Be a part of creating a summer of significance! Our Pathfinding Instructors will be a part of a two-instructor team that leads young adults on a 26-day backpacking expedition through the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado or the canyon country of southeastern Utah. 

Responsibilities: Pathfinding Instructors are responsible for a group of 6-12 campers, grades 9-11, on a four-week wilderness expedition through alpine terrain in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. Responsibilities include being aware of and tending to physical and emotional safety and wellbeing of campers, teaching basic outdoor skills (e.g. low-impact camping, map and compass), preparing trip menus and working with Expedition Coordinators, working with Program Directors to communicate needs and discussing problems that may arise within the group, and facilitating leadership roles and continuously working on group dynamics.

Pathfinding Instructors must be physically capable of leading challenging trips in the wilderness and must be interested in and highly knowledgeable about outdoor skills such as topographic map reading, outdoor cooking, backpacking techniques, minimum impact camping, etc. Knowledge of the environment and nature’s processes is beneficial. Trip leading and personal wilderness travel experience is essential, as the trip itinerary consists of 25 straight nights in the wilderness with three re-supply drops along the way. Instructors must hold a current driver’s license and have current Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications through a recognized first aid provider.

Pathfinding Instructor applicants should have prior experience leading multi-day wilderness backpacking expeditions in alpine settings and be experienced in skill sets related to wilderness camping and travel (i.e. navigation, LNT, etc.).

CSC staff are asked to consistently provide positive, creative, and meaningful direction to the young lives with which we entrust them. It is imperative that they be able to support established camp policies and promoted programs. This job is emotionally and physically demanding, as you will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week out in the field. However, the rewards of such an experience for both camper and staff are exceptional. Be prepared to have more fun than you have ever had and to give more of yourself than you could ever imagine!

Minimum Age: 21 years of age, preferably a college junior

Terms of Employment: Pathfinding Instructors are hired for 11 weeks unless contracted otherwise

Compensation: $4,500-, plus lodging, meals, travel allowance ($100), and end-of-summer bonus ($500)

Time Off: Two days between sessions

Number Hired: 1-2 males and 1-2 females, depending on enrollment