Type of Work: Sport, Recreation, and Tourism

Man pokes his head out the window a red snow groomer

Kent Gregson in a snow groomer in North Creek

Kent Gregson in his snow groomer at Gore Mountain. 1980s. North Creek, NY. Photo courtesy of Kent Gregson. Click here to check out Gregson’s story about taking a friend for a sunrise trip up Gore Mountain in the groomer.

Whitewater raft with guide and passengers

Cassandra Burns guides a whitewater raft in North River

Cassandra Burns (right) guides a whitewater raft down the Hudson River. 2020. North River, NY. Photo by Melody Thomas. Photo courtesy of Cassandra Burns. Click here for our story on Beaver Brook Outfitters, an outdoor adventure guiding operation run by Burns and her father.

Guides sit and stand on the porch of a guide house

Wildnerness guides on the steps of a guide house in Beaver River

Guides who worked as independent contractors in the Beaver River area sit on the front steps of a guide house. Beaver River, NY. Courtesy of Dennis Buckley. Click here for our story on the Beaver River Club, a remote sportsmen’s club on the Beaver River that was flooded with the creation of the Stillwater Reservoir.

Gerald Heath sits in doorway or windowsill

Caretaker Gerald Heath in Chippewa Bay

Caretaker Gerald Heath sits at Singer Castle on Dark Island, where he worked for a decade. As the caretaker, he lived on the island year-round. Circa 1950s or early 1960s. Chippewa Bay, NY. Photo courtesy of Doug Heath.