What it Takes to Become A REGISTERED MAINE GUIDE

STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Everyone’s path to becoming a Registered Maine Guide is different. Mine included covering my hands in fake blood, befriending a dog named Libby, picking wild strawberries and wishing I’d paid more attention in geometry class.

Let me explain.

In Maine, you need to be licensed in order to guide people on different outdoor adventures — if you’re looking to be paid for those services, at least. And in order to obtain a license, you must pass a challenging test administered by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The test is broken into two phases: a written exam with 100 multiple choice questions, and an oral exam during which you demonstrate outdoor skills such as paddling a canoe and tying a square knot.

Preparation is key. Even if you have a lot of experience in the Maine outdoors, you’ll undoubtedly learn something new as you study for the big test. I know I did.

The first thing I did was purchase the study materials suggested by the DIF&W – books like the “Master Guide Handbook” by Gil Gilpatrick and “Be an Expert with Map & Compass” by Bjorn Kjellstrom. I also bought good old fashioned notecards and highlighters, and I started jotting down notes by hand, which is one way that I learn best.

It was strange. I felt like I was back in college, except I had no professors to keep me on task.

To add some structure to my studying, I enrolled in an online map and compass course taught by Greg Sarnacki

(no relation) of Forage River Outfitters. A famously challenging part of the guide exam is an exercise in which you plot points and measure distances on a topographic map. Just a few degrees off on your measurement, and you fail.

It is during that course that I was transported back to high school geometry class while visualizing how longitude and latitude lines circle the globe.

I also attended a two-day wilderness first aid course led by Jon Tierney and hosted by Mahoosuc Guide Service, out in Maine’s western mountains. A certification in wilderness first aid is required for any Maine guide, and it must be updated every three years.

It’s during that course that I smeared fake blood on my hands before pretending to have been concussed in a four-wheeling accident — to help fellow students learn how to respond to an emergency. We all took turns being actors in that course.

I also cleaned and bandaged a gravel-filled gash in a hunk of raw chicken, then injected epinephrine into that same piece of meat. (Epinephrine is used to treat severe allergic reactions, which can be life threatening during an outdoor trip.)

Lastly, to uncover any holes in my knowledge, I attended a four-day course that Maine’s Outdoor Learning Center designed to help people prepare for the test. While staying in a beautiful cabin on the Mattawamkeag River, I attended lectures and demonstrations with a small group of fellow prospective guides.

The exam is slightly different depending on what outdoor activity you’re specializing in. The guide classifications are hunting, fishing, sea kayaking, tide-water fishing, and recreational (which includes inland boating, backcountry camping, snowmobiling, and ATVing).

But for all exams, much of the base knowledge is the same. An outdoorsperson is an outdoorsperson, after all. So during the course, we all learned together.

It’s during that course that I met a German shepherd named Libby. The center’s unofficial mascot, she often followed me when I left the group to walk through the woods or sit by the river’s edge. I quite enjoyed having her as my wolf-like guardian for those few days.

Libby wasn’t the only friend I made during the course. One evening, I went for a swim and picked wild strawberries with a woman I’d befriended during class. Like me, her interests lay in hiking, camping, and interpreting nature. We’re still in touch today.

So you see, everyone’s journey to becoming a guide is unique – and likely packed with memorable moments. It’s a process to embrace, not rush. And I highly suggest sharing the experience with others, whether it’s through taking courses from experts or working for a seasoned guide.

I’m happy to report, my journey ended with passing the exam and earning the coveted Maine Guide patch. Then began my next adventure: leading people on some of my favorite hikes in the state. So far, I’ve had a blast.

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