If I asked you if your employer would make it onto a list of the best places to work, would you say yes? If I asked you to describe what makes it so great what would you say? “We get 10% off all merchandise, staff happiness days and 2 weeks paid vacation!”  Now I am not trying to brag or boast (well maybe a little bit), but I DO work for a company that would make it onto that list.  Wilderness Adventure was chosen this year for Outside Magazine’s Top 50 Places to Work, which is a nationwide competition.
When I first saw the contest for the best places to work for 2010, I knew I had to nominate Wilderness Adventure.  In the last 3 years I have been lucky enough to be a year round member of this organization.  I have worked my way up from a group leader, to a director.  In that time I have been able to accomplish many dreams, and do things that I never thought I would be able to do.  As I started the application process all kinds of memories flashed through my mind.  Things I had done and things I wanted to let Outside Magazine know about this place, and why I love it so much.  I thought to all the mountain bike rides, staff happiness days doing the broathalon or at the safari park.  So, I wrote a list and prepared my thoughts. I selected the proper check boxes and finished the online application.  To my surprise there was no section for me to complete personally. When I selected submit I got another message that said the staff would be notified with an email and a pass code to access the online survey. What? Everyone had to take a survey? Well this was not part of the plan at all! Not that I thought that they would not give this place the highest marks they could. But this place had given me so much, would they look at Wilderness as just another job?

Flash forward…after 4 tense weeks of waiting and corresponding with the Outside Magazine rep Megan.  I stopped at my Mailbox like everyday to pick up my “Bills”.   Inside the box was the usual, Bills, more bills, and then letters telling me how if I sign up for the Visa/amex mega gold platinum super card , the world would be mine with just a swipe. Under all that in an unassuming white envelope was a letter from outside Magazine and the Best Company’s Group. I rip the letter open and wow…….we made it!  We’re above well known companies like NOLS, Patagonia, KEEN, Timberland and about 21 others.  Now I know how the rest of the Wilderness Adventure staff feels about where they work. Thinking back there should not have been any doubt in my mind. This place we call work and home does way more than offer me a place to go get a paycheck.  It offers me a place to be me, and a place to hang out with all of my friends who just so happen to work for the same great place I do!  It’s more than just a job, it is a decision I, and many others like me made a long time ago. We would not settle for less.  I am proud to be a director, employee, friend, alumni and whatever else you want to call me, for Wilderness Adventure.  It looks like the rest of the employees feel the same way.

My name is Dan, I work for Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing, and I work for one of the best places in the world.

Check out some of the local coverage we have had about this by going to the Roanoke Outside Website, or click here to become our fan on facebook.

An aspect of the summer youth program that people might not fully appreciate is the beating our gear takes and care we give it to keep it in tip-top shape…. especially our Mountain Bikes. Every time a bike goes out  and comes back it gets a complete tune up to make sure its next user is able to shred the gnar and teach the trail a lesson.

But we here at WA love to have the newest gear and rides possible, so we will be retiring some of our favorites from last season and replacing them with Brand New 2010 Specialized Hardrocks! These shiny, red monsters are smooth as butter and amped to get out on the trail. We kindly thank our friends over at Tangent Outfitters in West Virginia for hooking us up with these sweet rides and we know you guys are going to love them.

And while we are sad to see our faithful old fleet go, we are happy to let you know that they need good homes. All of these bikes are tuned and ready to hit the trails with you!… plus they come with sweet nick-names. So check out our used gear page or give us a call and come pick out your favorite. We’ll even size it up, double check the tuning and let you in on some sweet places to ride. And if you absolutely must have one of our shiny new red ones, we can work that out too….

Your friendly bike barn manager,

Chris(Topher)

Here are the trips added:

One Week, Outdoor Discovery (Ages 8-10):  June 20th-26th; July 4th-10th

One Week, Classic Adventure (Ages 11-13):  June 20th-26th; July 4th-10th

Two Week, Classic Adventure (Ages 11-13):  August 1st-14th

Two Week, Classic Adventure (Ages 14-17):  August 1st-14th

Never before have we had so much response to need an additional Wilderness Leadership Course!  So we are excited to offer the second set of dates for the WLC to be held from July 4th-31st.

As with all of our trips we require a minimum of 6 participants for the trip to run.  If that trip does not fill, and we cannot find other dates that work for your child, then we will offer a FULL REFUND!  Also don’t forget that if you Register Online, or by calling our toll free number 800-782-0779, before April 1st then you receive 10% off any trip.  That is between $90-$390 worth of savings, depending on which trip you choose.

Also for every friend that refers you, or additional sibling that signs up you get $100 off.  That means (with the 10% discount)  you would only need to sign up 7 friends for your one week trip would be totally FREE!

As always feel free to call us here at the base camp anytime with questions about program details, pricing, or dates.  Or if you prefer just shoot us a quick email.  We hope to see you all this summer and happy camping!

I know that many people going into interviews these days are probably a little worried about finding jobs in such a tight market.  It might be helpful to know what we are looking for in an employee and how you can present yourself as a useful member of any customer service related company.

Tip #1: If you are interested in any sort of seasonal employment I recommend you start applying early and looking early, at least 6 months early, chances are employers have already started hiring.

Tip #2: Experience working with people; when I am interviewing a candidate I rarely focus on their technical skills.  First and foremost from an employer in the outdoor industry’s perspective is; “Do you like working with people?” I can teach you all of the hard skills for the job; and many times it is actually easier to teach people that have never done this type of work before because they don’t think they know it all.  If you have great people & communication skills then often times you are a more valuable asset then someone with tons of experience with poor communication skills.

Tip #3: How excited are you about the job?  A lot of times I talk with people that don’t seem that interested in the job, sure you have applied, but if you don’t seem that enthusiastic it makes me wonder.  Ask questions, think of questions before the interview that way you are not put on the spot.  Read through the web-page and jot down notes from there, I love hearing “while I was looking at the web-page I found…”.  It shows that you are curious and care enough about the company to do a little research.  When an employer is explaining what type of work you are doing, explain to them why this is the perfect fit for you, enthusiasm and a positive mind frame goes a long way.

Tip #4: Sell yourself and the experiences that you have had.  Anything you have done in a similar field when shown in the right light can be a plus for you.  If you have substituted, served tables, coached sports or worked at an ice cream stand, I am sure you have some great stories to tell, personalize it and sell it.  Don’t get me wrong, past experiences in the field are a very big plus in the hiring process, however showing you have strong work ethics and would do what it takes to get the job done is a big selling point.

Last big selling point for me would be love and appreciation for this line of work.  If you love being outside, and respect the environment and people you work, you make yourself a very good candidate.

To sum it up real quick:
1.    If you are planning on working a seasonal job this summer start looking now, and start applying.
2.    While selling yourself to the employer, make sure you show that you are really personable and have great communication skills.
3.    Ask questions, sound interested, be enthusiastic and always have a positive attitude and mind frame.
4.    Share your work experiences, personalize the stories and apply them to the job you are looking for.  Work ethic is a very important thing in the job market these days, we are hiring less and trying to be more efficient, why are you the employee I want.
5.    I want people working for me that love what they do.  If you can show me that you respect the work and the program, I want you here sharing that love with the people you work for and work with.

Though there are many other points and suggestions when it comes to applying and interviewing, these are a few that I am looking.  Stay positive and go get yourself a fun seasonal job for the Summer of 2010.  I got my summer position after college in 2005, and now I am the Director of Operations.  You never know where a seasonal position can lead you.

Other good websites for outdoor employment:

Outdoor Education Professional’s Resource

Outdoor Industry Job Publication

Short Term and Seasonal Job Site

Outdoor Adventure Professional Network

Patrick Boas,  a.k.a. “The Office Dandy”
Director of Operations

Click here to view the embedded video.

When I listened to music, I often would find myself trying to relate the mood of the music with the changes in the melody and supporting chords.  Much in the same way I would rather play sports than watch them on television, I also found myself wanting to take part in the music I heard.  This feeling would eventually lead me to my keyboard, or in most cases, the camps old upright piano; which happens to be the subject of my writing.  (Click here to see all pictures of our Main Lodge)

Pianos currently occupy many households across the United States and all over the world.  Not long ago, they were a thing only the very wealthy could hope to own.  Despite their high cost, they were little to behold; little more than a harps turned on their sides being struck rather than plucked like a harpsichord, by crude lever operated hammers.  They generated weak, tinny sounds that could barely be modulated for volume or duration.  These pianos of history have rapidly gone through a great many transformations to become what we now view as a modern day piano.  Mass production has greatly reduced the cost of building; and the incorporation of scientific principals and revolutionary new ideas have vastly improved the tone, volume, and touch of the pianos we now use. (Click here for more interesting facts about pianos.)

Every instrument is crafted to produce a sound; but few so elegantly, precisely and efficiently as the piano.  There are 88 keys on a standard piano and there are at least 56 different parts that make up the masochism that ultimately drives a single hammer to its respective string or strings to produce a note.  The piano embodies both the science and art of its conception with the unmistakable quality of the sounds it produces.

When I sat to play, I could here our piano calling for help with it’s out of tune unisons, broken strings and poor regulation.  The love and toiling care once given to our piano in its creation was still evident in all the intricacies of its moving parts, but time and use has taken its toll, and our poor piano was again in much need of some TLC.  As the pianos primary user, I felt somewhat obligated to care for our piano, however I was fiscally unprepared to higher a professional for such an endeavor.  This left me with only one option: I needed to attempt to repair the piano myself.

The first tool I needed for the job was knowledge.  I had never even looked carefully at the inner workings of a piano.  I assumed that attempting to tune and regulate it without research would end poorly.  I started my quest for knowledge with the Internet.  (Click here to see what comes up on a google search for “How to tune a piano”)  I found so much information that I decided to buy a $15 book to save my eyes.  After reading through much of the book I was confident that I could proceed with the tuning of the piano; leaving the vastly more technical regulation and voicing work for later.  Of course, for the tuning I would need more tools; and off to eBay I went.  I purchased a tuning kit that included: mutes, felt, hammer and tuning fork for $45.  Lest my ears betrayed me, I also ordered a chromatic electronic tuner for $75.  Having wanted to save money, I mistakenly ordered the tuning kit from Hong Kong and paid the price with a lengthy wait for its delivery.

Upon returning from a visit to my hometown, I found that my package was ready for pickup at the post office.  After retuning and opening the package and finding the contents to my satisfaction, I took care in removing the stuffed deer head, candles, and other trinkets from above or on top of the piano so that I could access the tuning pins.

I took out my electronic tuner and struck middle C to find that it in reality was almost a B flat.  Seeing as I was planning to tune the whole piano it seemed to me that middle C was a perfect place to begin.  Muting two of the three stings of middle C I began raising the pitch of the left most string until it rested to my satisfaction, close enough to middle C.  I continued by raising the other two to meet it and continued onto the next note.  When tuning, I found it necessary to hit the keys firmly to equalize the tension among the various lengths of the strings, otherwise the string would eventually slip on its own and become flat or sharp.  The process was long and tedious.  Throughout the session, my electronic tuner refused to work with the din of the TV in the background, nor would it work for the very high or low notes.  I called it a day after I had tuned 2 octaves below middle C and all but the highest octave on the register.  It was an improvement for sure, but I felt like I had a long way to go before I would be satisfied.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or helpful facts that I learned throughout this process.  If anyone is interested in coming up to visit and play our piano, we can always use some company.

Stay tuned! ;)

Contributor #1: Yours truly…Julia Bradford for those of you who don’t know that I am working on updating all the content and pictures for the new site.  That’s me and the best dog in the world up at McAfees Knob this past fall.  That hike has become a fall tradition for me and my little family (my fiance and my furry dog baby), and I would definitely recommend making it one for your family too.  If you have any suggestions about the site or for the blog I am mostly open to them, unless it’s something I’ve already dwelled over for days on end.  Then I might mutter things about you under my breath, but it won’t really be your fault.  Here at camp I am the Group Program Director which basically means that I book groups for day trips and into our lodges year round.  I also get to make brochures, coordinate marketing when we have the resources to do so, respond to general email inquiries and oh so much more.  You can expect my blogs to cover a potpurri of topics such as snowboarding & rock climbing trips, upcoming events at camp such as the New Years Eve Party blog soon to come, and detailed accounts of the awesome things that happen around basecamp.  If you would like to make suggestions or even contribute to our blog please email me and keep those comments coming!

Contributor #2: Dan Lucas who is our Base Camp Director and mountian bike guru did a great job of blogging before we had the big switch over and we hope he will keep them coming.  This picture was taken of Dan at the Devil’s Marbleyard on one of our summer youth trips near the Natural Bridge.  Nice product placement too with the Colonel’s Four Principles of Success shirt on.  Dan spends more hours of the day then you would ever dream possible, researching bike parts and the ins and outs of the biking industry.  If you ever have questions about what kind of bike is best for you, mountain biking with Wilderness Adventure, or 101 ways to spend your hard earned money on biking contact Dan.  So he might have some input for a baby blog seeing as his wife Ashley will be having their first baby girl in February 2010.  Watch out, biker chick in the making.

Contributor #3: None other than Steve Allen, our activities director, which is just another term for guy that is good at everything. The picture here shows him during our summer youth program instructing at the Lignite Site on Bald Mountain.  Steve is more than proficient in anything from mountain biking to piano playing/tuning, rock climbing to wood carving, and even chain mail making.  We never know what trick Steve will be pulling out of his bag so while you may never know what to expect from Steve’s next blog, one this is for sure it will be highly entertaining and amazingly informative.  If you have any questions regarding our wide array of activities or impeccable safety record he is the guy to talk to and to thank for keeping us safe.  He also has all the used gear sale information memorized and ready to give to any potential buyer at a moments notice so feel free to email Steve anytime.

Contributor #4: Although this saying is a little played out it still needs to be said that Patrick Boas, our Director of Operations, is last but certainly not least.  The picture featured here show Patrick giving instruction during our swift water rescue class that is given to all our white water trips on the beautiful New River.  We should all feel especially lucky that he will be taking a moment out of his busy day to contribute to our little ole’ blog.  Typically Patrick is working on all the tedious yet extremley important everyday tasks that allow a business to run.  Patrick is in charge of our finances, managing and hiring our crazy staff, paying the bills, and all the other behind the scenes stuff that never gets fully appreciated.  If you feel sorry for him because he doesn’t get to do any of the fun stuff anymore, don’t.  His alter ego, “the ruckus”, creeps out pretty regularly and shreds up the mountains and rivers whether it be on a bike, snowboard, kayak, or his personal favorite extreme hiking.  Regardless of whether he is just regular Patrick or the ruckus he has a lot of valuable information rattling around up in that brain of his that he will be sharing with us once a month on the blog, and that you cannot miss.  Click here for questions or to contact Patrick.

So everyone stayed tuned to learn more about our contributors and the crazy stunts they pull.  Now that you’ve been sitting around on the computer for a while Go Find Your Adventure!

• Children today spend an average of 6 hours each day in front of the computer and TV but less than 4 minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)
• Almost 50% of children aged 8-16 years watch 3-5 hours of television a day. These kids who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)
• Obesity in kids is now epidemic in the U.S. The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades. Currently one child in five is overweight”. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)
• Obese children now have diseases such as type 2 diabetes that used to only occur in adults. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)
• Increased study of science and nature, especially in the very young, has proved in studies extremely beneficial for cognitive functioning, reduced symptoms of attention deficit disorder, increased self-discipline and emotional well being. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)
• Nature Conservancy funded studies correlate a decline in visits to U.S. National Parks with a condition called “videophilia” which is a preference for television, video game and Internet use. (Pergams and Zaradic)
• The effects of videophilia are substantial and include obesity, attention disorders, lack of socialization and poor academic performance. (P&G)
• A report by the Children and Nature Network warns that the mental health of 21st century children is at risk because they are missing out on the exposure to the natural world enjoyed by past generations.
• Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. They also never develop a relationship with the natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress. (C&NN: Derbyshire, David)
• “At no time in human history have children spent less time outdoors. Attention deficit disorders, obesity and a variety of other physical and emotional ailments can be attributed to a decline in exposure to the out of doors and the natural environment.” -Craig Whipple, Director of Vermont State Parks
• “There’s a strong correlation to whether people have nature experiences as they grow up and whether, as adults, they will be concerned about policies that affect nature. -Bill Kunze, Pennsylvania state director for the Nature Conservancy (nature.org)
• Declines in per capita nature participation typically began between 1981 and 1991, are losing about 1% per year, and have so far lost between 18% and 25%. (videophilia.org)
• The National Center for Education Statistics had a survey that describes the use of computer and Internet technologies by age group: 67 percent of children in nursery school were already computer users, as were 80 percent of those in kindergarten. About one-quarter (23%) of nursery school children were already Internet users, rising to about 32% in kindergarten. By high school, nearly all students (97%) use computers and a large majority (80%) use the Internet (USDE, 2005). These trends in Internet use at home have direct implications on time spent interacting with children, and indirect implications for parents as role models and gatekeepers of children’s recreation choices.

These are some pretty scary statistics. The staff of Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing and our summer adventure camps feel that we are a vital solution to this major problem. Our summer camp programs offer what many kids today lack…a challenge. It is proving harder and harder for small outdoor companies like ours to get the word out about our programs. We kindly ask that if you are able to, please pass our information along in the form of links, emails, postings, etc.

Yours in challenge and adventure!

Pete