Jaz Ammon 407 West Bullion Street Hailey, ID 83333 mr.jammon@gmail.

com (740) 591-3640

Mr. Justin Ewer, Wilderness Manager Methow Valley RD 24 W Chewuch Road Winthrop, WA 98862 jewer@fs.fed.us 509-996-4051

Dear Mr. Ewer: I would like to express my sincere interest in a position as Wilderness Ranger in either the Pasayten or Lake-Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness for the summer 2013 season. The first backpacking trip during which I ventured into the North Cascades Wilderness was, unfortunately, quite recently. In September 2012, I had recently returned from a research experience in the High Andes of Southern Ecuador, and decided to take a detour into the wild Cascade country of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National forest on my way to Seattle. Although directly afterDespite having a series of personal adventures among world-renowned South American alpine lakes and snow-capped volcanoes above 12,000 feet in elevation, my previous understanding of wild mountains was turned upsidedown by the awe-inspiring beauty Washington State has to offer.

During the summer of 2011, I served as a crew leader for groups of 10-12 teenage conservation volunteers in and among the central Oregon Cascades with Northwest Youth Corps. The summertime contrasts of high desert, lush western slopes, and high snowy summits served as our classroom while I worked to administer a proprietary high school accredited environmental education curriculum for the youth. We worked long days in poorly accessible regions such as the Badger Creek Wilderness in the shadow of Mt. Hood, the Siskyous along the Pacific Crest, and an unnamed Island just offshore from Coos Bay. Not only did I learn the primitive trail management skills required for wilderness crews, I mastered them to the extent of instructing each youth in their nuances. Maintaining safety during backcountry travel, hand tool use including crosscut operation and maintenance, and group dynamics, I learned as much if not more than each of the young people on my crew. From the lake systems of Southern Ontario and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the Texas-Mexico border canyon country of Big Bend National Park, Ive been given opportunities for leadership in some of North Americas most remote settings. I appreciate your consideration of my qualifications for the position of Wilderness Ranger in one of the Wilderness areas you manage. Please feel free to contact me directly to answer any further questions that may arise.\

Sincerely,

Jaz Ammon