Author Archives: Howie Wolke

OK, we’ve covered the paramount importance of proper-fitting hiking shoes. Don’t buy them from a catalogue; go to a store and try them on! And when in doubt, get the bigger pair! We’ve also admitted that in the wilderness, even a pro can occasionally develop blisters under the right circumstance. But next to getting the […]

On any of our guided backpacking trips in Yellowstone — or for that matter in any of the other wondrous wildernesses that we explore — we want our clients to have fun! And few problems can rain on a great wilderness experience more than blisters. Usually caused by poor-fitting or stiff new boots, blisters can […]

Soaring above Wyoming’s Wind River Valley and extending northward along the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, the expansive Absaroka Range continues well into Montana on the east side of the “Paradise Valley” (of the Yellowstone River). The Absarokas are a volcanic highland, one of the most expansive ranges in the rocky Mountains. And they […]

Next to the Grand Tetons, the Winds are the most famous mountain range in Wyoming. The reason is obvious. It is the highest range in the Rocky Mountains north of Colorado, and it cradles the largest glaciers in the Rocky Mountains south of Canada. Much of it is above tree-line, with this caveat: there is […]

In previous posts, we’ve noted that the most dangerous part of nearly any guided wilderness hiking trek is the drive to the trail-head. We stand by that! And backpacking in Yellowstone is no exception. Once out in the wilds, however, many folks will be surprised to know that bear attacks are way down on the […]

The valley of Jackson Hole Wyoming is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is flanked by the world-famous Grand Tetons on the west and by the less well-known but locally loved and even wilder Gros Ventre Mountains on the east. The town of Jackson sits at the south end of the valley. The Gros […]

As mentioned in the previous post, when you get to a river crossing, let the guide do his job. Don’t crowd him! Don’t start making suggestions! And bring your hiking stick or trekking pole(s)! Depending upon the situation, on any given guided hiking trek in Yellowstone or elsewhere, our guide will usually go first. He […]

One of the great features of most of our wilderness backpacking treks is an abundance of cold clear mountain streams and rivers. This is especially true for our Yellowstone backpack trips, because the Yellowstone region nourishes the headwaters of some of our nations’ major and most iconic river systems, including the Snake/Columbia, the Green/Colorado and […]

First, look around before you get too invested in a tent sight. On thing that’s guaranteed to ruin a good night’s sleep in the wilderness is to be crushed or skewered in your tent by a falling tree. And in loud enough wind or rain or both, nobody will even hear you squeal! The easiest […]

Yellowstone is the world’s first national park, established in 1872. And Big Wild has organized and run guided Yellowstone backpack trips since 1979. Because the Park Service has built too many roads and facilities in Yellowstone, and because it encourages motor tourism above all else, it costs them a lot of money to provide the […]