Afternoon: Check-in between 4 and 5 pm.

Dinner: Welcome dinner at adjoining restaurant.

Evening: Orientation, introductions and a preview of the adventure.

Lodging: Best Western by Mammoth Hot Springs

Meals Included: Dinner

Introduction to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Predator/prey Dynamics.

Breakfast: Breakfast at adjoining restaurant.

Morning: Morning presentations: Ecosystems defined; includes political area and boundaries. Herbivores of Yellowstone.

Lunch: Lunch at nearby restaurant.

Afternoon: Afternoon presentation introduces carnivores of Yellowstone. Free time.

Dinner: Dinner at nearby restaurant.

Evening: Evening presentation is 'Winter: The Great Predator.'

Lodging: Best Western by Mammoth Hot Springs

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning field trip to Yellowstone's northern range for wildlife habitat and viewing, natural history presentations.

Breakfast: Early breakfast.

Morning: Dawn provides the best opportunity for wildlife observation. Arrive in Lamar at first light; while en route, interpretation will focus on natural history of area wildlife and of Yellowstone National Park. Use of spotting scope and binoculars at viewing areas. Possible wildlife observations include bison, elk, waterfowl, coyotes, wolves, bald and golden eagles, bighorn sheep, mountain fox, pronghorn, otter. Mid January to mid February is wolf breeding season. Mating season is a prime time to observe wolves. Sighting possibilities include interaction between male and female wolves and predator/prey interaction. Bring binoculars; scopes provided.

Lunch: Lunch at nearby restaurant.

Afternoon: Free time. Afternoon presentation is "Bison, Beaver, Elk, Wolves and Willows: What's the Connection?"

Dinner: Dinner at nearby restaurant.

Evening: Evening presentation is "Elk, Bison and Wolves; Predator/Prey Relations."

Lodging: Best Western by Mammoth Hot Springs

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning field trip to Yellowstone's northern range and exploration at the historic Mammoth Hot Springs area.

Breakfast: Early breakfast.

Morning: Dawn provides the best opportunity for wildlife observation. Arrive in Lamar at first light; while enroute, interpretation will focus on natural history of area wildlife and of Yellowstone National Park. Use of spotting scope and binoculars at viewing areas. Possible wildlife observations include bison, elk, waterfowl, coyotes, wolves, bald and golden eagles, bighorn sheep, mountain fox, pronghorn, otter. Mid January to mid February is wolf breeding season. Mating season is a prime time to observe wolves. Sighting possibilities include interaction between male and female wolves and predator/prey interaction. Bring binoculars; scopes provided.

Lunch: Lunch in Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

Afternoon: Snowshoe walk on the Upper Terraces with naturalist/photographer for interpretation; expect breathtaking vistas and learn to read the snow - identify tracks, scat and other signs. Bring your camera. Visit the Albright Visitor Center and Museum, built by the US cavalry during "Fort Yellowstone" times, includes history-themed exhibits-Native Americans, mountain men, early exploration, Army days and early National Park Service. Also included: predator-prey themed exhibit, Moran Gallery (reproductions of Thomas Moran watercolors), Jackson Gallery (original William Henry Jackson photographs and 1871 Hayden Survey photographs), theater, information desk and Yellowstone Association sales area (good selection of Yellowstone-related books, also prints, notecards, games, films, photographs, maps, etc.)

Dinner: Dinner at nearby restaurant.

Evening: Free evening or optional wolf video with discussion

Lodging: Best Western by Mammoth Hot Springs

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning field trip to Yellowstone's northern range; afternoon in historic Cooke City.

Breakfast: Early breakfast.

Morning: Dawn provides the best opportunity for wildlife observation. Arrive in Lamar at first light; while en route, interpretation will focus on natural history of area wildlife and of Yellowstone National Park. Use of spotting scope and binoculars at viewing areas. Possible wildlife observations include bison, elk, waterfowl, coyotes, wolves, bald and golden eagles, bighorn sheep, mountain fox, pronghorn, otter. Mid January to mid February is wolf breeding season. Mating season is a prime time to observe wolves. Sighting possibilities include interaction between male and female wolves and predator/prey interaction.

Lunch: Continue up the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek to Cooke City for an early lunch.

Afternoon: Travels offers additional opportunity for wildlife and habitat viewing. The road from Gardiner, Montana (Yellowstone's NW entrance) to Cooke City, Montana, (Yellowstone's NE entrance which is closed in winter) is 52 miles and is the only road open to wheeled vehicles during the winter. Until 1882, the town and the land around it were within the Crow Reservation. Following numerous skirmishes between the Crow and gold miners the reservation boundary was moved east. Prospectors often accompanied soldiers through Indian lands looking for gold. Gold was found nearby in the early 1870's and the area became known as the New World Mining district. The town was called Shoo-fly until 1880 when it became known as Cooke City, named after a mining investor named Jay Cooke Jr. Cooke promised to use his considerable influence to bring the railroad through the top of Yellowstone Park from Gardiner. This single move would have made the mining much more profitable in the Cooke area. Congress soon put an end to the possibility; Cooke ran into financial difficulty and lost his bonded mining claims. Back in Gardiner for free time. Later afternoon presentation is Wolf Reintroduction in Yellowstone.

Dinner: Dinner at adjoining restaurant.

Evening: Evening presentation is "Winter in Yellowstone."

Lodging: Best Western by Mammoth Hot Springs

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at nearby restaurant.

Morning: Morning presentation and discussion considers wolf 'management' in the Greater Yellowstone Area: Present and Future. Wrap-up; Q and A Group photo; bring your camera.

Brunch: 11:00 am brunch at adjoining restaurant. Shuttle departs at 11:30.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Brunch