Be the Role Model You Wish You'd Had: Jackie Stratton, Waterways Guiding

I’m all fired up today, because this conversation represents exactly the kind of guest and interview that drove me to start Guides Gone Wild in the first place. My guest is Jackie Stratton of Waterways Guiding, a licensed Maine Guide, Maine Master Naturalist, and ACA certified white water canoe instructor.

Like all of us, Jackie had exciting plans for 2020. She had given notice at her so called ‘real job’ and had started her own guide service, Waterways Guiding, and was ramping up on all fronts for her first full season in business. She had big goals for connecting new groups of people to the outdoors, improving access and safety, increasing the comfort level of those who’d been ignored or mistreated because of their sex, race, gender identity, physical limitations, you name it. Jackie was bringing years of backcountry and paddling experience to her new business, and she was stoked to make her passion her profession as well.

But COVID-19 didn’t really give a flying you-know-what about her big plans, and the past year has instead been an exercise in continuous pivoting, testing, reworking, and plan B-C-D-E activation.

Jackie has my head spinning with ideas and hope for the future of professional guiding - she is just the positive force I needed to get back on track after a bumpy start this year!

Check out Jackie's guide service, Waterways Guiding, on the web, Instagram, and Facebook.

And don't miss Jackie’s fabulous Cedar Grove Sauna on the web, Instagram, Facebook!

We covered a lot  of ground in this one, this is just a sampling!:

• Allagash River
• St. John River
• Polly Mahoney/Guides Gone Wild, Episode 10
• Common Ground Fair
• Joy Massicotte/Guides Gone Wild, Episode 26
• Venture Out Project
• Mountainsong Expeditions/Murphy Robinson (VT)
• Jackie featured on The School of the Forest Podcast
• Sauna Magic by Garrett Conover
• Wild Rice from Minnesota 
• Coconut Curry
• Dutch Oven Corn Bread
• Smartwool Balaclava
• Bug net with under-arm straps - this was the only one of its kind I could find :-D