Arrive To: Check in to Lodge after 4:00 pm. Informal Road Scholar Registration in Lobby 5:30 pm. Meet fellow participants, receive name badges and the week's schedule.

Dinner: Dinner at Lodge.

Evening: Meet in Lodge Conference Space (upstairs) for brief introductions and reviewing week's schedule.

Lodging: Angler's Lodge

Meals Included: Dinner

CLASS: Wildflowers, Wildlife and Waterfowl FIELD TRIP: Big Springs National Natural Landmark / Mesa Falls Scenic Area

Note: Shake-down short hikes; see how you feel at this elevation and this terrain. Bring cameras and binoculars. Good chance to spot moose, pelicans, cranes, etc.

Breakfast: Breakfast at Lodge 7:30 am

Morning: CLASS: Wildflowers, Wildlife and Waterfowl; enjoy images and discussion of interesting facts regarding species most likely to see on the trail. FIELD TRIP: Travel to Mesa Falls Scenic Overlook and view awe-inspiring Upper Mesa Falls, which plunges vertically over a cliff formed by erosion- resistant Mesa Falls Tuff. Hike 2 miles roundtrip through Lodgepole Pine forest to the very rim of Lower Mesa Falls, thundering 65 vertical feet over the lip of a narrow chasm. Behold the Big Falls Inn, an historic inn used by Yellowstone travelers at the turn of the century. Major reconstruction of the Inn was completed in 2001 and it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Walkways have exhibits on the geology, birds and plants of the falls and canyon,

Lunch: Sack lunch in the field.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Big Springs National Natural Landmark, a unique phenomenon where 120 billion gallons of water per day surge out of the ground. See the crystal clear springs and the clean gravel bottom teeming with gigantic trout who thrive in the constant 52 degree water. Hike along the full grown Henry's Fork River which flows out of Big Springs and view 25" trout, herons, osprey, eagles and 23 other water birds living near the springs outlet. Good chance to see Island Park's largest game species, the moose.

Dinner: Dinner 6 pm pm in lodge.

Evening: Meet in lodge for class on local history. Learn about the interesting people who settled this area at the turn of the 20th century.

Lodging: Angler's Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Hike along the shore of Silver Lake and/or Golden Lake in Harriman State Park seeking views of swans, pelicans, cranes, osprey, moose and elk. Five mile loop at a casual pace allowing for photography and wildlife viewing.

Breakfast:

Morning: FIELD TRIP: depart for Harriman State Park; in the heart of the 16,000 acre Harriman Wildlife Refuge, where forests, lakes, meadows and streams provide a sanctuary for many species of birds and mammals. Visit the historic Railroad Ranch, first used as a private hunting and fishing retreat for railroad magnates in the early 1900's.

Lunch: Sack lunch in the field.

Afternoon: Hike along the shore of Silver Lake or Golden Lake in Harriman State Park seeking views of swans, pelicans, cranes, osprey and numerous waterfowl species. Spot elk grazing in the meadows and a colorful variety of wildflowers. Watch for moose in ponds and sloughs. This is an enjoyable 5 mile hike.

Dinner: Dinner at Lodge.

Evening: Meet in lodge for presentation by the Henry's Fork Foundation, a nonprofit, member-based organization founded in 1984 to preserve and protect the unique qualities of the Henry's Fork watershed located in eastern Idaho. The Henry's Fork of the Snake River attracts fly fisherman from around the world and the foundation works with local, state and federal agencies with a commitment to better management of the watershed.

Lodging: Angler's Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

FIELD TRIP: Menan Butte National Natural Landmark / St. Anthony Sand Dunes

Note: Our most challenging hike, steep ascent 700 feet to the crater rim and 3-4 mile hike within the crater and on the crater rim. Interesting colorful flora amongst unique volcanic rocks. Potential to spot Golden Eagles that live on the crater rim. Next, visit and frolic at St. Anthony Sand Dunes,

Breakfast:

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Menan Butte, an extinct volcano on the Snake River Plain and designated National Natural Landmark. The trail to the volcano summit offers wonderful opportunities to learn and explore the unique geology and natural history of this area. Menan Buttes are two of the world’s largest tuff cones—volcanoes formed when basaltic magma boils up through ground water.

Lunch: Sack lunch in the field.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Visit and frolic in St. Anthony Sand Dunes, the largest tract of sand dunes in Idaho, covering approximately 175 square miles. The active dune field trends northeast for 35 miles and is five miles wide, with dunes ranging from 50 to 400 feet tall.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge.

Evening: Meet in lodge for class on Area Geology. Learn about the creation of the Island Park landscape and understand the meaning of the word "caldera."

Lodging: Angler's Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bechler Corner of Yellowstone National Park; viewing Cave Falls and Bechler Falls

Note: Beautiful 4-5 mile hike along the Falls River in mixed subalpine forest and riparian meadows.

Breakfast:

Morning: FIELD TRIP: to Bechler corner of Yellowstone. The Bechler Area is known as the "Cascade Corner" for its plethora of waterfalls. This little visited area of the park is accessed by traveling 19 miles through lush potato and barley fields in Idaho, entering Wyoming at 16 miles, entering Yellowstone the last tenth of a mile, where the road ends.

Lunch: Sack Lunch in the field.

Afternoon: Visit Cave Falls, a 30 foot drop spanning 100 feet across the Falls River. Cave Falls gets its name from a large cavern located behind the base of the falls. Hike through thick spruce and fir forest sprinkled with huckleberry bushes. View Bechler Falls, a pretty backcountry falls on the Bechler River. Round trip 4-5 miles. / Closure meeting reviewing the week just before dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at the historic Phillip's Lodge, built in 1949, famed for deep pit barbeque offerings, restored in the 1990's.

Evening: Time to put up your feet and enjoy sunset views from your own private balcony at the lodge.

Lodging: Angler's Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: 7:30 am breakfast at the Lodge. Airport shuttle (reservation only) departs 9:50 am.

Morning: Check out by 11:00 am.

Meals Included: Breakfast