Those of the Mountains and Waters

Adirondack Guide Community and Culture

By Luke Ely

It’s no secret that the Adirondack Mountains are home to amazing outdoor recreation opportunities which some would claim as the best in the Northeast. Wild waterways, mountain highs, and lush forest all act as a backyard playground unlike any other. Six million acres of possibilities has lead locals and visitors alike to harbor a desire to explore and adventure the secrets of our beloved landscape, leading some to develop a passion for the Adirondacks that they can’t help but share with others. 

These individuals who live and breathe these mountains go by many names: guides, instructors, outdoor professionals. Simply, they are a large part of the outdoor community in our state and can often be heard as the voice of the hiker, climber and paddler. In a time where the concept of usage within the “blue line” is drastically changing, its critical to understand who the professionals of the Adirondack outdoor industry are and what their communities and culture look like. 

One hundred fifty years ago, around the time where guiding in the Adirondacks started to come into form, the typical clientele for guides were affluent white men who were looking for the best fishing and hunting while summering upstate. Guides at the time mirrored their clientele, being mostly white men, however, more often local to the Adirondacks. The gruff, white mountain man guide archetype of the late 1800s set the concept of what an Adirondack guide would look like and defined the demographics of the outdoor industry in the area. As time has moved forward, the identity and demographics of the Adirondack guide has slightly changed.

To best understand these changes, I’ve been lucky enough to interview 12 guides from the eastern half of the Adirondacks in fields such as climbing, snowsports and whitewater. The interviewees ranged from newer guides to experienced veterans. The following information is based on their information and outlooks.

The typical guide in today’s guiding community is still quite similar to that of the original Adirondack guide: a local, white male. Most of this image has only presented minor change. Talk to any guide in the Adirondacks and they will tell you about how they have worked with at most one person of color during their career. As many of them have said in conversation, “the Adirondacks are just not that diverse,” which is reflected in the guiding community. Almost all guides today are white, with maybe 5% of outdoor professionals identifying as a person of color. Such a low percentage applies to diversity in background as well as almost all guides either originate from the park or have lived in the area for over five years.

 However, alterations to this image have begun to occur; within the past 50 years there has been a noticeable increase in female guides within the region. What was a completely male dominated industry has slowly become more of an 85/15 male to female split within the last couple decades. Furthermore, some locations in the park have seen a split closer to 50/50 with some seasons being female-led. While some consider this shift insignificant, this difference has diversified a field which has traditionally been a boys’ club culture. 

Female guiding has introduced the idea that the work of outdoor professionals is able to successfully be done well by folks who look different than what we have always defined “capable to guide.” Most of the females who are guiding in the Adirondacks do share traits with the dominate male identity, being that they are often white and local. The increased presence of females in the Adirondack outdoor industry has been one of the largest changes to the demographics of the community, as traits like ethnicity and background have stayed similar throughout the years.

These demographic breakdowns are important to understanding the future of guide communities, as well as the future of outdoor recreation in general. The diversity in guiding can influence the diversity in who is recreating outdoors, as the perceived participants often influence newcomers and determine their likelihood of attempting to join a community. In this case outdoor professionals, who in the public eye are the obvious participants in outdoor recreation, can influence the identity of newcomers to outdoor recreation and adventure sports within the Adirondacks. For example, an increase in female professionals may be a sign for other females that the outdoor community is one where females are welcome as they can see a part of themselves represented by said female professionals already in the community. 

With this in mind, it is clear that the demographics of guides could influence the future of how outdoor recreation looks within the blue line, as well as the general demographics of the park. In order to appreciate these changes and similarities in demographics, one must look at the culture that is being formed by outdoor professionals. 

Two aspects of guide culture that have shifted over the years is who is welcome into the guide community and how folks are treated within it. What once was a closed off and exclusive culture has now become a space that invites more inclusion. Guides of different identities have felt welcomed by the modern guide community and gatekeeping efforts have been removed in most places in the Adirondacks. In other words, those who want to become guides are being welcomed by current members of the community and encouraged to join and grow as part of the community.

Moreover, off-color dialogue and toxic interaction has been mitigated by conscientious efforts to create a more professional and positive work environment. Finally, drug abuse, which was a major problem for guides in past years, has started to fade with newer generations of guides. All together, these changes in interactions and behaviors have made the culture more welcoming for newcomers and out groupers (usually young and single persons who rent and share a house or apartment, as at a summer/winter resort), while also making the community more professional and accredited.

A higher level of professionalism has been the largest shift in guide culture in the Adirondacks since its origins in the 19th century. Originally, guides were folks who knew the land better than anyone else and had visited a certain location in the park thousands of times. This made them credible enough to clientele to lead them through the wilderness. While once this was acceptable, guiding today calls for a higher standard level of quality. Certifications, trainings, and even college-level degrees have increased the standard for what it means to be a guide. With higher standards comes a higher level of credibility, and combining these shifts with shifts in behavior has started to give the outdoor community a new found sense of professionalism. What once was thought of a fun hobby is now being recognized as necessary to the economy of the region and a sound career path.

While there has been change in the professional outdoor community in the Adirondacks, there is still plenty more to come. Continued diversification of guides is a focus that can be obtained by the more welcoming and inclusive culture that is being achieved. A continued push towards a more professional guide culture will be successful as more certifications, degrees, and trainings become recognized. The future for outdoor professionals is bright if these changes continue to be welcomed and developed, and with this improved future a hope that more folks are able to join the Adirondack guide community – and share the enjoyment of the mountains and lakes through recreation.

Luke Ely (elyluke101@gmail.com) is an outdoor recreation guide from Queensbury. He is an alumnus of SUNY Adirondack’s Adventure Sports: Leadership & Management Program and a recent graduate of Paul Smith’s College. When not guiding, Luke loves to hike, paddle, and climb the Adirondacks.