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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Program Registration. After you have your room assignment, go to the Road Scholar table to register with program staff. You will get your welcome materials including an up-to-date schedule that reflects last-minute changes, important information and updates, and directions for when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please follow-up with program staff when you arrive after you check-in with the hotel.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: Orientation. The Group Leader will lead greetings and introductions. We will review program schedules, discuss roles and responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program has an Instructor and Group Leader. The Instructor is an expert naturalist who will lead lectures and field trips. The Group Leader will help with program logistics. Only snowcoaches are allowed in Yellowstone National Park during the winter months. Snowcoaches are specialized van-type vehicles that travel over snow and ice and move at very slow speed limits through the park (25 mph). We will travel in the park one day on snowcoaches and will spend extended periods of time on the snowcoaches. There will be commentary from your Instructor along the way and many stops to take in the winter landscape and wildlife. Another day traveling into the park will be on snowmobiles. We will travel on two-passenger snowmobiles as a group under the direction of trained guides. If you choose to not participate in any activities, less active options may be available in West Yellowstone. Any additional expenses for alternate activities are the responsibility of the participant. When walking in West Yellowstone and in Yellowstone, we will be walking on snow-packed and possibly icy areas. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like to make your experience more meaningful. These periods of time allow you to do activities according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be able to help offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, and program staff, along with distances and times indicated on the daily itinerary, may change unexpectedly due to local circumstances and conditions. In the event of changes, you will be notified as quickly as possible. Some notifications may take place during the program. Thank you for your understanding.
Activity note: Three-hour snowshoes walk on moderate terrain at 6,666'. Snowshoes are provided. No experience necessary.
Breakfast: At a local restaurant.
Morning: We will enjoy an overview from our Instructor introducing the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and the history of the Yellowstone volcano.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will experience winter ecology with an interpreted snowshoe walk at the edge of town on a snowshoe trail. We will discuss animal tracks, scat and signs, and habits and habitats and explore what they tell us about animals' winter behavior.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: A full-day, 80-mile round trip snowcoach journey in a heated, over-the-snow vehicle, at elevations ranging from 6,666 feet to 7,900 feet. Several moderate walks on slippery, snow-packed trails, boardwalks, and stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.
Morning: We’ll head out for a full day, naturalist-led adventure, into Yellowstone Park to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area in a heated snowcoach. We’ll travel through the park's breathtaking winter beauty along the Madison and Gibbon Rivers to Norris Junction, then eastward toward Canyon, with several moderate walks to scenic overlooks.
Lunch: Sack lunches during a stop in the park.
Afternoon: We will spend time at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for photo opportunities and trailside interpretation. You will find that winter's white and iron grip only adds to the magnificence. You will see the Upper Falls roaring, with a 109-foot plunge, and the Lower Falls’ classically spectacular 308-foot sweep into ice-swathed depths. Here, beautifully tinted walls result from the hot water's action on volcanic rock.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Three-hour cross-country ski trek on moderate terrain at 6,666 feet. Cross-country skis are provided. No experience necessary. Walk to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, with an SUV available if needed.
Breakfast: At a local restaurant.
Morning: Following breakfast, we will walk to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center where we will learn about the wildlife of Yellowstone, predator and prey relationships, habitat requirements, winter range areas, animal populations, and more. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is dedicated to providing visitors with a unique opportunity to learn about, view, and ultimately appreciate grizzly bears and gray wolves.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After a brief instruction from a ski outfitter, we will start our cross-country ski adventure on the nearby Rendezvous Trail System. This trail system encompasses over 18 miles (30 km) of groomed trails on gently rolling terrain in and out of a lodgepole pine forest and open meadows. We will discuss winter ecology, tracks, and animal scat.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Full-day, 60-mile round trip snowmobile adventure on two-passenger, clean, quiet, four-stroke machines at elevations from 6,666 feet to 7,400 feet. Several moderate walks on slippery, snow-packed trails, boardwalks, and stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.
Morning: We will enjoy a full-day guided snowmobile field adventure into Yellowstone National Park, traveling to Old Faithful through the Firehole Canyon, as well as Lower and Midway Geyser Basins. We will enjoy riding or driving on a two-passenger snowmobiles. We will experience exhilarating and breathtaking wonders of the Great Caldera, a land that holds one half of the world's geothermal features. Geothermal features include geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles! We will also go on several walks through the steamy, sulfur-scented Old Faithful and Lower Geyser Basins.
Lunch: We will enjoy a sack lunch near Old Faithful.
Afternoon: Our adventure continues through Yellowstone's winter whiteness, where we may see bison, elk, waterfowl, coyotes, and bald eagles. Swan sighting are possible along the Madison River. Discovery beckons us and awaits around each bend of the road!
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Evening: The mind reels after exploring the National Forest land on the western border of Yellowstone and venturing into Yellowstone National Park. We have encountered new visions, scents, and sounds, and have been introduced to the greatest predator of all: winter. We will enjoy an evening wrap-up discussion that ties everything together, answers questions, and brings the learning adventure to a gratifying conclusion.
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. Individual departures. Arrangements for shuttle services are made independently. Shuttle services are not included in the program price and advanced reservations are required.
Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.
Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!