Senior Brock Browning works at Selkirk Powder Company giving snowmobile tours in the winter.

Brock Browning worked as an intern last year and is now being paid to give snowmobile tours. Browning has snowmobiled off and on through the years but has not gone consistently until this year.

A normal day on the job consists of catching the 7:00 am bus up to Schweitzer, gathering all the gear and lunches for the tours, taking the Great Escape Quad up to their lodge, getting the snowmobiles warmed up and ready, and waiting on the summit until the guests come. Once the guests arrive, Browning fits them with their gear, teaches them how to ride a snowmobile, and then actually takes the guests on the tour.

There are two tour options: The Ridge Run which is along the ridge of Schweitzer and down into the West Bowl, and a tour that goes all the way into Priest River.

The Ridge Run tour is typically an hour and half, but the long tour is five hours. The employees are trained in different things such as in avalanche rescue before they begin working.

The clientele is typically from states such as California and Texas and do not have a lot of experience with snow. In fact, one of Brock’s favorite memories is giving a tour to a family of eleven from California.

“They took pictures and stuff, and all of a sudden they were up to their armpits in snow,” Browning said.

Browning enjoys the job and the responses of the clientele.

“It’s pretty cool just to see their reactions,” Browning said.