Trip Leaders

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him. But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done and his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did this ourselves." -Lao Tzu

Much responsibility rests on the shoulders of Cascades Adventures trip leaders. Their role switches significantly from that of an active follower and a student of leadership and outdoor skills in the classroom, to that of a primary, responsible role model and leader while in the field with program participants. Not only do their technical skills and self care skills need to be dialed, but they also need to be able to teach them to a group and simultaneously meet all other participant needs.

Trip Leading Responsibilities

The trip leaders are responsible for:

Planning the entire trip, including curriculum, contingency plans, and general itinerary in accordance with Cascades Adventures policies.
The availability of First Aid equipment at all activity sites along with the expertise to use it.
Assitant Trip leaders will have at least a wilderness advanced first aid (WAFA) certification, with all trip leading teams possessing at least one wilderness first responder (WFR) certification
Managing group dynamics during outing.
Instructing curriculum of skills and knowledge to participants during the outing.
Inspecting all particpants and Cascades Adventures equipment.
Trip leaders must visually acknowledge the presence of the essential gear items for the outing.
Requesting, picking-up, cleaning, and dropping-off Cascades Adventures equipment
Completing and providing the appropriate paperwork, inlcuding pre-trip information packets, trip plans, waivers, photo releases, participant evaluations, and final trip reports.
Completing and handing in a monthly timesheet.