Author Archives: Howie Wolke

In the previous post, I mentioned that so far, poisonous spiders, centipedes and scorpions are  found on most of our routes in the desert Southwest. New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness is included, though most of the miles on our Gila Wilderness trips  are too high in elevation for much worry about “creepy crawlies”. Nonetheless, on our […]

Our trips in the high country of Wyoming and Montana are, for the most part, free of venomous creatures. This includes the various routes we utilize on our guided Yellowstone backpacking trips. The climate is simply too cold to support these cold-blooded animals. So far. Of course, the climate is changing, and future Rocky Mountain […]

There’s not too much to worry about here. However, after a few more decades of humanity doing little to arrest climate change, dangerous arthropods will probably become commonplace in Yellowstone. For now though, there are just a few things to keep in mind. First, Yellowstone is not known to harbor populations of either black widow […]

Essential to staying warm and dry is our basic Big Wild mountain layering system: synthetic or wool long johns first, then a fleece or wool layer, an insulated jacket, a two-piece rainsuit and a ski hat. For warm sunny weather, cotton shirts are great. They keep you cool and protect you from sun and bugs. […]

First and foremost, do not skimp on clothing! Follow the Big Wild Clothing/Personal Gear List that we send to all of our clients. Yes, you do need to bring the long underwear and the ski hat that’s on the list! Even in July! And don’t forget the insulated jacket, the fleece pullover or wool shirt […]

Most of our Big Wild Adventures guided Yellowstone backpack trips are during the “summer season”, from June through September. So hypothermia should not be a problem. Right? Wrong! In fact, in Yellowstone and in all of the areas in the Rocky Mountain region where we guide, cold wet weather can occur any day of the […]

While backpacking in Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons, you can pretty much forget worrying about poison ivy. It is extremely rare in both of these national parks. Yet “rare” is not the same as “absent”! Poison ivy is a deciduous shrub with a skin-irritating oil with which most folks are familiar. It grows in temperate […]

Yellowstone’s greatest danger for humans is driving through the park. Beyond that, the biggest statistical chance for your ultimate demise while visiting Yellowstone is not bears. Not by a long shot. No, the most likely thing to earn you a premature entry into the nitrogen cycle while backpacking in Yellowstone is water, the stuff that […]

There are plenty of reasons to go for a walk on the wild side without your guide. Some folks might wish to meditate. Or to have a spiritual experience one way or another. Some head off by themselves away from camp to do photography or to go fishing. Again, as noted in my previous post, […]

Why is getting lost even a consideration on a guided backpack trip? After all, our guides are professionals, experts in wilderness navigation. But they are wilderness guide/naturalists, not babysitters. Which means that there will probably be times while backpacking in Yellowstone or in any other wild area, that our clients are off by themselves for […]