You should plan to arrive in Billings, Montana, on Friday or Saturday. Friday is suggested, since this will give you time to become accustomed to the altitude and climate. Also, this may provide you with an opportunity to do some last minute shopping or just to visit Billings.
Day One, Sunday:
Stan & Suzie Hoggatt will join guests at the Sheraton Hotel in Billings for an early (7:00 am) breakfast and an opportunity to get acquainted. After breakfast we will depart for Red Lodge, Montana, and a drive over the scenic Beartooth Highway. You will want to be dressed for limited hiking in the Beartooths where we will explore the geology and plant life of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains. You should have a daypack, walking shoes, light jacket, sunscreen, and water bottle. When we arrive in Red Lodge, we will take time out so the anglers in our group can visit some Fly shops where they can purchase a Wyoming Fishing License. The rest of us will visit some of the quaint little stores along main street. From Red Lodge, we will follow the picturesque Beartooth Highway over the Beartooth Pass en route to historic Cooke City, Montana, where we will have lunch. After lunch we will leave Cooke City and return to the Beartooth Mountains. Fisherman in the group will be dropped off along the Clarks Fork River for some cutthroat fly-fishing. The rest of us will go on a photo shoot and hike where we can take photos of waterfalls and wildflowers. We usually arrive at the Hunter Peak Ranch around 4:30. Upon arrival at the Ranch, you can relax and get situated in your room before joining everyone for a delicious cowboy-style dinner at 6:00. Then, following dinner at 7:30 you can join Stan for an Interpretive Presentation on Nez Perce history. There is no doubt, your first nights sleep in the midst of the Absaroka Mountains will be enjoyable.
Day Two, Monday:
Monday will be an exciting day for you--we'll take our first trail ride. We will begin with breakfast at 7:00 am. Our ride, which will be approximately 12 miles, will take us up the North Fork of Crandall Creek. Along the way, we will see the majestic Hoodoo Peak, Indian Peak and Hurricane Mesa. We will consider the alternative routes the Nez Perce could have taken down the divide from Yellowstone into the Sunlight Basin area including Hoodoo, Papoose, Timber, and Closed Creeks. After we have followed along the North Fork of Crandall Creek in a northwesterly direction for several miles, we will enter the Absaroka Wilderness. The view from the high ridges we will be riding along is unbelievably beautiful, and you will want to be sure to have your camera ready. We will be back to the Ranch in the late afternoon. For the fishermen, you may want to head out for the streams and try your angler's luck. Others may want to kick back and relax, read a book, or go on a hike.
Day Three, Tuesday:
Tom Oesleby, our host geologist for the geological excursion through the northern loop of Yellowstone Park, will join us for breakfast. Following breakfast, we will depart by vehicle for the day. You'll want to be dressed for limited hiking. You should have a day pack, be wearing walking shoes or hiking boots, and bring along a light jacket, sunscreen, camera, film, and water bottle. You may also want to bring a notebook if you would like to take notes as we explore Yellowstone. In Yellowstone, we will explore the geology, wildlife and scenery of the northern loop. We will visit the Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Mount Washburn and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone before returning to the Ranch. During our travels through Yellowstone, we will take time out to eat our sack lunch. We will begin our travels back to the Ranch around 5:00 pm. Dinner will be at 7:00 pm¾you'll probably want to crash soon after dinner.
Day Four, Wednesday:
We will drive to the Soda Butte Trailhead where we will meet with our guide for the trail ride from the 7-D Ranch. After we saddle up, we will cross Soda Butte Creek and head towards the headwaters of the Lamar River. After riding about 4 miles in a southeasterly direction, we will head up the divide between Cache Creek and Calfee Creek. We will then follow the "Old Bannock Trail" used by the Nez Perce, the Shoshonis, and Bannocks to cross over the divide into the Sunlight Basin area en route to the buffalo countries of Wyoming and Montana. This alternate route of the Bannock Trail was developed after mining activity began in the Cooke City area. We will follow the Trail along the divide to a view point where we will stop for lunch. After lunch, Stan will provide a short interpretive presentation. Looking out at the unbelievable vista before you, Stan will show you Chief Looking Glass's Trail on the horizon and describe the Nez Perce experiences in this area. After our presentation, we will head back toward the Ranch with an intermediate stop at the historic Ranger Rider Bar in Silver Gate, Montana--the thirsty cowboys in the group will probably be hankering for a beer by this time. We hope to arrive back at the Ranch around 5:30 pm. Dinner will be at 6:00 pm followed by free time for fly-fishing, hiking or just relaxing.
Day Five, Thursday:
As they say, we'll be "back in the saddle again." We'll ride up picturesque Papoose Creek to a view point where we will stop for lunch. The majestic snow-capped Papoose Peak, Timber Creek and Closed Creek headwalls lie before you in an unbelievable panoramic view. Following lunch Stan will provide a brief interpretive presentation of the Nez Perce Trail. Then, we will begin our descent back down Papoose Creek to a point where we cross Hoodoo Creek. At this point, the anglers in the group can join Stan for a unique fly-fishing experience and hike. (The hike back to the trail head from this point requires that you be in good enough condition to walk about three miles along the rugged Hoodoo Creek bed and its banks--if fishing is really good you may have a cold dinner back at the Ranch.)
Day Six, Friday:
It is not always true that you save the best for last--especially when the rides and scenery have been so spectacular. It is safe to say, though, that the ride up Lodge Pole Creek to the Windy Mountain Divide and down Trail Creek will be special. After we make the descent down Trail Creek, we will arrive at a point, Trail Creek Meadows, where the Nez Perce camped for several days. It was while the Nez Perce were camped here that Chief Looking Glass probably met with the Crows. The emotion you will experience as you make this ride and arrive at the campsite cannot be described--we promise, though, before the day is out your emotions will be high. We will continue our ride to the "Elk Corral" where Stan will stop for a final interpretive Nez Perce Presentation.
Day Seven, Saturday:
We will depart the Hunter Peak Guest Ranch en route to Cody, Wyoming, for some shopping and time at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Along the way, we will stop at the summit of Dead Indian Hill for a final look back at the beautiful Sunlight Basin, the Beartooth Mountains, the Absaroka Mountains, and Yellowstone Park on the horizon. We will then start our ascent down the eastern slope of the Absaroka Mountains. As we do, we will see Heart Mountain in front of us in a southeasterly direction. We will stop for our final Nez Perce interpretive presentation before continuing with our travels to Cody. We will arrive in Cody in late morning--just in time to begin looking around at the shops. We will meet for a late lunch in the Cody Park. Then, we will head for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center to visit its museums. There are three outstanding museums and an art gallery to visit--the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art. It would be very difficult to see all of them, so you could select one or two to visit or visit all of them briefly. Or, you may prefer to focus on one that interests you the most. We will begin our ride back to Billings at 5:00 and should arrive at the Sheraton Hotel around 7:00 pm, which will conclude a truly unique and special vacation experience for you.
