How much tip is enough for a guide?
- Thread starter chicagosledder
- Start date
Probably around 350-400/day for Winter package and Rental of M8 or Rmk 800. As stated this includes lodging, transfers from airport, guide, happy hour(5-6:30 including beer/rails and appetizers), buffet breakfast and dinner off the menu.
This does not include airfare, tips, or lunch on the mountain.
This does not include airfare, tips, or lunch on the mountain.
techsledder
Member
Best to call the Lodge front desk at (307)543-2847 to get a quote for the "Classic Winter Package" in one of their lodge rooms.
chicagosledder
New member
Just to ket you know we paid around $1800 which included the winter package with the sled rentals and the airfare which was $549 roundtrip from O' Hare in Chicago. I have no idea where you live so the airfarre obviously changes daily.
Flatland Jack
New member
Okay, lets get this train back on it's track (not off topic). I would NEVER go into the mountains without a guide...and I consider myself an experienced rider. Flatland riding--looking at maps and sensing direction is a different story. I would never "hire" a person that has been to the mountains once or twice and "now knows his way around". If you have ever been stranded in the mountains your attitude will change in a hurry. (I have been even with a "guide"--who by the way is no longer a guide) Out of gas at "dark 30". This is not a poor man's sport. If you are trying to save a nickel, perhaps you should find a different sport. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Think of it this way. You spend $40,000 + on a tow vehicle, $12,000 on a mountain sled, trailer from $2000 to $12,000...time off work, and on and on. You get the picture. Now here comes the last piece of the puzzle...or where the rubber hits the road. You are asking (hiring) a total stranger to take you out in the back country and show you untouched powder, awesome side-hills, boondocking through the trees and straight up hill climbs and hopefully bring you back in one piece without running out of gas. He is expected to pay attention to the weather, snow conditions, avalanche danger, try to find great snow where no one else has been and be back before dark. It's not just pull the rope and follow me. A good guide will push you to your limits (& then a little more--if you are not being challenged, you will never become a better rider.) On top of that if you are a willing learner, he will give you tips, pointers and advice on how to become a better rider. I would rather take advice from an average joe professional guide that rides 120-150 days a year in the mountains than the less than 1% of the persons that have won hillclimb or snow-cross events that I will never compete in and they charge $300 a day for these "lessons". With a guide you are getting these tips for "free". You may think the guide is there just to get you unstuck...you are WRONG. He will tell you what you did wrong so you don't get stuck the next time. I expect to get stuck at least 2 times a day---if I'm not, then the conditions are not very good. I don't care who's sled I help pull out as long as they are willing to learn from what they did wrong and are appreciative. If they are not, then I won't help them again.
If you are not willing to tip or are a tightwad or cheapskate, that thinks "it's all about me" I can tell you that you get what you pay for. I know people like that and I no longer ride with them. The professional guides are worth their weight in gold. Look here, the first time in the mountains if you either stiff your guide or don't pay him very much he will remember and will probably pass that information on to the other guides. They have a very good memory--they have to in order to remember all the good "honey holes". The next time you go out the memory bank gets turned back on and if you didn't tip very well, don't be surprised if all of a sudden you are just taken to so-so riding areas. But you know there is better stuff out there. Maybe you should have tipped better. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
In my opinion, $25 a day is way too cheap...unless you aren't planning on going back again and having the time of your life. A good guide will also make sure that EVERYONE in the group is having a good time. It takes a gifted person to challenge a group of riders all with different riding abilities all in the same day and have everyone come home with a smile on their face. And looking forward to the next time they can ride in the mountains. THAT is what I base my tip on--if I had an awesome riding experience, I compensate my guide accordingly. If the average tip is $25 per person per day, I guess that I am better than the average tipper. I know that I get to go to the best places to ride that are available. NO QUESTION. PERIOD.
That's my 1 1/2 cents worth. REMEMBER, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!
Flatland Jack
If you are not willing to tip or are a tightwad or cheapskate, that thinks "it's all about me" I can tell you that you get what you pay for. I know people like that and I no longer ride with them. The professional guides are worth their weight in gold. Look here, the first time in the mountains if you either stiff your guide or don't pay him very much he will remember and will probably pass that information on to the other guides. They have a very good memory--they have to in order to remember all the good "honey holes". The next time you go out the memory bank gets turned back on and if you didn't tip very well, don't be surprised if all of a sudden you are just taken to so-so riding areas. But you know there is better stuff out there. Maybe you should have tipped better. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
In my opinion, $25 a day is way too cheap...unless you aren't planning on going back again and having the time of your life. A good guide will also make sure that EVERYONE in the group is having a good time. It takes a gifted person to challenge a group of riders all with different riding abilities all in the same day and have everyone come home with a smile on their face. And looking forward to the next time they can ride in the mountains. THAT is what I base my tip on--if I had an awesome riding experience, I compensate my guide accordingly. If the average tip is $25 per person per day, I guess that I am better than the average tipper. I know that I get to go to the best places to ride that are available. NO QUESTION. PERIOD.
That's my 1 1/2 cents worth. REMEMBER, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!
Flatland Jack
whitehorse
Member
What bar do you work at? My wife used to live in Milltown and I still own a house there. We talked about that at the Mosquito during the Ride In fundraiser.
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Funny...my wife also lived in Milltown for 10 yrs. or so before we got married......we go up there a couple times a year to visit friends.....Wiseguys, Hacks...both great places!
We've been out to Line Shack with friends from Milltown and Balsam Lake....awesome country. Need to get back there soon!
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Funny...my wife also lived in Milltown for 10 yrs. or so before we got married......we go up there a couple times a year to visit friends.....Wiseguys, Hacks...both great places!
We've been out to Line Shack with friends from Milltown and Balsam Lake....awesome country. Need to get back there soon!
Small World! My uncle is out in Dubois as we speak and I leave for Island Park next Friday.
whitehorse
Member
Have fun....looks like they are getting snow out there as we speak!
chicagosledder
New member
To Flatland Jack I along with the rest of us that are going are by no means cheapskates. I spoke to a guide on here via pm and I am not going to mention his or her name but I was just asking for a little guideline on what to tip and I received my answer. Thanks for all the input from you guys. I hope we have a blast as it is our first time.
polarisrider1
New member
Have a great time and report back!!!
polarisrider1
New member
Just have to change clutch weights (takes 20 min.). Sleds are loaded, clothes are packed. Working out final travel logistics, but pretty much all set. 10 days to launch.
Right on! I gotta pull pin weights and change gears Friday. Loading the trailer Saturday morning. We should be departing around 4:30 in the afternoon Friday from the Twin Cities.
chicagosledder
New member
I have been watching the weather and they are getting dumped on with near white out conditions. One report said the wind gusts may be as high as 90 mph. It sounds like polarisrider is going to beat us out there so I am sure he will report back. I will let everyone know how it is as well.