Everybody has his or her favorite season in Yellowstone, and autumn certainly has its aficionados who make special trips for wildlife viewing and hiking while the temperatures are comfortable and the air is dry.
“Fall has a different feel to it, and it is apparent with changes in animals’ behavior as the elk are in rut and bears are preparing for hibernation,” said Daniel Bierschwale, director of sales and marketing for the Yellowstone Association. “It’s also a great time to hike the trails and explore parts of the park most people never see.”
The Yellowstone Association Institute offers several special programs that take full advantage of this season. YAI programs are led by expert naturalists who view the park as their classroom and the programs as an opportunity to share their passion that is Yellowstone National Park.
The meeting point for the following Field Seminars is the Yellowstone Association headquarters in Gardiner, Mont. Participants in these programs have the option of staying at the nearby Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus featuring two three-bedroom, two-bathroom modern log cabins for up to 12 people and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin for up to five people. Field Seminars are limited to 12 participants.
Field Seminars
Raptors Over Yellowstone will feature classroom sessions devoted to viewing images of raptors and discussing the ecology of each species followed by trips to Hayden Valley where participants and their leader will discuss the fine points of raptor identification and compile lists of the various species they observe. Rates are $248 per person. Raptors Over Yellowstone will be held Sept. 6-8.
Autumn Day Hiking in Yellowstone is offered Sept. 22-25. Participants will explore the park on daily hikes of 8 to 12 miles with elevation gains of up to 2,000 feet. Along the way, the YAI guide will share her expertise on the park’s geology, plant life and history while being constantly on the lookout for the park’s many animal species. Rates are $358 per person.
Participants in Autumn Wildlife Watching offered Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 will spend three full days in the field observing as many species as possible. At this time of year elk are returning to lower elevations with bull elk sporting full sets of antlers and competing for the attention of the females during the rut. Bears are entering their hyperphagia phase where they are ingesting large amounts of calories in preparation of the winter hibernation. Wolves are more commonly spotted as they follow the patterns of the elk as well. Rates are $330 per person.
Lodging & Learning
Roosevelt Rendezvous is a “Lodging & Learning” program featuring daytime field excursions followed by comfortable lodging at night. This program takes place in September after the historic Roosevelt Lodge, located in the Tower-Roosevelt area in the northeast quadrant of the park, is closed to the general public for the season. Up to 52 participants will stay at the lodge for four nights. During the day they split up into groups led by YAI naturalists guides as they enjoy wildlife watching as well as forays into areas with Yellowstone’s renowned thermal and geologic features. They will then reconvene at the end of the day for dinner and the opportunity to compare notes.
This year three sessions will be offered starting Sept. 6, 10 and 14. Rates are $897 per person for single occupancy and $759 per person for double occupancy. Rates do not include taxes or utility fees. The program includes four nights in private cabins with bathroom facilities nearby, expert instruction from naturalists/guides, in-park transportation and meals. The minimum age to participate is 12.
YAI also offers Private Tours tailored for families and small groups and tours typically focus on wildlife watching, natural history and geology, thermal features or hiking. In addition to the Overlook Campus, many Field Seminars are held at the Institute’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch Field Campus, where simple and comfortable log cabins are available for $30 per person per night.
Reservations can be made by calling (406) 848-2400.
YAI is a membership-based nonprofit organization. For information about becoming a member, visit www.yellowstoneassociation.org/membership/. For more information about any Institute program visit www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or FaceBook.com/YellowstoneAssociation.
To receive a course catalog or for more information go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or call (406) 848-2400. — Submitted by Mona Mesereau
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