The Colorado Outdoor Adventure
Guide School with Willie Webb, Jr.
What is COAGS?
 Editor’s Note: The Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School (COAGS), of
Cripple Creek Colorado, is a unique learning environment which includes
indoor classroom instruction and outdoor, hands-on activities that provide
the students with the groundwork needed to attain success in the
outdoor-recreation industry. Although most of the students aspire to become
employed in the outdoors, COAGS welcomes any outdoors enthusiast who wants
to become more comfortable in the wilds to participate in any or all of the
courses.
The Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School has no hallowed halls like those
of Yale or Harvard; no fast-paced New York City streets; no L.A. traffic
jams and noise pollution; no Houston smog; and, no flushing toilets;
however, it does have fresh, clean mountain air. God’s Rocky Mountains are
where classes are held, and its rock-walled draws are the hallowed halls.
Noise pollution is the sound of bugling bull elk in mid-September and horses
’ hooves pounding the earth on their way to their morning grain. A traffic
jam in these mountains is caused by stopping to observe a mule deer or a doe
and her fawn cross the road. Traffic may come to a halt to stare at a herd
of yews feeding between the road and a rock wall they effortlessly ascend at
a moment’s notice. At COAGS, students don’t choose this career for monetary
reasons, but because there’s something about the outside of a horse that
does something to the inside of a man. COAGS instructors use years of
knowledge to educate students in the outdoor skills, horsemanship and
confidence they’ll need to conquer a career in the outdoor-recreation
industry.
 In 1993, Gary Jordan purchased the Gold Camp Ranch and an outfitting
business and guide school. With this ranch and his new outfitting business,
his need for quality employees gave him the foresight to continue and
improve the training school for his own employees and guides. He laughs
about keeping the best students for himself and sending all the other
students to his competitors. In 2000, Mr. Jordan separated the guide school
from his outfitting business and renamed it, T=the Colorado Outdoor
Adventure Guide School. With the new name came the new demography of COAGS
students. Most students still enroll in classes with aspirations of landing
careers in the outdoors, but some come for an educational vacation. These
students aren’t looking for employment opportunities, but ways to become
closer to nature or hone their own outdoor skills.
The Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School (COAGS) is a vocational
institution unlike most found around North America. Located on the Gold Camp
Ranch just south of Pikes Peak, COAGS is a licensed vocational school,
accredited through the Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools,
the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the United States Department
of Labor. Several colleges and universities around the country award college
credits to graduates of the guide school. COAGS takes pride in training
individuals for careers in outdoor-recreational fields and helping outdoor
enthusiasts. COAGS’s mission statement states, “Our objective at the
Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School is to expose our students to the
best-possible instruction and direction in becoming a part of the
outdoor-recreation industry, to provide the outdoor-recreation industry with
the most-prepared, skilled and professional guides and outfitters in the
industry, and to be considered the premier outfitter and guide school in the
world.”
COAGS is only as good as its team of instructors, a team that consists of
former ranchers, outfitters and guides. The students and instructors come
from various backgrounds and parts of the country, each with something
different to offer. COAGS president, Gary Jordan, a Texas A&M grad, is a
former rancher and western outfitter and is especially involved in
horsemanship and business training. Bill Stroh, COAGS Vice President, has a
colorful background growing up in Ohio. A graduate of Ohio State University,
he’s a former Vietnam veteran, major airline pilot, rancher and outfitter in
Colorado, who leads the school’s day-to-day activities. Kim Sauerbrey,
another Vietnam vet and instructor for the past 10 years, has worked with
mountain rescue, is a “Leave No Trace” Certified Instructor, has been a
hunting guide throughout Colorado and is a COAGS graduate. Mark Stone,
originally a fiber-optics engineer from West Virginia and COAGS graduate,
has participated in our Instructor Development Program. The final member of
our full-time staff is myself, Willie Webb, who after graduating from the
University of Mississippi, came to COAGS looking for a career in the
outdoors and found a job as COAGS camp cook. He’s currently involved in the
“Instructor Development Program” and manages a small private farm in
Mississippi during the late fall and winter months. Several guest speakers
instruct students in fly fishing and outdoor writing, photography and
videography. Ed Engle, a former smoke jumper and forest firefighter, is
COAGS’s fly-fishing guru. He’s written several books on fly fishing and
tours the country lecturing. The outdoor writing, photography and
videography team is composed of Kathy Matoon and Andy Lightbody, owners of
Rocky Mountain Television (RMTV). Lightbody has been an editor for several
well-known magazines, as well as a news reporter for Fox News. He’s also
written over 20 different books on a variety of subjects. Matoon’s a
videographer for RMTV, as well as the host of “Cookin’ on the Wildside.”
Engle, Matoon and Lightbody help broaden the COAGS’ students’ ideas about
the future of the outdoor industry.
 COAGS welcomes people from all walks of life, from a German Air Force pilot
to a good ole’ boy from Mississippi. Its purpose is to instill in each
student a basic understanding of land navigation, horsemanship, wilderness
survival, camp cooking and other subjects. From the humble beginnings as an
outfitting business and small guide school to the present COAGS, it has
evolved from a predominately hunting-guide training field to an institution
that welcomes any person wanting a career in the great outdoors and anyone
looking for an educational vacation.
For more information on courses and the 2007 class schedule, go to the
website www.guideschool.com, or call 1-800-714-4864. If making a career in
the outdoor industry is a dream for you or if you’re interested in becoming
more confident in your outdoor adventures, then come and join the Colorado
Outdoor Adventure Guide School’s outdoor fraternity. If you think you’re
good, COAGS will make you better.
Tomorrow: COAGS’ Graduates and Their Futures
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