Montana/Wyoming $1,600 • July 23-27, 2012
This trip in the mountainous northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park is a wonderful way to experience an absolutely beautiful high mountain and valley area on a very mellow trail with only a couple of modest ups and downs. Wolves, bear, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and more thrive here. The terrain is verdant and scenic, with high peaks rising above a rich mix of woods, meadow, and streams. Summer wildflowers will still be blooming. We rate this trip moderately easy and its base is Gardiner, Montana.
This Yellowstone backpacking trip used to be called “Northeast Yellowstone’s Wolf Country”. It is in the far northeast corner of Yellowstone, adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, and is mostly in the beautiful and lush Pebble Creek drainage. Most years we day-hike on our layover to an adjacent spectacular high mountain pass.
TREK BASE: Gardiner, MT. Yellowstone River Motel, 14 Park Street, 888-797-4837 or 406-848-7303. Or, Gardiner Guest House B&B, 112 Main Street, 406-848-7314. Your choice. Gardiner is small; they’re just a block apart. If you need a night in Bozeman, we recommend the Comfort Inn at 800-587-3833 or 406-587-2322.
MEETING TIME: Pre-trip orientation plus food and gear handout and safety talk at 6 pm the evening prior to the first day of the trip, at the Yellowstone River Motel.
TRANSPORTATION: Air service to Bozeman; Amazing Taxi from airport to Gardiner (about an hour and a half) 406-223-5344. Call in advance and identify yourself as with Big Wild Adventures. The taxi company will try to bunch up clients on a late afternoon ride in order to reduce the per-person price.
TREK RATING: Moderately easy on good trails with very gentle gradients. Our longest backpacking day will cover about 5 miles, and we’ll have at least one layover.
ELEVATIONS: 6500-8000 feet. Maximum one day elevation gain with pack is 800 feet.
WEATHER: Typically lots of sun with warm days and cool nights. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, but prolonged rain is not. Nonetheless, in the high country, visitors must be prepared for any kind of weather, from snow to 80 degrees with hot sun. Click here for theNational Weather Service forecast.
FISHING: World-class trout fishing in the streams requires a permit that can be obtained when we enter the park. It is mostly catch and release.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Summer wildflowers will be in bloom. Wolves were re-introduced just a few miles from our trailhead. Wolf activity varies each year and seasonal pack movements are unpredictable, but we may get lucky enough to hear or see these magnificent carnivores! There’s plenty of other native wildlife, too, including mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, bear and elk. This verdant mix of forest and meadow features snow-capped peaks rising above a gorgeous mountain valley! This is a remote, little-known part of Yellowstone that is truly magnificent.
SPECIAL TIPS: A lightweight set of binoculars will come in handy for wildlife viewing. This is grizzly country, so eschew deodorants and other sweet smelly substances!
STATUS: The Yellowstone backcountry has long been proposed for Wilderness designationunder the Wilderness Act of 1964, but so far Congress has failed to thus fully protect this, the world’s first national park. It is managed as de-facto wilderness.
ITINERARY: This is a Yellowstone backpacking trip where we end at a different trailhead than where we begin, which is about an hour and a half drive from Gardiner. Campsites will be reserved exclusively for our group.
Please Note: Because we are flexible and vary the route depending upon conditions, mileages and elevations are approximate, not exact.
