Yellowstone Learning in Winter
Nordic skiing, Snowshoeing, Wildlife Watching combine with learning in Yellowstone National Park during winter.
Yellowstone National Park's new winter Lodging and Learning Program allows visitors to adventure in the park while learning about the park's science, history and art.
Winter sports remain primary in the lives of some of us even if summer's heat burns hottest these days, and this news about a Lodging and Learning program called the "Winter Rendezvous" by the Yellowstone Association Institute has added some welcome winter chill to the Dog Days.
The "Winter Rendezvous" will be held at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel from March 6 to 10 and 10 to 14, 2007. A maximum of 52 participants will have exclusive use of the hotel each evening after a day of small group activities.
Daytime activities range from listening to wolves howl at sunrise and learning to ski or snowshoe on backcountry trails, to viewing Thomas Moran's field sketches at the new Heritage and Research Center.
Each day's schedule of field trips will include activities for a variety of fitness levels, and each day will end with a buffet meal, followed by evening programs and discussions.
"People love the format of our [summertime] Roosevelt Rendezvous program because it allows them to choose their own small group activities during the day and then brings everyone together for good food and fun programs in the evening; it's like summer camp for adults," said Jeff Brown, director of education for the Yellowstone Association. "We're delighted to offer a similar experience for winter visitors, and we think Winter Rendezvous
will be a hit as well."
The package includes expert instruction by Institute naturalist/guides and guest speakers; four nights' lodging in a room at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel; breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day; in-park mini-bus transportation and optional evening programs. The minimum for participation is 12.
The per-person cost for all this in a room with a private bath is as follows: $699, double occupancy; $849, single occupancy. Rates for a room with a shared bath are $659, double occupancy and $769, single occupancy.
Located in the northern part of the park, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is one of two hotels open in the winter; it's the only one accessible by car at that time of year.
If you've never visited Yellowstone in winter, you're really missing something. The park takes on a quiet, pristine air that can be overwhelmed in summer by the tourist rush.
Gliding into the backcountry on Nordic skis-or even marching there on snowshoes-puts a visitor among snow-cloaked trees, breathing crisp air, and witnessing the park's wildlife up close and personal.
It's a wonderful white world known to too few. A program like this allows it to be exposed in detail and in all its glory.
The Yellowstone Association Institute is a nonprofit field school
operated by the Yellowstone Association in partnership with the National Park Service. The Institute was founded in 1976 and offers a wide variety of educational programs on the natural and cultural history of Yellowstone.
Programs can be booked by calling 307-344-5566.
