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Yellowstone Spring Wolf and Bear Adventure
June
4-8, 2009
June
12-16, 2009
Description
Schedule
Payments & Policies
Reservations
  
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Join wildlife biologists Nathan
Varley and Linda Thurston as they journey through Yellowstone National
Park’s famous wildlife sanctuary observing gray wolves, grizzly bears,
moose, and a host of other wildlife species. Enjoy comfortable
accommodations in picturesque settings, great outdoor picnic meals, as
well as, fine dining in historic locations. Learn from the experts who
have spent their lives studying wildlife and teaching about the dramatic
ecosystem that Yellowstone Park was created to protect.
“For the benefit
and enjoyment of the people.”
~
Inscription on the Roosevelt Arch
North
Entrance, Yellowstone National Park
The
timing of this spring trip is ideal. Wolves are out searching for
prey for their young pups and grizzlies are visible foraging in the
meadows and valleys like no other time of the year. Newborn elk
calves are hiding in the grass and sage while young bison calves are
kicking and bucking as they follow the herds. This burst of new life is
all around!
On a typical trip we see many wolves
from several packs and dozens of grizzlies. We have witnessed
amazing behavior, too, including both grizzlies and wolves chasing their
prey. Being a resident of the Yellowstone area for nearly his entire
life, Nathan specializes in the out-of-the-way places that few visitors
get to enjoy. Short walks will put us into amazingly scenic spots
that abound with wildlife. Don’t
miss this opportunity to watch wolves on the move as the sun rises, grizzly
bears bird-dogging through the sage hunting for elk calves, vast herds of
bison stampeding across open grasslands, and bighorn sheep walking
precariously along narrow cliff walls. While we may emphasize the
“charismatic megafauna,” we don’t ignore the “enigmatic microfauna”
either. We will also look for birds of all sizes and color, and
small carnivores like otters, coyotes, foxes, badgers, and weasels.
Following each exhilarating day filled with wildlife
viewing, we stay at comfortable and modern accommodations while
alternating great outdoor picnics with dining at exquisite restaurants
including Montana's historic
Chico Hot Springs. Finally, you will see many of the locations
that have made Yellowstone world famous, including the the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs
Terraces, and Old Faithful Geyser. |
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The Adventures
in Brief: June
4-8
& June
12-16, 2009
Guides: Dr. Nathan Varley & Linda Thurston,
wildlife biologists
Outfitters: A Naturalist's World
Group Size: 6-12
Cost: $1890/person/double occupancy w/
$250 single
supplement
Deposit of $500 per
person due at time of booking.
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E-mail
Nathan Varley or call 406 223 2152 for information and
reservations |
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Yellowstone Spring Wolf and
Bear Adventure Schedule:
Day
1: Rendezvous with
Nathan
and
Linda
at the
Bozeman
airport (BZN) between 11 AM and 1 PM.
After a lunch in the
Bozeman
area we will load our touring vehicle and leave the city behind en route
for the wilds of
Yellowstone. We will make stops in the
picturesque
Paradise
Valley, just north of the park where park wildlife issues take on a new
and controversial appearance.
Linda
has been involved with efforts to address wolf predation on livestock in
the largely private, agricultural lands of the valley.
At the north entrance to Yellowstone, we will check in at the Absaroka
Lodge in
Gardiner,
Montana, where the views of the
Yellowstone
River
and its rolling green hills and snow-clad mountains astound!
An orientation to the area and the week ahead will precede dinner
in
Gardiner.
Day
2: We wake early, as we often will to better our chances of viewing
active wildlife. We will tour
through most of the park’s northern range where wildlife abounds in the
spring, from bison to bears, from badgers to bald eagles.
We will search the Blacktail Plateau, Slough Creek valley,
and
Lamar
Valley
for the resident wolf packs, often teaming up with
rangers, scientists, and the eclectic wolf-watching faithful in our
mutual effort to find and observe wildlife.
Picnic breakfast and lunch will be served in the field to
maximize our time searching and observing. A
presentation at the
Track
Education
Center
with a special guest expert on wolves in Yellowstone
will precede dinner.
Day
3: As the day before, we will leave early for another trip to Lamar
Valley. This area is one of the best
in the park for wolves, bears and many other species.
The sheer abundance is what gives this area its well-earned
nickname, “The Serengeti of North America.”
We will return to the lodge after the morning safari. In the
afternoon we will offer a
tour to
Yellowstone
’s famous sights including amazing geyser eruptions and burping mud pots
of all colors. We will go to
Old Faithful
to catch an eruption of the world’s most famous, and faithful, geyser.
The return trip includes a stop at the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone for a view of the steep and rugged canyon with its enormous
falls at its head. Dinner follows in Gardiner.
Day
4: Our third and final early morning will take us back to the Lamar
Valley to maximize our opportunities for viewing wolves, bears, and many other
wildlife species. We will
return to check out of the Absaroka
Lodge
then take a short hike in the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone
River
to look for pronghorn, bighorn ospreys, and eagles. Upon return we will
drive to Chico Hot Springs in the Paradise Valley, known for its rustic elegance, gourmet food, and
therapeutic hot springs. Dinner
will be served in Chico’s exclusive wine cellar.
Day
5: After several early
mornings, you get to sleep in and rest up for a day of travel on our
final day. After breakfast,
we will have you back to the Bozeman airport (or a nearby destination) for departures no earlier than NOON.
At that point you will have accumulated hundreds of images of
incredible scenery and wildlife, as well as, the memories of a
fun group of new friends made while exploring and enjoying the magic of
Yellowstone!

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Cost:
$1890/person/double
occupancy. $250 supplement for singles requesting own room.
Price includes all lodging,
transportation to/from Bozeman, Montana, (BZN), park entrance fees, meals, snacks and
non-alcohol drinks. We can accommodate special
dietary needs, please let us know. A
deposit of $500 per person
reserves a space.
Local Outfitters: A
Naturalist's World LTD, Gardiner, Montana
Small Groups!! Maximum
trip participants will be 12!
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For reservations,
contact Nathan at
nathan@wolftracker.com
Or phone:
406 223 2152

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Policies:
Deposit: A deposit of $500 per
person reserves a space. The balance is due sixty days prior to the trip.
Cancellation Penalties: A full
refund of the deposit will be given for all cancellations more than six
months before the trip. For cancellations three to six months prior to
departure, we will refund $250 of the initial deposit. For cancellations
less than three months before departure, the deposit is non-refundable..
For cancellations one to two months prior to departure, 50% of the total
trip cost will be refunded. Refunds will not be made for cancellations
made less than a month prior to departure. We cannot refund money for
missed meals, missed portions of the trip or any other unused portions of
the tour. Cancellations must be submitted in writing and are effective
upon date of receipt.
Insurance: Trip cancellation and
medical insurance is highly recommended. We suggest you use CSA Vacation
Guarantee (800-348-9505) for trip insurance. Trip participants must fill
out a participant waiver and a medical release.
Health and Safety: The trip
requires average physical fitness and is suitable for people of all ages.
If you have health questions, consult your doctor for more information.
The tour leaders must be advised in advance of any special health needs.
Weather conditions can change without notice and it is the responsibility
of the traveler to have proper clothing and equipment. Please contact our
office for assistance in what to bring on the trip.
Responsibilities and Conditions:
We act only in the capacity of agent in all
matters of transportation and tour operation. We are not responsible for
delays, inconveniences, accidents, expense or mishap of any kind
whatsoever resulting entirely, or in part, from the negligence of others
or from causes beyond our control. We can accept no responsibility for
losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other
services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All
such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the participant, as tour
rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. The right is
reserved to substitute accommodations or modes of transportation and to
make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by
changes in transportation schedules. we take no
responsibility for special arrangements or problems incurred by persons
physically unable to participate in the planned activities. No refund can
be made for absence from the tour unless arrangements are made at the time
of the booking. The right is reserved to decline, to accept or to retain
any person as a tour member for any reason which affects the operation of
the tour or the rights and welfare or enjoyment of the other tour members.
We will not discriminate against any individual
because of race, sex, creed or nationality.
Cancelled Trips: We
reserve the right to cancel any trip should an
inadequate sign-up make the trip economically unfeasible for us to operate
or should conditions arise beyond our control that adversely affect the
well-being of the trip members. In such a case, a full refund of the trip
cost is given, but we are not responsible for
additional expenses incurred by members in preparing for the trip.
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For reservations, phone:
406~223~2152
or email
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