Living & Working in Great Places

I have two job offers... Ketchikan or Denali?

I have two jobs that want to hire me, and I don't know which one to go with. Both need an answer soon.
One is in Ketchikan at Alaska Canopy Adventures as a Canopy Guide. Pays $11.50 an hour + tips, and it would be my primary work, 40 + hours.
About $10 a day for shared room. Don't know about meals yet.
The other is in Denali at Aramark Parks and Resorts as a Trail Guide for $10 an hour + tips *15 hours a week* And my other 25 hours at $8 an hour would be in the bike shop doing repairs, or in the rafting house throwing rubber.
$14.25 a day for shared room and 3 meals.
Besides money and housing. What's the real advantages of each place? I need some real help with this one guys. So an info on either Ketchikan or Denali Pros VS Cons would be great.
Actually it's Alaska. So it's Pros VS Pros any way you slice it.

Thanks,

-Timothy

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shannon McMurrin on January 28, 2008 at 8:38pm: OK, I am admittedly biased - but I'm all about the canopy guide! I would love a job as a canopy guide!!! The pay wouldn't matter, or the hours...or just about anything else. Actually - they could probably get me to work for free. Definitely the canopy.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by angel on January 29, 2008 at 10:28am: hey tim aramark is okay decent meals first yr dorm rooms, okay you can probably do better such is life you,ll hang out w/ the floaters really cool ppl lots of activities too do canopy sounds neat too who knows; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alex on January 29, 2008 at 2:40pm: I've done 3 summers in Denali for Aramark and Princess so I'm also pretty biased. I go back there for money and friends, not the area. Don't get me wrong, Denali is awesome but in my opinion there are more interesting places in Alaska. In the Southeast and Kenai you get all mountains, wildlife AND water. hiking in Denali is awesome but you can't kayak and fish.

I would guess the canopy thing is going to mainly be for cruise ship day tours?
I don't know what life as a canopy guide is like but it sounds like a fun summer to me. I mean, what the hell do you do? swing around in the trees? go for it man.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Timothy Green on January 29, 2008 at 3:47pm: Yeah man swinging from the trees like freaking Tarzan. That and get rained on. I'm told that Ketchikan is super rainy. I'll pretty much just be working with the crew ship people. That and maybe wrestle some bears...if i'm lucky. Ketchikan is an island though. So if I want to see the rest of Alaska I need to hop on a boat first. Denali has roads, so if I wanted to drive somewhere I could.
Did you travel around on your days off when you were working in Denali?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alex on January 29, 2008 at 5:15pm: I traveled around on my days off but I think if you are working tourism in Alaska its pretty hard to find more than 1 day off in a row during the summer. I only got out of the Denali area twice last summer but I made enough money to travel through Europe and N. Africa for 2 months and I'm just now running out of cash. Denali is a long drive from anywhere else so you really need more than a day off to get away.

I like what you originally said about comparing the "Pros VS Pros" in Alaska.
How awesome is this place! We are talking about the same state but Denali is sub-arctic -50 in the winter and Ketchikan is in a freakin rain forest!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Timothy Green on January 29, 2008 at 6:37pm: Europe is pricey. What kind of job did you work last year? If you don't mind me asking, what was your hourly wage? Did you get a steady 40 hours a week?
I hope I can save up that kind of money so I can travel again. Are you working there again this summer too? I haven't been to Alaska yet, but I know I'm going to be in for a treat.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alex on January 29, 2008 at 7:26pm: I was just serving tables and tending some bar at Princess. I think 50 or 60 hours a week was average. Tipped positions are really the only way to make decent money. I mean at a bare minimum I walked with 100/day in tips on top of 7.15/hr so for a 10 hour day your at like 18/hr but some days your making over 200 in tips and only working 8 hours. It depends some on where and when you are working though.

I think I'll either be working on the Alaska marine highway or maybe on the railroad this summer, not sure yet...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jillian Wright on February 21, 2008 at 7:20pm: So which did you choose? I just got offered a Delani position...anyone have more insight on that?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Timothy Green on February 21, 2008 at 7:34pm: I ended up going with Ketchikan. What kind of job did you get in Denali? How are you getting there?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jillian Wright on February 21, 2008 at 8:20pm: Front desk type thing, I am not sure yet about it though. As far as getting there if I do go, I dont know....road trip? ahah no, probably fly out from chicago.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Timothy Green on February 21, 2008 at 9:20pm: A front desk job? Come on, with someone who's traveled as much as you I can't see why you're not doing something a little more exciting. Maybe you need a break? Still, it's not to late to put in an application where you're going to have an adventure everyday. As for the roadtrip...

I'm seriously trying to get a road trip together. I'm driving all the way from South Carolina. I'll be driving through Chicago so If you're up for an adventure then it's only going to cost you 50% of the gas to get there. Maybe less because I might pick up some people in Canada too. As of right now, there's a caravan in the works. I'm only heading as far as Prince Rupert, but I'm sure you can get a ride with the rest of the caravan seeing as they're heading up to Denali. I kind'a wish I took the Denali thing mainly because that's were everyone seems to be going. But the job I ended up going with is amazing.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by angel on February 22, 2008 at 9:57am: more ppl , more activites. park entrance .,killer hiking everywhere, river right there. decent money i guess for you all pros > cons long way from home thtas about it.; ▶ Reply to This