Deer Hill Expeditions
Deer Hill Expeditions
Deer Hill provides wilderness adventure and cultural exchange through community service to 150 participants each summer and 20-30 organizations throughout the year. While other companies might focus on leading a tour, or teaching specific technical skills, Deer Hill goes beyond these services to include the richness of supported self-discovery.
Our beautiful basecamp is in Mancos, Colorado, at the feet of the majestic Rocky Mountains, and a stone’s throw from the rivers and canyons of southeast Utah. Over the past 30 years, we have built strong relationships with families and community leaders in the Navajo Nation and in Hopi and Zuni pueblos.
- Location
- Colorado
- Season
- Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Housing
- Whether included in the compensation package or provided at a cost, housing is provided for staff.
- Housing details
- Our housing includes 2-person bedrooms, with shared common areas! Staff are included in all basecamp meals and have ingredients provided to you. We also offer work on basecamp in exchange for continued housing or camping areas if you are in between work with us!
- Family housing available
- No
- Single occupancy housing available
- No
- Pet friendly
- No
- Meals
- Provided
- Cell phone service
- Some, ask for details
- Internet access
- Good
About Deer Hill Expeditions
At Deer Hill, our mission is to empower individuals to create an authentic connection to self and community through wilderness and service experiences. We have been operating in the Southwest since 1984, rafting, canoeing, backpacking, and otherwise exploring. But what truly sets us apart is our element of cross-cultural service.
Over the past 30 years, we have been building relationships with families on the Navajo Nation and in Hopi and Zuni Pueblos. We believe that connecting our students with the folks whose land they're traversing is an incredible and necessary part of building a relationship with the land. Deer Hill's programs are built on the kind of intimate relationship with people and places that takes time and dedication to create.
The Employee Experience
We value diversity, community, compassion, self-awareness, and challenge. For most of our history, our basecamp was a family home. Our meals are still served family style, and there are frequently enough dogs running around that we wonder if we should change our name to Dog Hill. Working with young people for long stretches of time is not without challenge, but our community is known for playing as hard as we work! After a season with us, you leave as a new member of the fam.
Ideal Candidate
Our staff bring a wide range of backgrounds and training to their role. The one element that they all have in common is the desire to provide participants with the most meaningful, educational, and fun programs possible. Folks who bring heart, clear communication skills, patience, and humor to the table are generally a great fit.
Room and Board
Room and board is included with all of our seasonal positions!
Our interns occupy a spot called the Loft (a 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom area with a shared living room, kitchen, and dining room). Our Field Staff occupy our Staff Cabin (4 bedrooms with a communal kitchen/living space, bathrooms about 10 feet away in the showerhouse).
When we have students on basecamp, food is cooked for you and you are welcome to join all meals! If no meal is being cooked, we have a pantry stocked full of ingredients that staff are welcome to use.
In addition to the housing and food our basecamp offers: laundry facilities, staff storage area, kitchen, foosball table, horseshoe pit, pond, fruit trees and 130 acres.
If you're in between work or have time until your next gig, we have Basecamp work where you get paid and have room and board covered or we have a camping area to help out.
Employee Perks
We offer a Spring Staff Training as well as a Summer Staff Training to further develop your skills. For training outside of us, we have professional development funds to support growth and continuing education. Access to pro purchase programs is included, as well as greatly reduced gear rental and purchase costs through our Store.
Getting Here and Getting Around
Cars can be convenient and we have parking space available for them. Flying into the Durango Airport gets you within 30 minutes of Basecamp and catching a ride with someone is always a possibility. Staff housing is on the property so once you are here you won't "need" a vehicle. But having a bike is always encouraged for exploring purposes.
For Fun
We are in the heart of the Southwest. Our basecamp is in a valley with the San Juan Mountains of Colorado on one side and the canyonlands of Utah on the other. World-class mountain biking is less than 15 minutes away at Phil's World. Incredible climbing areas surround us. There are hikes going into the National Forest from our basecamp. The Milkyway is visible on any night that's not cloudy. In addition to that, we are only 6 miles from Mesa Verde National Park and there are cultural sites surrounding our area. It's truly an incredible place for year-round recreation.
Current Job Openings
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Assist in the supervision, and mentorship of interns and volunteers.
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Collaborate in the management and implementation of logistics that support groups in the field and at Basecamp.
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Assist in the inventory, management and maintenance of program gear and equipment.
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Collaborate with the Facility Manager to maintain cleanliness and organization of the facility.
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5-6 day work weeks when programs are in progress (March-October).
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Backup Manager on Duty responsibilities. (Estimated 1-2 days per week when programs are in progress).
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Commitment to the success of the program and participants.
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Excellent oral and written communication skills.
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Reliable access to a cell phone.
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Positive attitude and ability to deliver and receive feedback.
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Professional and well organized.
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Highly motivated with prior relevant experience.
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Familiarity with outdoor experiential education.
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Demonstrated tolerance for adversity and uncertainty.
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Familiarity with gear repair.
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Experience with Apple computers, Google Drive, and Slack.
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$160 per day.
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Housing included.
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Meals available during programming season.
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Access to industry pro purchase plan.
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Access to Deer Hill equipment and gear.
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Up to 3% IRA matching after first year of employment.
- In the spring and fall, Deer Hill works with schools and private groups.
- In the summer, Deer Hill operates multi-week programs for participants aged 11-18.
- Summer participants sign up individually and include adolescents with varying outdoor experience from the US and around the world. Participants also include high potential, low-income scholarship recipients, supported by the Deer Hill Foundation and other non-profits.
- Backpacking
- Canyoneering
- Mountaineering
- Whitewater Rafting
- Canoeing
- Climbing
- Cross-cultural Service
- Conservation Service
- Food and lodging provided while on contract (and include: meals, beds, laundry facilities, staff storage area, kitchen, horseshoe pit, pond, fruit trees and 130 acres—if you’d rather sleep under the stars).
- Access to pro purchase programs, providing steep discounts to top name, outdoor gear brands.
- Professional development trainings to support Field Staff growth and continuing education.
- Deer Hill offers a Spring and Summer Staff Training, free of charge, for new and returning Field Staff. Attendance to one of the trainings is required for all new Field Staff. The Spring River Refresher includes river safety, Deer Hill river systems, and a basic overview of Deer Hill field operations. The Summer Guide School is a complete river training that equips new and returning Field Staff with the skills necessary to become a licensed Utah River Guide. Both trainings include risk management, decision making, leadership, and education curriculum.
- Additional trainings and opportunities for development are available regularly.
- Spring River/Service Refresher: March 27-April 7, 2024
- Spring Season: April – June
- Summer Guide School: June 4-14, 2024
- Summer Season: June – August
- Fall Season: August – October
- 21 years of age minimum.
- Able to work legally in the United States.
- Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
- Current CPR and WFR certifications, minimum.
- Able to pass criminal background check with CBI and FBI.
- Able to manage participant and program needs 24/7 for the duration of the contract.
- Successful professional experience guiding and teaching groups in wilderness settings.
- River experience rowing oar frames and paddle boats.
- Motivated to create impactful, meaningful experiences for adolescents.
- Flexible and able to adapt to changing situations.
- Desire to be of service to others.
- Self-aware and engaged in own personal growth.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Affective organization abilities.
- Able to work well independently and with others.
- Grounded, fun, and hard-working.
- Supervise, manage, and mentor interns and volunteers while they are helping in the kitchen
- Do necessary prep work for meals, helping the other cooks prep for their meal if needed
- Manage refrigerated and dry food according to safety standards as well as the quantity of leftovers
- Help with meal planning based on ingredients available, ie: utilizing leftovers, using partial quantities etc.
- 20 years of age minimum
- Able to work legally in the United States pass CBI and FBI background checks
- Flexibility in hours worked
- Dependable and professional, with reliable phone access
- Ability to obtain Food Handlers card
- Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs.
- $13-$16 per hour. DOE.
- Meals available during programming season.
- Access to industry pro purchase plan.
Assistant Operations Manager
Deer Hill Expeditions (DHE) is seeking to hire a skilled, motivated and experienced individual for the Assistant Operations Manager position. This position plays an integral role here at Deer Hill connecting many of our departments together. Primary responsibilities include (on an assistant level) logistics implementation, managing seasonal interns, and maintenance of program gear and equipment. Deer Hill’s operating season is fast paced and includes long days. This position requires dedication, active leadership, clear communication skills, mentoring skills, initiative, patience and humor. The ideal candidate is attentive to details and deadlines, organized, self-motivated, and adaptable.
Additional Position Details
REQUIREMENTS:
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
BENEFITS:
Field Staff
Our field staff bring a wide range of backgrounds and training to their role. The one element that they all have in common is the desire to provide participants with the most meaningful, educational, and fun programs possible. Every day, Deer Hill field staff make an impact on the lives of our participants through their leadership and presence. Our field staff instill in our participants a strong foundation of outdoor skills, service work experience, communication and interpersonal skills in the mountains, deserts and rivers of the Southwest U.S. Field staff often find that their work with Deer Hill is deeply fulfilling because it is meaningful. They experience the daily richness of supporting participants as they take risks, build new skills, and ultimately learn to connect more fully with the wilderness, others and themselves.
Overview:
Activities:
Benefits:
Dates:
Field Staff may apply for spring, summer or both seasons. Each contract is for a program that ranges between 1 and 4 weeks in length. Field Staff can either work a single contract or multiple contracts, depending on Deer Hill need and Field Staff preference. Preference is given to applicants with open availability.
Required Qualifications:
Desired Skills:
Kitchen Cooks
Deer Hill Expeditions (DHE) is seeking to hire a skilled, motivated and experienced individual for a Kitchen Cook position. This position is staffed for the entire Deer Hill operating season and scheduling depends on Deer Hill’s needs. Primary responsibilities include cooking planned meals and baked desserts, preparing food for the field, maintaining the cleanliness and functionality of the kitchen. Deer Hill’s operating season is fast paced and includes long days. This position requires dedication, active leadership, clear communication skills, mentoring skills, initiative, patience, and humor. The ideal candidate is attentive to details and deadlines, organized, self-motivated, and adaptable.
Additional Position Details:
Required Qualifications:
Benefits:
Culinary Intern
You will be cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for school age kid groups from across the country. Some cooking experience required, some training provided. Ninja-like knife skills are a plus! Most meals are prepared from scratch and some baking skills are necessary. Deer Hill accommodates a wide variety of dietary preferences so some knowledge of vegan cooking is great. Some days you will be cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner and some days just one meal or two.
Group size range from 10 participants (low) to 80 participants (high). Room, board and pro deals are also included in compensation package. Shared living accommodations are with like minded people.
How to Apply
Fill out the application through our website here, please make sure to address any pertinent experience, including professional and personal experience, that is relevant to this position.
Contact Info
- Jordan Lehman
- operations@deerhillexpeditions.com
- (970) 533-7492
- deerhillexpeditions.com
