PACK TRIPS |
Topping over a pass high above timber line on a Wyoming wilderness pack trip.
Wyoming pack trips immerse you in dramatic scenery.
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Pack trips are the most comfortable way to visit the magnificent wilderness areas round the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Wyoming. If you are in top physical shape and don’t mind carrying a heavy pack, you can see the area on foot, but the best way is to take a horse pack trip which is how the first Europeans traveled through this country. The vast area is still the kingdom of wild animals like grizzly bears, moose, wolves, elk, deer and many smaller animals and birds. One may well be gone for a week on one of our pack trips without seeing another human being the whole time.
You will top over vertiginous passes far above timber line and drop down into valleys with swift flowing streams full of trout. Each valley has its own special character and distinctive landmarks. Some are surrounded by craggy cliffs, others glow with spectacular displays of wildflowers. Slowly you forget the pressures of civilization and achieve harmony with nature in a leisurely way which will restore your spirit. You will learn to appreciate your equine friends and bond with them as they sure-footedly Carry you through this awe inspriring land.
Our dude ranch adjoins the wilderness and is an ideal starting point for a pack trip.
More about these pack trips
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| Itinerary |
| Day 1: | Arrive at the Bitterroot Ranch for overnight accommodation. In the evening you will meet your guide and prepare for your adventure into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact wilderness areas left in the world. |
| Day 2: | Mount your well trained and experienced horse in the morning and ride into the remote Absaroka Mountain range with a string of pack horses carrying a week’s worth of food and supplies. By lunch time you will have left the last dirt road far behind as the route wends through alpine meadows filled with wildflowers, along sparkling mountain streams, and over mountain passes far above tree line with views that seem to stretch to eternity. It is not unusual to spend an entire pack trip without passing another person on the trail. Camp the first night near the head of the East Fork of the Wind River and enjoy your first dinner cooked over the wood fire. A meal made all the more delicious by an appetite built by the day’s adventures. |
| Day 3: | Today’s route takes you over the first mountain pass of the trip. As we ride above timber line there are often big herds of elk grazing on the tender grass. If you listen carefully you might hear the distinctive chip of the young elk calves calling to their mothers. In the afternoon the trail descends into the head of Bear Creek and you will spend the night surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks. |
| Day 4: | An early start as today is the longest day of the pack trip. We will traverse spectacular mountain ranges with superb views and cross over the little traveled Bug Creek Pass. You may see eagles soaring and big horned sheep perched on the incredibly steep sides of the mountains. In the afternoon the trail takes us into the green meadows of Caldwell Basin, a long, narrow valley ringed by steep mountains and thick forests. A lovely trout stream runs through the valley and you will very likely never want to leave this magical spot. |
| Day 5: | The camp will remain in Caldwell Basin until the following day so you can ride out to explore this magnificent valley without the pack horses, go fishing (this place has some of the best fishing in the Rockies for wild trout), or just relax and enjoy the country around camp. |
| Day 6: | Climb out of Caldwell Basin heading eastward. In the morning you will have spectacular views of the sheer cliff faces of the mountains above the Wiggins Fork Creek and in the afternoon you will return to a lower section of Bear Creek. |
| Day 7: | Today you will ride back out of the wilderness towards the Bitterroot Ranch. It is the first permanent human habitation you will have seen for six days. Dinner and overnight back at the ranch. |
| Day 8: | Depart in the morning after breakfast. |
| This itinerary may be modified to adapt to weather conditions, grazing quality, etc. |
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You can enjoy a blazing camp fire and some fine food on a wilderness pack trip.
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| Pricing and Dates |
| Meeting Point | Dubois |
| Length of Ride | 8 days, 7 nights and 6 days riding. |
| Riding Ability | Novice |
| Group Size | Minimum-4 Maximum-8 |
| Riding Per Day | 6 hours |
| Pace | slow |
| Tack | Western |
| Horses | local ranch bred |
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