Meet your Cook County Neighbor: Jake Rachuy
May 25, 2026 08:20AM ● By Editor
Photos provided
Boreal Community Media - May 23, 2026
Jake is the owner and lead guide of Border Lakes Tour Company
What valuable lessons did you learn when working with youth as a YMCA camp instructor?
What hobbies do you enjoy when you are not busy working?
Do you have a memorable customer moment or experience from one of your guided trips that still makes you smile?
Favorite season? What do you love the most about it?
What is the best advice that you were ever given and how did it impact your life?
Boreal Community Media - May 23, 2026
Jake is the owner and lead guide of Border Lakes Tour Company
How did you land in Cook County? What journey brought you here?
I'm from Hastings, MN where we grew up outdoorsy but never camped beyond the backyard. Out of highschool I worked for YMCA Day Camp Spring Lake where I fell in love with being in nature and working with kids! After college I was looking for the next big adventure which brought me to YMCA Camp Menogyn on the Gunflint Trail. This was my first introduction to Grand Marais and the BWCA and after working there for over 5 years I knew Cook County was my home!
What valuable lessons did you learn when working with youth as a YMCA camp instructor?
I've learned so many valuable lessons working with kids! To try to boil it down I would say the big takeaways are to lead with patience and kindness
What hobbies do you enjoy when you are not busy working?
I am fortunate to do what I love so I often seek out paddling and hiking with our dogs as much as I can! We love to cross country ski and occasionally snowshoe as well! Listening to music, exercise and the occasional crossword also fill my time! Cooking is probably the closest thing to an artform that I regularly partake in!
Do you have a memorable customer moment or experience from one of your guided trips that still makes you smile?
My passion is sharing my favorite place with others so it is rare to have a day of guiding that isn't filled with smiling! I have had so many memorable moments but one that jumps out first was a day trip with one of my 3 year olds! Her nickname was Rory. The family had ordered a picnic board to enjoy for lunch which, when it came time to eat, I spread it out before them, showing them what everything was! They started to dig in and I got out my own simple lunch. They had plenty of food and kindly insisted that I share with them. Seeing that we were all sharing, before too long, Rory reached into my lunch and helped herself to some apple slices. Seeing her do this her parents stopped her from grabbing more but I pointed out that she had just seen us all sharing and we had a good laugh! I've had many special moments like this with my groups where for small moments I feel like part of the family and I am fortunate to get to know so many wonderful people!
Favorite season? What do you love the most about it?
My favorite season is winter! Up here with snow that lasts into April some years, it's best to find ways to love it! Cross country skiing in the winter is my favorite activity but I also love the starry nights and the quiet of the forest. I run hot so I love being able to bundle up and then de-layer when I am active! Hot tea and sitting by the wood fired stove are so much more cozy when it is below zero outside!
What is the best advice that you were ever given and how did it impact your life?
I'm always terrible at picking favorites and bests because I have had such great advice from so many mentors! The first ideas that jump to me are from a book "Start With Why" and another from a commencement speech that I think informs each other. "Start With Why" is clear in its title that we should focus on why we are doing things before we worry about what or how. It is so easy to get caught in the minutia and lose track of why we are stressing and working so hard. The other piece of advice can be summarized as ignoring our dreams and instead dedicating ourselves to "micro-ambitions". When we dedicate our pursuits with passion to what's in front of us rather than focusing on a possibly intangible goal too far away we lose sight of the amazing opportunities that are around us everyday! I never knew for sure that I would take over a guiding company; it happened to be the right opportunity at the right time. I just always tried to stay true to my why by valuing working in service to others and hearing their stories, being passionate about the outdoors, and striving to be in connection and community with good people!
Boreal Community Media has been featuring the"Meet your Cook County Neighbor" series for several years now. If you enjoy reading these and would like to nominate someone to be featured, please send us an email to [email protected]
