Night and day the river flows. If time is the mind of space, the River is the soul of the desert. Brave boatmen come, they go, they die, thevoyage flows on forever. We are all canyoneers. We are all passengers on this little mossy ship, this delicate dory sailing round the sun that humans call the earth. Joy, shipmates, joy.
— (Edward Abbey, The Hidden Canyon — A River Journey)
About The Job:
The job is a combination of sales and vacation planning, logistics (especially from April to August), and staff coordination. Our office and trip sales people convey the quality, heart, and accessibility of our trips; help people get from wherever they live to where the guides pick them up; make sure that all the venders that help with our trips are on the same page; and help to refine our systems every year as we evolve and grow. The position requires good organizational skills, being extremely detail oriented, the ability to self-manage, and someone who truly likes people. From October to March (the off-season for trips) there is also a fair amount of networking and marketing. We are a small company so many times you are working alone, you need to be good at self-managing, and you need to be willing to jump into random jobs and projects as needs arrive.
The Season:
April – September: The spring and summer season is fast-paced with more scheduled hours. The typical spring and summer day includes:
– Returning emails and answering phone calls from guests about new reservations and trip and vacation planning (this is a big portion of the day).
– Following up with past guest inquires.
– Getting info from guests that the guides need to run quality trips
– Coordinating with the shuttle companies and other vendors that help make our trips run smoothly.
– Reminding staff of their upcoming trips.
October – March: The fall/winter months are slower-paced, more project based, and the hours are more flexible. The typical winter days include:
– Returning emails and answering phone calls from guests about new reservations and trip and vacation planning (this is a big portion of the day).
– Marketing and networking (group outreach, social media, etc).
– Permit administration (working with the BLM and Forest Service on our many permits)
– A wide variety of winter projects.
General Schedule:
(this is a seasonal business so hours can be longer on busy summer and winter days):
– April 1st – June: Wed – Sat 10:5:30
– June 16 – Labor Day: Every other Thur 8 to 5:30, Fri-Sat 8-5:30 Sun 12-5:30, Mon 8-5:30
– After Labor Day – March: Wed – Sat 10:5:30
– Normal winter holidays. However Summer holidays like the 4th of July are work days depending on what day they fall on.
– 4 to 6 weeks a year with slightly expanded hours when covering vacation for other office staff.
– 6 weeks paid vacations (only 1 week between April and August 15th).
What we are looking for in our staff:
Most importantly we are looking for positive and friendly individuals who truly like people – This is always number one with us. Ultimately we are in the service industry and truly understanding and enjoying people (even the more difficult ones) and truly being empathetic is very important. We are also looking for people who are hardworking, eager to learn about guided river trips and the travel industry, eager and willing to do a wide variety of jobs (not all of them glamorous:)), and who love planning peoples vacations. If you are missing some skills yet are willing to learn and are positive and passionate we would love to work with you. People can learn almost anything if they want to – having the right attitude, being positive, and having an open mind, is the most important part.
Skills and characteristics for the position:
– Truly Positive People – People who are warm and friendly and who possess compassion, patience, and a positive and constructive sense of humor in the face of obstacles.
– People who truly like people – who strive to always find a way to connect with each and every guest and appreciate each person for who they are. Someone who is comfortable carrying on conversations with individuals from all walks of life (but in this job someone who is also ok working alone).
– People with strong social awareness – people who understand the effects they are having on the people around them – guests and coworkers – and can read social cues and people’s moods and adapt to those challenges naturally and easily.
– Resourceful People – People who are good at solving challenging problems and thinking on their feet while at the same time working within the structure of a system. Most importantly people who are good at anticipating problems before they happen – whenever possible being pro-active instead of re-active.
– Hardworking
– Professional
– Organized
– Very Detail Oriented but also understanding the Big Picture – People who can stay focused on details while never losing sight of the big picture and the feeling and experience we are trying to convey.
– People who work well on their own – “self manage” – but also can work as part of a team
– Ok with fast pace and changing logistics
– People who love the idea of planning peoples vacations (including difficult and ‘particular’ people’s vacations)
– Strong writing skills
– Strong computer skills
– Is active on social media and understands its ins and outs
– Likes the outdoors
– It also helps to know the Southern Oregon area (but that can be learned)
About Momentum:
“Unrivaled as a Commercial Rafting Company… what just might be the best commercial rafting company in North America. The trips are spectacular beyond description, the guides are the best of the best, the food is incomparable, and the customers are treated like royalty.”
– Paul – 5 time guest and river junkie
We are a small guide owned and operated company that runs mostly small personal trips. It is our goal to “re-invent” the way river trips are run. To set the standard for guest service, trip quality, risk management, and the overall river experience. The trips we offer are incredibly varied; from class V to class III, from lush Pacific Northwest settings to high desert environments, from narrow granite canyons to volcanic basalt towers, from youth trips where we are all cooking together to luxury camping trips with walk-in tents and tables under the stars, and from 1/2 day trips to 12-day wilderness adventures. The spring consists of a mix of Class V through III and inflatable kayaking and the summer is a mix of class IV+, III, and inflatable kayaking. Many of our rivers tend to be rarely run and off the beaten path and we love running custom trips with varied itineraries.
Momentum Mission:
To create world-class river experiences that are consistently among the best run river trips anywhere. And to protect our wild places by emotionally connecting our guests to the rivers that we love and call home
The following is from our website:
Welcome To Our World!
Enjoy it in small groups, with unparalleled personal service, and with guides who have a passion for guiding.
We offer world-class rafting and adventure travel trips to select destinations abroad & in Northern California, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. The areas are playgrounds of natural wonders, rich with cultural events, and overflowing with amazing whitewater and wilderness.
Guide-owned & operated we are a small company, allowing us to focus our energy, resources, and passion for guiding into every trip we run. Our trips are small with unparalleled personal service and a handcrafted quality and attention to detail. They are led by some of the finest guides anywhere – guides who have run some of the most difficult and beautiful rivers in the world, who love to share these places with others, and who are friendly and warm-hearted.
Momentum started with a van, two rafts, more rivers than guests, and a desire to “re-invent” the way rafting trips are run. Now we are honored to offer trips on all of the region’s most spectacular rivers – and with this region that says a lot. Although our trips and our company are still small, the richness and diversity of this area allows us to offer river adventures with a quality and a variety that is rivaled by few.
Our adventures range from mild to heart-pounding; from “wow, I can’t believe we just did that” rapids to jaw dropping beauty that can be enjoyed by three generations of family and friends; from day trips near our home in Ashland Oregon to 12-day wilderness journeys. And they can be done with our comfortable and innovative wilderness camping, lodges, or our unique and award-winning ‘safari-style’ luxury camping. All of our trips are a mix of service, relaxation, excitement, and wild beauty – a chance to step out of civilization for a short time and step into a more simple and uncomplicated life.
While we do run some of the biggest rivers anywhere and visit some of the worlds most wild places; for most of our trips you do not need to be an experienced adventurer, an athlete, or even to have ever touched a paddle or spent a night under the stars. Our trips are designed for those who like or want to be introduced to the outdoors and our goal is to make these places we love accessible to everyone. So, whether you’re a first-time paddler or a seasoned traveler, join us for an adventure like no other.
Pete Wallstrom & the Staff of
Momentum River Expeditions
Working For Us:
We are a little different:
We do some things a little different than many river and outdoor adventure companies. We believe that some in the outdoor industry have gotten a little lost. That they have forgotten what it truly means to be a guide and an outfitter and what it truly means to run a good trip. That they have forgotten that providing a truly amazing experience to guests is what will do the most towards protecting all these wild rivers and places that we love. That they have stopped improving the craft of guiding and adventure travel, have gotten stale, and in some cases very negative.
Because of this we sometimes challenge the “this is the way it has always been done” attitude and we always put the guest experience first. At our core we are extremely guest oriented. Most of our guests return year after year and some become friends off the river. You can read some of our guest testimonials here.
“ You run the best business and hire the best people I have ever been with on the river. Runner up isn’t even close… Great entrepreneurship, customer service, and execution skills are rare, but you have them all going on inside the same shop. ”
Our different Rivers and Trips:
We run a huge variety of rivers and trips for such a small company. This is especially true during the spring. There may not be another company in the U.S. that has a busier or more diverse spring season. All the rivers we advertise we actually run. We run more trips on rivers such as the Cal Salmon and the Illinois then all other outfitters combined. Many times we are as busy in May as we are in July.
We also run a lot of rivers that have temperamental flows, weather, and access. Last minute logistical changes and river changes happen and need to be dealt with as seamlessly as possible and with a ton of positive energy. Because of this we need dynamic people who can deal with last minute change.
Momentum and our environment:
“We acknowledge that the wild world we love best is disappearing. That is why those of us who work here share a strong commitment to protecting undomesticated lands and waters. We believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.”
– Patagonia
We love and rely on the natural environment and are deeply and actively committed to its protection. Our river trips feature organic meals, wonderful guides, and are a great way to support and become immersed in these wild places. We are strong believers in the models set by companies such as Patagonia and believe business can inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.
However the biggest thing we believe we can do is share these rivers. We believe in environmental stewardship through advocacy by experience. We believe that we can protect the places we love – by sharing them…
The idea of keeping places you find a complete secret can be short-sighted and a little elitist. Eventually the fate of those places will depend how many people know and love them. The more people who experience our rivers, who fall in love with them, who are shown them by a passionate guide – the more people will think about rivers when they go to vote. There is, of course, a limit to the number of people who can experience a place at one time without damaging both the place and the wilderness feel.
Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss.
— (David Bolling, How to Save a River: Handbook for Citizen Action)
Whew!:
That was a lot, but we want to make sure that Momentum is a good fit. As mentioned, we have an extremely high return rate among staff (almost nobody ever completely leaves :)) – it is like family. Once again we urge you to check out our website including the About Momentum Page and the Why Momentum page.
To Apply:
Please email the following to pete@momentumriverexpeditions.com:
(please do not call – we will not hire from calls).
– Current resume:
Your resume should include the last 3 places you have worked and references.
– A list of all your computer skills and programs used.
– Two writing examples:
1. Momentum is introducing a new trip (for this application at least:))! We are going to start doing 6 day River trips to the Selway River in Idaho. Please write a sample 2 to 3 paragraph website introduction to the trip in the style of Momentum. You can use the first pages of trips on our website such as the Idaho Salmon (http://www.momentumriverexpeditions.com/trip/salmon-river-rafting/) or the Upper Klamath Safari (http://www.momentumriverexpeditions.com/trip/upper-klamath-rafting-safari/) as models.
2. A family of 7 has emailed us for a river trip and is trying to decide between two rivers and between Momentum and another company. Using our website as a reference write a response. Here is the email:
Hello,
We are a family of 7 (2 parents and 3 youngsters of 10, 16 and 18, and my 70+ year old parents) and are interested in taking a river trip. We are not sure if it is possible to find a trip that would work for the whole family, but, looking at your website, we were interested in maybe the Rogue or the Idaho Salmon?
What is the difference between those trips? Do you think one would work for us?
Also, we like the look of Momentum, but a friend recommended another company that is a little less expensive. What makes you guys different?
Cheers,
Jen
We are looking to hire someone within the next few weeks. Once again, please do not call, email us your resume and any other information.
Thanks so much and looking forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Pete Wallstrom
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.”
– Winnie the Poo