll check in at the end of the week! Fun hint; We have a group activity to check out a vendor this Saturday in San Francisco!!

Sykes Hot Springs and San Francisco China Town

Another day, another adventure completed. Though my geographic location is not as exotic as Nepal or Bali, the outstanding options for outdoor exploration is not shortened. Sykes Hot Springs is a gorgeous trail loop through Pfeiffer National Forest in Big Sur, California. Hiking into the springs has an arguable distance. Some have said it to be 10-miles oneway, others say it is closer to 12miles. Regardless, endurance is recommended as the trail traverses hillsides and has an unwavering up and down battle.

If one is capable, I recommend bringing gear and food to stay the night at the hot springs. Although the trail passes through other camp options, staying at the springs themselves is a magical and rewarding option. There are nearly a dozen sites along the river and within close proximity to the lower spring.

My adventure partner, Kevin, and I spent majority of our time in the upper spring. Sipping our backpacking beer and wine while talking and smelling the delicious sulfur. A friendly gentleman who claims to be an avid swimmer felt the temperature and guest the spring to be at roughly 95degrees - comfortable to soothe our tired legs!

In total, hiking in took close to 5 hours with a 30-minute lunch break. Hiking out took closer to 4 hours with only a 15 minute break. We did this trip in early March and did get rain in the evening, as well as for 2 hrs during the hike out. Coming in during a Friday was perfect because we were virtual alone except for one other group of 3 guys and the occasional day hiker. However, when leaving on Saturday, close to 20 other people were trekking in for an overnight trip so beware of your chosen day!

After the trek, Kevin and I indulged in delicious sandwiches and alcoholic coffee drinks at Nepenthe along the Highway 1 coast in Big Sur.

The next day, we drove from San Jose up the Highway 1 coast again at a leisurely rate. Stopping along the way to walk along the California cliff sides and taking in the breathtaking views. The most entertaining sight was watching a small sea lion swim onto the beach. Kevin and I hide behind rocks like stealthy ninja's to sneak up close pictures of the now name seal; Ned.

"Turning water into something drinkable" was the slogan for Highway 1's brewery where we stopped for some live music, beer sampling and a game of chess. The crabby patty sandwich was heavenly and especially paired with the Curious George Banana Stout - Mmmmmm!

Once in San Francisco, the days truly flew by. I had been invited to attend a hiring event to become an Adventure Tour Guide for the summer season while Kevin meandered to a gaming convention. Afterwards, we walked through downtown San Francisco and particularly explored Chinatown. We had found Tin How Temple, however it close at 4pm and when we arrived at 3:45pm.. the doors were already locked.

Therefore, we switched our hunt to finding the original fortune cookie which is where the now traditional treat was first invented! Afterwards, we met with the other potential future guides and indulged in a few beers at the Monarch (a trendy bar showing old black and white silent films and offering a free Photo Booth). To end the night, we indulged in some delicious Totcho's (Tater tot nacho's) while failing epically at a round of bar trivia.

All in all, another great trip. Keep your fingers crossed for me and this guide position! If I get it, I will soon be adventuring around America and then the real blogs and photo fun will begin! Muwahahah

Trekking Solo in the Himalaya's

“The trip was to be an odyssey in the fullest sense of the word, an epic journey that would change everything. He had spent the previous four years, as he saw it, preparing to fulfill an absurd and onerous duty: to graduate from college. At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence.”

JOHN KRAKAUER

INTO THE WILD

Family and friends knew I was trekking in Nepal for a few weeks, however the detail of doing it alone was purposefully omitted beforehand. Following a five-month experience through Thailand and Bali, I concluded that solo trekking in Nepal was a cultural threshold to challenge and measure my traveling abilities. I am a 22-year-old, recent college graduate from Washington. A blonde female with a friendly personality; people often worry I am a recipe for foreign disaster. However, the world is not a scary place. Should one be brave enough to plunge out of the comfort zone of western lavishes; a world of nature, culture, food, people, laughter, smiles, tears, sweat, beauty and life…awaits.   

I understand the anticipation and nervousness before leaving for Nepal to trek. Researching beforehand results in limitless companies offering guided services, porters, full-blown itineraries and more. Independent traveler bloggers are also in the mix of Google findings, urgently advising to wait until arriving before booking anything. My experience coincides with the latter.

The result? I completed a 15-day unguided and unassisted trek through the Nepali Himalaya Everest Region for roughly half the cost and double the experience of online offered services.

My journey started in Katmandu, where within 10-minutes of arriving Alobar100 hostel, a plethora of eager trekkers existed to make friends and persuade a spontaneous adventure.  Tyler the Canadian was my first encounter and immediate trekking friend. Himself and another Canadian named Sean, whom he’d also met at the hostel, unfolded to me their plan. Bypassing the expensive 45-minute flight to Lukla, an option that every tourist does, and alternatively begin trekking in a small village named Jiri.  Ultimately, Jiri would add between six to seven days of walking before reaching the Lukla starting point. The reward would be extra physical conditioning before the main trails, gradual increase into altitude to alleviate time and severity of acclimatization, as well as a “trail less traveled” experience of authentic culture and untainted scenery. With little additional questions, I signed on board and we planned to leave the next morning.

The number one lesson I’ve learned from traveling, and specifically while traveling in Southern Asia, is simple: Time is not concrete. As a westerner, I am often inherently drawn towards deadlines. Asking questions such as how long a journey will take, at what time it begins, when to expect it to end, and so on. Nepal, like other Asian countries, is not so concerned about timelines and other such unnecessary specifications.  My experience of a jeep ride from Kathmandu to Jiri is the prime example. Originally informed the drive would take 5hrs, our group arrived a mere 12hrs later. In defense, a landslide had occurred which blocked the main road. Therefore, the drive undertook back roads of wet mud, steep hills and unpaved highways. On multiple occasions, my two comrades and myself were ordered to evacuate the vehicle into shin-high mud and begin pushing our “jeep” (miniature van with donut wheels is more accurate) up slick hillsides and to walk up ourselves, reentering the vehicle at the top. Regardless of the days eventfulness and the hour of arrival, we were in Jiri as planned.

A hostel worker had warned us that the first day of the Jiri trek would be the most challenging, yet also shortest. Therefore, the next morning our group awoke with a vigorous excitement and determination to work hard and enjoy every drop of sweat earned. However, a few days into the trek, we came to the conclusion that the worker may have mistranslated. The first day of the trek was not the hardest; rather the entire week trek from Jiri to Lukla would be the most physically, emotionally and mentally challenging days of the 15-20 day itinerary we’d planned. Endlessly relentless valleys encumbered by boulder steps and unmarked yak trails blended the days together. Monotonous climbing of mountains to descend down into valleys to sleep, awake, and climb back out and descend again into the next. Average days consisted of 7hrs of trekking, while some longer days passed 9hrs. Additionally, the route traversed through rainforest scenery. With the end of monsoon season approaching, we were caught amongst rainstorms that turned trails into muddy rivers and steps into chocolate waterfalls. The overall image reminded me of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory, but substitute the Oomba-Loompa’s with blood sucking leeches. Within the first few days, all clothes were drenched from rain, sweat or blood. Conversations about hygienic conditions were outlawed amongst the group, as the acceptance of our less than pleasant conditions was inevitable.

Although the drudgery might deter some travelers, the remunerations were far greater. Nepali locals greeted us with open arms and genuine smiles. Every pass was an exchange of Namaste and joyful intrigue. On several occasions, our group was informed that we were the first western visitors in several months. Bottomless Dal Baht, cultural knowledge galore and vast, unaltered nature filled our days. Along the trail, throughout the entire week, I met six other trekkers (whom we inevitably became friends with). There were three groups of three and it became a miniature race of one passing the other and all virtually ending at similar locations and exchange experiences from the day.

My last six days were spent alone. I departed my friends in Namche and went my own to Gokyo. Resulting from the incredible endurance gained after the Jiri trek, I reached the famous lakeside town in only two days. Misty mountain clouds engulfed the valley when I arrived so that all my eyes could see was eerie prayer stones and cobbled shorelines. Exhausted, I retired for the evening immediately upon being situated. The next morning unveiled my reward. Ice blue pristine lakes with cascading mountains reflected like a mirrors to bewilder the eyes, yaks roaming through fields while collared bells chime the mountain culture songs and Gokyo Ri Peak watching over the glacier valley like a protective entity. All the stress before arriving, sweat from trekking, pain from exhaustion was gone. Moments like this are the sorts of dreams. Moments like this are the reason we travel. Moments like this are the reason I live.  

Though I don't normally include trip specifics (as far as money spent), I think this is useful information for anyone wanting to trek alone like me. Below is the cost breakdown and specifications of my trek. 

Jiri to Gokyo Trekking Destinations and Times:

DAY TWO

Jiri to Shivalya

4hrs. Trekking

DAY THREE

Shivalya to Kenja

9.5hrs. Trekking

DAY FOUR

Kenja to Himalayan Lodge (just below)

7hrs. Trekking

DAY FIVE

Himalayan Lodge to Renja

9.5rs. Trekking (I got lost)

DAY SIX

Renja to Kharikhola

5.5hrs. Trekking

DAY SEVEN

Kharikhola to Surke

6hrs. Trekking

DAY EIGHT

Surke to Monjo

5.5hrs. Trekking

DAY NINE

Monjo to Namche

2.15hrs. Trekking

DAY TEN

Namche Rest Day

DAY ELEVEN

Namche to Dole

4.5hrs Trekking

DAY TWELVE

Dole to Gokyo

4.5hrs. Trekking

DAY THIRTEEN

Gokyo to Gokyo Ri Peak

5hrs. Roundtrip

DAY FOURTEEN

Gokyo to Namche

8hrs. Trekking

DAY FIFTEEN

Namche to Lukla

6hrs. Trekking

DAY SIXTEEN

Lukla to Kathmandu

45min Flight

Jiri to Gokyo Cost Breakdown:

·      TIMS Hiking Permit = $20

·      Hiking Permit #1 = $20 (only required if not flying into Lukla)

·      Hiking Permit #2 = $30

·      Jeep Transport to Jiri = $70 (landslide detour resulted in extra cost)

·      Gear and Clothes Shopping = $175

·      Storage in Kathmandu = $5 (18 days)

·      Flight Lukla to Kathmandu = $165 (one-way)

·      3 weeks “Adventure” Insurance = $130

·      30-day Nepal Visa on Arrival = $40

·      Jiri to Namche Food and Accomdation = $150

·      Namche to Gokyo to Lukla = $160

J

Any further questions? I am happy to help.

My Inner Goddessssss

Reaching the end of three weeks spent not only in Bali yet specifically within Ubud is quite a mental shock. Time seemed unable to touch our days here as we passed through life balancing yoga class and massage time or smoothies and a good spiritual chat. Yet, somehow, our escape has been thwarted. Today served as the first farewell for one of the dear friends I made here in Ubud. With his absence, the brutal reminder that we are all leaving soon became apparent. After traveling out of a backpack for several months, having a place and experience like Bali can be addictive. Trading dorm rooms and late night weekend travelers for monthly priced villas and lasting friendships can be an enticing upgrade. However, true to traveler nature, the comfort becomes uncomfortable. My familiarity with Ubud is strong and I feel very much at home here. The culture, the people, the food, my friends; All of it reminds me of my university town and elsewhere that I’ve lived. Sure, these last three weeks have been a highlight of my travel days. Nonetheless, I must throw myself back into uncertainty and the unknown.

With that acceptance, I do find myself already observing my days and the hustle of Ubud with an air of nostalgia. As if I’m already not present and am recalling a memory. A great many things can be classified as being only Ubud or an “Ubudian” culture. Hearing conversations about “My inner Goddess was finally released” or “I just need to recognize my Divine self” from the table next to me during lunch will of course be missed. Healers, Chakra alignments, past life regressions and various meditation techniques (included being cleansed by an aqua goddess… aka having water splashed on you while sleeping) are all stories and unique experiences that have been invigorating and sometimes humorous to listen to.

Outside of the yogi culture of Ubud, Bali’s true heartbeat is one of beauty and hospitality. A daytrip to Lake Batur resulted in Lilah and I meeting all sorts of locals. Some were spending the Sunday having a family picnic while another group was the staff of a gay bar that wants us to come bartend for a night; All so friendly, curious, welcoming and genuine. Even while walking around a small fishing village, the people were so curious by us (as this was not a tourist area) that they began walking around behind us and following. Eventually, the father asked if we’d like to kayak on the lake. Soon, Lilah and I were each in our own small wooden boats with the men of the village paddling us around their fishing area. The grandfather sang Indonesia’s National Anthem and the whole family made our day one of the best yet.

The list of beautiful experiences I’ve had in Bali is truly limitless. I am thankful for all the wonderful people, sights, culture, food and knowledge that I’ve been fortunate enough to have in my life over these last few weeks. With one week left, I plan to reflect and absorb as much more as I can. Always retaining the intention of one day returning to this Indonesian Eden. Although Thailand is labeled the Land of Smiles, I think Bali is a better contestant for that crown.