GETTING OUT THERE WITH HOLLY MACKIN

Holly in her natural element—in the backcountry, no matter the season!

Q: How did you get into guiding? 
HOLLY MACKIN: It's a funny story. I had moved to Jackson Hole and I was working a few days a week a The Juicery. One day when I was mopping floors, the owner of the place came up and asked me about what I was doing with my days off. I told him about all the time I was leading my friends up the Grand Teton and he asked, 'Hey, have you ever thought about getting paid for doing that sort of stuff?" And, to be honest, I never had. I had not made that connection that I had the skills to be a guide. I knew sharing those experiences with people who might not otherwise go out there was something that I loved, but getting paid for it? Making a career out if it? I had not considered that an option. But my boss at The Juicery pushed me to think it was possible. You gotta pay attention to small moments like that.

Q: What led you to taking your friends on The Grand? 
HM: I went to college at the University of Colorado in Boulder and spent a lot of time climbing. Early in my climbing, I would be the one following others, learning from them. Then, when I gained experience, I would put ropes up, lead pitches, pick out climbing objectives—and I loved it. So I just kept doing more of it.

Q: Do you have a particular guiding style?
HM: I believe guiding should be about building relationships and community. Your clients are putting their trust in you and you are out there with them in challenging situations. If you've gotten to know your clients and you're allowed them to get to know you, what drives you, the trust comes much easier. My style is defined by getting to know my clients and letting them get to know me on a deeper level, building symbiotic relationships and so often they really do grow into friendships. Sure, the days we spend out there are built around objectives—getting to the top of this or skiing or climbing that—but it's also about being with others through those challenges.

Q: What do you do to continually be improving as a guide and what certifications do you have to date?  
HM: Continuing my education as a guide is a non-negotiable for me. I always want to be improving and learning more skills. Every class i take, I have a funny habit of signing up for my next class before that class is over. I am an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, AMGA Apprentice Guide in Skiing and Alpine, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, AIRE instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder. And working with other pros at Jackson Hole Mountain Guides is a continual education!

Holly guides skiing, climbing , and canyoneering trips for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. She also leads the Women's Programs for JHMG. You can find her in slightly out of the way places all over the West. Check out her available trips with J ackson Hole Mountain Guides and get out there with Holly!

Q: What is the Women's Network and how did you get involved?
HM: As soon as I was hired to work with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, I got a call from a woman living and working in Moab named Aimee Barnes. She had been a fixture in the guiding world in Jackson for a long time and was an integral part of the guiding communities around the West. At the time she reached out to me she was running JHMG's Moab trips. Her goal? Get more women guiding, so she started The Women's Network in 1995 with the "City Girls" events in City of Rocks, Idaho, and made it her mission to support other female guides—help them book more trips, further their education and experiences, help them network within the guiding world so that doors would be open to them. She passed away sadly, way to early, in 2023 and we lost a giant. But her work continues.

Q: As a professional guide, what's your take on gear?
HM: I can't tell you how much extra gear I lug around because it does not work to have clients in the field unprepared. That can not only be uncomfortable and significantly lessen the enjoyment, it can lead to dangerous situations. So we always do a gear check at the trailhead. But if my clients can show up with gear they trust and I have tested and can recommend to them with no reservations, that's the ideal. Gear can make or break an experience - it's that simple. The C7 Gear Lists take all the guess work out of prepping for an adventure. It's a game changer for my client prep emails; I can add the link to my list and know I've set my clients up for success.

Q: You are a cold weather and warm weather guide—snow and rock focused. What's your favorite?
HM: My favorite is whatever season we're in! Although on a really cold, brutally windy or wet day skiing in the Jackson area can definitely make me daydream about hot, dry days in Moab on the rock!

Q: When you're not guiding...
HM: I am chasing down my own adventure goals so that I can share those places with clients one day!

For Holly, gear is everything - well, that and attitude!