A History Lesson on a Kindred Spirit....

This winter we had epic snowfall in the Yellowstone region- even now (late May) in the high country- snow pack is being added to the mountains, and spring run-off is just getting going. Needless to say, all this snow is going to create massive river flows in the upcoming weeks.



So, in preparation for the upcoming season I have been looking for historical accounts of other epic winters in the Yellowstone region and reading up on them. The winter of 1887 is known as the hardest winter on record in Montana. Huge snow accumalations and bitter cold temperatures plagued the Northern Rockies that year, in fact Montana ranchers lost 80% of their cattle herds due to starvation and exposure!

It was that brutal winter (1887) that the US government decided to launch the first offical sanctioned winter exploration of the interior of Yellowstone Park! Chosen to lead the expedition was Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka- a US Army officer. Schwatka it turns out was a real kindred spirit of mine! Before his Yellowstone assignement he had acheived notoriety for his dogsledding and rafting exploits.



In 1878–80, at the behest of the American Geographical Society, Schwatka led an expedition to the Arctic to look for records left on King William Island by members of the infamous "lost" Franklin expedition. Traveling to Hudson Bay by a schooner, Schwatka's team then went north from Hudson Bay "with three sledges drawn by over forty dogs, relatively few provisions, and a large quantity of arms and ammunition."



They traveled with Inuit, visited sites of Franklin Expedition remains, and found a skeleton of one of the lost Franklin crewmen. Though the expedition failed to find the hoped-for papers, it was regarded as "the longest dog sled journey ever made both in regard to time and distance" at that time. The expedition lasted eleven months and four days and traveled 2,709 miles (4,360 km)by dog team. It was the first Arctic expedition on which the whites relied entirely on the same diet as the Inuit.

Just a few years later in 1883, he was sent to explore the Yukon River by the US Army. Going over the Chilkoot Pass, his party built rafts and floated down the Yukon River to its mouth in the Bering Sea, naming many geographic features along the way. At more than 1,300 miles (2,092 km), it was the longest raft journey that had ever been made at that time.



However, even though Schwatka had extensive experience traveling in brutal and harsh climates, the epic Yellowstone winter got the best of him. The 29 day tour of the park on snowshoes covered nearly 200 miles, with temperatures varying −10F to −52F below zero. Sadly, Schwatka didn't make it through much of the expedition, the cold and altitude had gotten to Schwatka and he had to abandon the tour after a few days. The expedtions leadership was then taken over by Frank J. Haynes.

Haynes and three other men decided to continue on visiting both the lower, upper geyser basins and Yellowstone Falls before trouble struck. The party got stranded for 72 hours on the slopes of Mount Washburn in a frigid and blinding snowstorm with little or no food or shelter. They almost perished. Despite the problems on Mount Washburn however, Haynes returned with 42 photographs of Yellowstone in the middle of winter, the first ever taken during that time of year- making the Schwatka Winter Expedition of 1887 a success.

Fun for Kids in Yellowstone....

Yellowstone is an extremely cool place for kids.



But with almost 3500 square miles of lakes, geysers, canyons, and hot springs, there’s too much to see in one short stay. So, Here are
Ten Cool Things For Kids in Yellowstone National Park

1. Dragon’s Mouth Spring



How can you resist telling your kids that a dragon lives in a cave near a mud volcano? It doesn’t take much imagination to think that this cavern, with its growls and thumps, and spitting steam, might just hold a real dragon.

2. Fishing Cone



It’s probably just a tall tale, but the story goes that the early trappers and explorers would catch fish in Yellowstone Lake, swing them directly into the Fishing Cone geyser just off shore, and have a meal of boiled fish in just minutes. “Hook and cook,” they called it. Like the dragon cave, another cool sight that will fire up the imagination.

3. Old Faithful Inn



Old Faithful Inn
What kid won’t love the largest log hotel in the world? Just walk inside the 100-year-old Inn’s lobby, with its four stories of lodgepole pine balconies and 500-ton stone fireplace, and your kids might just want to sit for awhile. Preferably in one of the many handmade wood rocking chairs. Better yet, stay in one of the Inn’s rooms. Prices are reasonable, and the food in the dining room is first-class.

4. Fountain Paint Pots



Fountain Paint Pots

This is what I remember best from my own childhood memories of Yellowstone. The short half-mile trail is the perfect primer for the various thermal features you’ll see throughout the park. It’s a little bit of everything, with numerous geysers, bubbling mud pots, hot springs, and steaming fumaroles. With all that activity in a small space, it’s kind of watching a three-ring circus.



5. Dangerous Animals




Your kids might not be impressed by the thousands of bison that roam all over the park until they see the signs warning that these animals weigh up to 2000 pounds, run over 30mph, and think nothing of skewering a camera-toting tourist on the end of its horns. They can be extremely dangerous. Same goes for the grizzly bears, wolves, moose, elk, and badgers. But worry mostly about the bison (sometimes called buffalo), because they will be all around you.

6. Junior Ranger Program

The Junior Ranger program at Yellowstone is one of the coolest of all the National Parks. It gets the kids involved in all sorts of activities involving wildlife, ecology, geology, hiking, and education. If they complete the program, kids get an official Junior Ranger patch. Best of all, they learn something while having fun.

7. Stagecoach Rides

From Roosevelt Lodge in the northern part of Yellowstone, you can take a trip to the past with a rattling, bumpy ride on an old west stagecoach, just as visitors did back at the turn of the century. The ride lasts an hour and is quite reasonably priced at $8 for kids, $10 for adults. A nice way to soak up the scenery.

8. Upper Geyser Basin
Geyser watching
You want geysers? This is where you’ll have your fill of them, as the basin contains over 150 geysers. That’s the highest concentration of geysers in the world. Walking through this alien landscape makes you feel like the Earth’s crust could burst open in a cataclysmic hydrothermal explosion at any moment, totally ruining your dinner reservations at the nearby Old Faithful Inn Dining Room later that night. But seriously, this is the best place for you and your kids to see geysers going off right and left. Many of them, such as Castle Geyser, Grand Geyser, and Riverside Geyser are highly predictable, so you can figure when and where you need to be for the show.

9. Grand Prismatic Spring

Not everything in Yellowstone bubbles, growls, and erupts. Grand Prismatic Spring is simply a gigantic pool of steaming water. In fact, it’s the largest hot springs in the United States. You have to see it for the beautiful colors, from deep blue to orange to green to red, produced by different species of bacteria living in the water. It makes for an interesting biology lesson for everyone.

10. Old Faithful



Old Faithful Geyser
You know this would be on the list. How could it not be? It’s the most popular feature in Yellowstone, and is the park’s defining symbol. The area around Old Faithful is crowded, commercial, and noisy, but it’s still very cool. The geyser usually erupts on a predictable schedule, roughly every 90 minutes. Up to 8,000 gallons of scalding hot water shoots upwards of 185 feet while busloads of tourists “ooh” and “ahh.” On our last visit to the park, my kids and I made a game of running to watch Old Faithful go off. Staying in the nearby Inn made that easy for us, and we ended up viewing eight eruptions during our weekend at Yellowstone.

How to tell the difference between a Black Bear and a Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear



Color varies from blond to black. Often medium-to dark-brown legs, hump, and underparts with light-tipped (grizzled) fur on head and upper body.

Average weight is 500 pounds for males and 350 for females. Males may weigh up to 800 pounds.

Height is 3.5 – 4 feet at shoulder when on all fours, and 6 –7 feet when standing upright.

Distinctive shoulder hump is actually muscle mass that enables powerful digging.

Rump is lower than shoulder hump.

A dished-in profile between eyes and end of snout helps distinguish grizzlies from black bears.

Ears are round and proportionately small.

Front claws are 2-4 inches long, usually light colored.


Black Bear



Colors include black, brown, blond, cinnamon, and rust. The most common snout color is light brown.

Average weight in the West is 100 – 300 pounds, with males usually larger than females. Males may weigh up to 400 or more pounds.

Height is 2.5 – 3 feet at the shoulder when standing on all fours and 5 feet standing upright.

Rump is higher than front shoulders. Does not have a shoulder hump/muscle.

Face profile is straight; muzzle is long.

Ears may be long and prominent.

Front claws are less than 2 inches long, dark colored, sharp, curved, and good for climbing. Claw marks do not always show in tracks.

What to do if you encounter a Bear...

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last strongholds for the great land predators of North America, mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, black bears and Grizzly Bears all still live in the region and are thriving. Of all the predators in the area, nothing stikes fear in the hearts of vacationers and vistors to Yellowstone like bears.



Whenever you travel in bear country, you have to accept the basic reality that you may encounter a bear. The tips on these pages will help reduce the likelihood of meeting Master Bruin, but at the same time, you need to be prepared for what to do when the unexpected occurs.

If you are in open country, use binoculars to scan the horizon to look for bears. In more forested landscapes, be sure to make lots of noise and keep a mental inventory of climbable trees (just in case). Remember, black bears are agile climbers, and grizzlies have also been known to climb short distances up trees. To be safe, you should look for trees that will allow you to get at least 10 m (33 ft) above the ground. Don't forget that bears can charge at 50 km/hr (30 m.p.h.). You'll need some time to climb that tree.

Situation 1 - Bear has not detected your presence and is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant.
Don't announce your presence if the bear has not seen you. If possible, retreat slowly and give the bear plenty of space. If you have the opportunity, you should retreat and leave the trail to the bear. If you must continue, back off a short distance, and give the bear time to leave the area. You should also do a wide detour quietly and quickly downwind to avoid problems.

Situation 2 - Bear has detected your presence, but is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant.
Your goal here is to act in such a way as to allow the bear to identify you, but to also let it know that you are no threat. Speak calmly so that it knows you are a human (their eyesight is quite poor). They will often quickly give ground to you once they identify you as human. If the situation permits, back away slowly, keeping a close eye on the bear. Otherwise, you may wish to detour around the bear, but in this case, detour upwind so that the bear can get your scent. Keep talking calmly. Waving your arms may help it identify you as a human.

Situation 3 - Bear has detected you and shows signs of aggression
If you have followed the advice listed above, hopefully you have a bit of distance between the bear and yourself. You'll need to Assess the situation. Are you dealing with a black bear or a grizzly? Are there cubs involved? Are there climbable trees nearby (and do you have sufficient time to climb them)?

Do Not Run. You can't outrun a bear so don't even try. Despite rumours to the contrary, black and grizzly bears can outrun a human on ANY terrain, uphill or down. People will tell you that you should run downhill when chased by a grizzly. This is simply a myth - don't try it!

Try to retreat slowly. Back up slowly and try to put more space between you and the bear. Talk calmly so that it can identify you as human, and slowly back up. Keep your backpack on as it can provide protection if necessary. Don't make direct eye contact, but keep a close look at the bear as you back away.



Climb a tree if available. If you have enough time, and the bear continues to move closer, take advantage of a tall tree to climb. Remember, black bears are strong climbers as well. Grizzlies have also climbed short distances up trees after people. You want to get at least 10 m (33 feet) high to reduce the chance of being pulled out of the tree. Even though some bears can come up the tree after you, the hope is that they will feel less threatened, and thus less likely to chase you up the tree.

If the bear charges you. Bears will often bluff charge before attacking. This is designed to allow enemies to back down before the bear needs to actually make contact. It evolved as a way to prevent encounters with enemies and it may provide you with an opportunity to back away.

Use your pepper spray. This is a last resort. Pepper spray is only good at very close range (5 m or 15 ft). Wind will reduce this effective range even farther (and may blow the spray back into your face). If the bear approaches within this range, point the spray at its eyes and discharge the contents. Hopefully, this will either disorient the bear to allow you to escape, or at the very least deter it from attacking. Once you have partially discharged a canister of bear spray it should be discarded. While the spray may deter attacks, the smell of pepper can act as an attractor.

If a black bear (or any bear that is stalking you) makes contact. If the attack escalates and a black bear (or any bear that appears to have been stalking you) physically contacts you, fight back with anything that is available to you. Black bears tend to be more timid than grizzlies and fighting back may scare the bear off. In addition, if a bear is stalking you than you are in a predatory situation and fighting back is your only option. This also applies to any attack at night as these may also be considered predatory in nature.

If a grizzly makes contact. As above, if you believe the bear to be stalking you, fight back with everything you have. In general though, playing dead in a daytime grizzly encounter tends to reduce the level of injury sustained by most attack victims. Many grizzly attacks are defensive in nature, and playing dead may show the bear that you are not a threat. Keep your backpack on as it will provide added protection. The best position is to lie on your side in a fetal position. Bring your legs up to your chest and bury your head into your legs. Wrap your arms around your legs and hold on tight. You may also lie on your stomach, backpack on, and place your hands behind your neck to protect that vulnerable area. Do not play dead until the last moment. Staying on your feet may allow you to dodge, or divert an attack.

After the attack. Once the attack has ended, remain patient. After a few minutes, try to determine if the bear is still in the area. If the bear has moved on, you should make your way towards assistance as quickly as possible.

Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Whitewater rivers are inherently dangerous places. But, when you analyze the risks versus the rewards- canoeing, rafting and kayaking are definetly worth it- rivers are natures highways and they transport you through some of the most beautiful country on earth! In all reality driving the roads to get to the river is usually more dangerous than the river itself!

At River Source Rafting, we take your families safety seriously. Thats why he have the most highly trained guides on the river! All of our guides are trained as Swiftwater Rescue Technicians. Our founder, Jason Matthews is the only raft company manager or owner in the region that is certified to teach/instruct/certify people to be Swiftwater Rescue Technicians, we are very proud that we go above and beyond any mandated requirements, or our competition to be the areas premier river running operation.



Swiftwater Rescue Technician: For River Professionals

This three day-24hr. course is designed to meet the needs of professional river guides and is a must for recreational river runners and anyone finding themselves working on or near the water. This intensive 24 hour class has four hours of classroom instruction followed by two and a half days of developing and practicing skills on the river.



Course Curriculum Summary:
Identifying River Hazards
Rescue Philosophy/Liability

Self Rescue
Tethered Swimmers / Contact Rescues

Throwbag Deployment
Boat Based / Shore Based Rescues
Strainer Swimming
Shallow Water Crossings

Foot and Body Entrapment
Knots
Boat Pins

Mechanical Advantage and Technical Rope Systems
Quick, Smooth, Effective Rescue Technique

We are offering this class to our guides and the general public June 10-12,2011

Wilderness First Aid

River Source Rafting and Yellowstone Dog Sled Adventures both operate in fairly remote places. Thats why we do everything we can to minimize the risks to our clients, and to insure that our staff is the best in the business.

One source of pride for us, is that all of our guides are trained in Red Cross Wilderness First Aid, or higher for responding to backcountry emergencies. Our founder, Jason Matthews is the only guide in the area that is certified to teach/instruct/certify others in Wilderness First Aid- this insures that all of our guides are trained to the very highest standards. Rest assured that when your family does a trip with us we will do everything we can to make it a great one!



Training for Emergencies in Wilderness and Remote Environments



Whether you’re a scout, an outdoor enthusiast or you work in a remote environment, our Wilderness and Remote First Aid course gives you the skills you need to respond to an emergency when help may be delayed.

Topics include:

- Primary and Secondary Assessments
- Head (Brain), Neck and Spinal Injuries
- Heat-Related Emergencies and Hypothermia
- Altitude-Related Illnesses, Allergies and Anaphylaxis
- Bone and Joint Injuries and Burns
- Wounds and Wound Infection
- And more!

The course is based on the Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine Guidelines and offers enhanced content and topics to meet OSHA’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs. The program offers flexibility for organizations and their instructors to adapt the course to varying environments.

We will be offering this course to our employees and the general public June 4th and 5th. Please call (406)223-5134 if your interested

A Howling Good Time....

Wolves are a symbol of Wilderness, but here in the Yellowstone region they are much more than symbolic- they are controversial. But, no matter which side of the fence you stand on regarding wolf issues, you'll still enjoy this blog entry... I am going to start with how and where to see wolves on your own- then share a hilariously funny story about Wolf Watching....



I am amazed at how many people I know in Montana that have never seen a wolf. Even people that are "outdoorsy" and spend alot of time playing in the woods...I guess wolves don't have season passes to Bridger Bowl or go paddle the Gallatin after work though. In all honesty if I didn't commute through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone Park to get to work in the winter- I'd probably only have seen maybe 20-30 wolves in my life. But since I drive to Cooke City regularly, I have had the opportunity to see hundreds of wolves over the years (38 in one day a couple of years ago).



The key to seeing so many wolves is knowing what to look for. You don't have to have an incredibly sharp eye...you just need to know what the "wolf guy" drives.



Rick McIntyre is the wolf guy. He works for the Park Service as a public relations specialist for the wolves. He drives a bright yellow Nissan X-Terra, and he has the radio frequencies of all the radio-collared wolves. So, he drives around with his antenna, finds the wolves and then gets out, sets-up a spotting scope and soon the crowds descend upon him!



The Lamar Valley is Mecca for Wolf Lovers, and Rick is their GURU. So, if you want to see wolves, just drive through the Lamar in the winter and look for the X-Terra, the spotting scopes, and the masses and soon you will see wolves. Its really that easy!



One day a few years ago, I was driving through the Park and came up on a huge group of wolf watchers at the Slough Creek winter trailhead. They were watching a pack of wolves on a hillside several hundred yards away- across the road. I eased into the parking lot unseen since they all were looking the other direction. I hopped out of the truck and walked the 60 feet over to the group. They told me not only about the wolves across the way- but also, about a group that had been seen earlier back up Slough Creek! Behind us in the parking lot was my dog truck and 20 Alaskan Huskies quietly nestled in their boxes.



Suddenly, the wolves across the way began to howl....then moments later there was a response in the distance from the group behind us! After a couple more howls back and forth from the two packs, my sled dogs decided to join in and call back to them!

When the dogs erupted 20 yards behind us, it sounded like a huge wolf pack howling madly and descending upon us!!! Everyone jumped and several people screamed and shouted and put their hands over their hearts! It looked like a bomb had gone off as frantic and scared as everyone was! It was chaos. I, of course knew what it was and was embarassed and running to the truck to hush them up. After quieting them down, I hopped in the truck and drove off howling with laughter!