31 Days In The Forest

[Mad Mountain Mike]

A while back there was a thread about different jobs that would get you out in the wilderness. I just finished a 31 day hitch working in the oil patch in northern Alberta. I lived in my wall tent and faired quite well physically, mentally and financially. When the job started it was still fairly cold out and by the time it ended it was tough getting around in the mud. Here are a few photos.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Looks like a fun gig! Can't beat a job that you love.

 

[littlebuf]

you guys hiring? seriously, ive been thinking about the Canadian oil field for a while now. with the way our counties going i could drop it like a two pack habit and never look back....

 

[boom]

amazing!!

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

you guys hiring? seriously, ive been thinking about the Canadian oil field for a while now. with the way our counties going i could drop it like a two pack habit and never look back....

If you have a trade it's definitely doable. On this job we had a welder from L.A. On a work visa.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

Looks like a fun gig! Can't beat a job that you love.

I'm not sure that I love the job, but I love being there. I looked at it as being a 31 day camping trip interrupted by 11 hours a day of work. I'm going back on Sunday for a 21 day hitch, the swamp bears are starting to wake up and the season is open so I'll be spending my evenings bear hunting.

 

[tipsntails7]

Now that's a job site I'd love to be a part of.

 

[JasonWi]

Very cool experience. Tks for sharing.

Were you close to Ft McMurray? I bear hunted up in that region in 2007, neat country, but those sandy roads sucked!

 

[Scoot]

MMM, do you get any days off over that timeframe or are you on every day you are there? 31 and 21 days straight are a couple of long pulls when they are close in time to each other. Just curious if you get to hunt or goof off a bit during that time, other than a couple hours in the evening?

Regardless, cool pics and thanks for sharing the experience.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

No there are no days off during the hitch, it's 11 hours a day 7 days a week for the duration. One evening a week I cut enough fire wood for the week, do laundry and other camp chores. That frees me up the rest of the evenings of the week for goofing off. The pay is good and once this next hitch is over I will not look for work before the middle of June.

 

[nflesher]

Brings back memories of living in man camps in the middle of god's country out in Colorado. I would be working and see a huge herd of elk pass by location or watch mule deer get out and feed when the sun came up. Watching all the critters walk around sure made me love my job.

 

[Dromsky]

A good friend of mine is an oilfield welder here around Bakersfield, he was just laid off, where/who would he contact about something like this?
I worked a job, lived in a camp on the Westside of the Cook inlet one summer, 7 and 7, fished salmon every night and brought back coolers full of filets every week!

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

A good friend of mine is an oilfield welder here around Bakersfield, he was just laid off, where/who would he contact about something like this?

The welder from L.A. on this job came up first found the job and got the contractor to sponsor his work visa. There is a lot of oilfield work in North Dakota, might be less red tape gaining employment there. That being said, if he doesn't mind jumping through the gov. hoops there are definitely a lot of good paying trades jobs here.

 

[bcimport]

If you want to work and have some trade or safety skills you can make a lot of money in northern Alberta. The oil companies bring in lots of Americans and you can fly direct to fort mcmurray from Denver. Pays very well, especially if you live in camp.

 

[Bonedalien]

hey MMM,
im a land surveyor. pretty much anchored here in CO, but was wondering about things for my 30 year old little bro. he has his liscence down here. any work for surveyors?

 

[Dromsky]

The welder from L.A. on this job came up first found the job and got the contractor to sponsor his work visa. There is a lot of oilfield work in North Dakota, might be less red tape gaining employment there. That being said, if he doesn't mind jumping through the gov. hoops there are definitely a lot of good paying trades jobs here.

Thanks, Ill pass this on to my buddy.

 

[Bonedalien]

thanks for the pm Mike! your breathing life into a good man..