Active Outdoor Programs

FULL! #15966 TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
May 25-30, 2008 (Gardiner, MT)
Three active field days in Yellowstone with vigorous but comfortably paced walks offer hands-on explorations of of favortie destinations and less-visited nooks and crannies of the park. Learn ethics of wildlife viewing and how to use binoculars. See newborn animals and identify spring wildflowers at a time when wildlife is more active and park visitation low. Supporting lectures consider predator/prey dynamics, ecosystems, and management issues. Walks present moments of delight, discovery and opportunities to investigate geyser basin, waterfall, riparian, canyon and mountain environments. Museums and visitor centers reveal human history, natural history, geology and in-depth interpretation of fire's role in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. 
**activity level 4 

#16312 MONTANA FAIRWAYS: GOLFING AT THE OLD WORKS AND FAIRMONT HOT SRPINGS RESORT
August 17-22, 2008 
(Fairmont Hot Springs, Anaconda, MT)
Golfing enthusiasts and aspiring golfers will have the opportunity to learn/improve the game under the tutelage of PA pros on tow Montana golf courses - Fairmont Hot Springs Resort and Old Works. Consider basics of the game from history and etiquette to rules and scorekeeping. Enjoy Sountwest Montana's Big Sky country, off the beaten path, tame golf courses in wild country. Introductory presentation introduces the valley's long ranching history. 
An afternoon field trip highlights nearby Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, once headquarters of a 10 million-acre cattle empire, now a 1,600 acre working ranch. A horse-drawn wagon ride, tailored to the Elderhostel group, offers exploration of the interior of the ranch from hayground to hillside grazing areas. Review, through field trips, the glory days of copper, silver and gold mining in the Butte and Anaconda areas, mining politics and other shenanigans, and the Copper Kings. 
**activity level 4



#4874 HIKING IN YELLOWSTONE: WILDFLOWERS, WILDLIFE, WATERFALLS AND HOT SPRINGS
June 1-7, July 20-26, Aug 3-9 (walking), 
Aug 10-16, Aug 31-Sep 6, and Sep 21-27, 2008
(Gardiner, MT)
Yellowstone's spectacular and mostly untouched 2.2 million acres offer 1,200 miles of hiking, walking and backpacking trails.  Led by a naturalist, you'll barely scratch this surface to explore pathways that thread through a matchless landscape of diverse flora, unique thermal features and landforms, spectacular canyons, frothing cascades and rushing, crystal clear waterways.  Instructor's ongoing interpretation and observations enhance your hiking field trips and, with background lectures, provide an intimate portrait of the Park's wildlife, habitats and geology.  Three days in the field offer a tantalizing glimpse of the Great Caldera's infinite wonders.  Raft a stretch of the Yellowstone River, outside the Park, through the upper Paradise Valley. 
**activity level 4

#16304 BACKCOUNTRY IN THE 
SELWAY-BITTERROOT WILDERNESS: 
A MULEPACKING EXPEDITION
August 3-9, 2008 
(Butte, MT and wilderness campsite)
Join an outfitter-led mule packing adventure into central Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area. Introduction to mule packing combines trail riding and packing, backcountry camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing and delicious camp food to provide a unique experience with nature. Learn philosophy of and apply principles of "Leave No Trace" backcountry use while practicing mulemanship and mule packing techniques. Being outdoors all day, sleeping in a tent-a total engagement with the natural world among mountain, forest, and riparian life zones-provides opportunities for tuning in to rythyms of the wilderness. Interpretation and natural history preserntations of the Selway-Bitterroot include wildlife, fire, geology, and human history.
**activity level 5

#14704 LATE SPRING HIKING IN GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKS 
(hosted by Targhee Institute)
June 8-20 and (#5843-fall section) September 7-19, 2008 
(Alta, WY, Old Faithful & Gardiner, MT)
Discover Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. In spring and autumn, days are temperate, and the landscape is vivid with seasonal color. Along our route in the sub-alpine Teton wilderness and the among the steaming wonders of Yellowstone, enjoy hikes and walks while learning about regional wildlife and the geological process that created these awe-inspiring natural treasures. Lectures address wildlife preparation for winter, habitats, and foraging needs. Search for eagles and other wildlife, raft the Snake River through the heart of Grand Teton National Park's Jackson Hole, and hike canyons and lakesides among jagged Teton peaks. Then move north into a land of sulfurous steam, plunging waterfalls, and growling cauldrons for walks along Old Faithful's geyser basin and Mammoth's travertine terraces. At the Yellowstone River's Grand Canyon, enjoy the precipitous painted walls, hike canyon paths, and study geologic processes that carved the canyon's awesome course.
**activity level 4 


**activity level descriptions