Photo Safaris - Ultimate Yellowstone


		Dates	January 23–30, 2005 January 30–February 6, 2005
		Leader	Michael Francis
		Fee	$2,695 from Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming
		Deposit	$300
		Limit	15
			Terms and Conditions

For years, the highlights of our Yellowstone winter trips have come from our expeditions—using specially designed snow vans—into the snowy interior of the world’s first national park. By far, the most spectacular snowscapes and wildlife photo opportunities have been from the remote interior valleys, canyons and geyser basins. It is an ethereal world of crystalline perfection.

Ultimate Yellowstone was created in 1998 and is fine-tuned annually to maximize time in the dramatic snow-shrouded interior and take advantage of the best Yellowstone offers. Now for five full days we travel by snow vans into the heart of Yellowstone’s most productive areas for photography. And for one day we’ll explore the Lamar Valley by motor coach. We’ve added this Lamar segment because of the high concentrations of large mammals—including wolves—in the area. We will stay in three distinctly different regions of the park—Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful and West Yellowstone. From these locations we journey into the Hayden, Madison and Pelican Valleys, to the Firehole River Basin, Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins, to Old Faithful, to the Lamar Valley and a wide variety of other photogenic areas.

To wander through the interior is to float through a fantasy landscape. Steam rising from numerous geysers becomes a super-cooled crystal fog. It drifts through the trees like diamond dust, collecting on every surface until entire groves become assemblies of ghostly druids bowing rigidly into the wind. Through this ever-changing landscape move the animals. Enveloped in frost and snow, they appear as wraiths from the shifting mists—white phantoms haunting the landscape, captured with our cameras.

Enroll now on this magical journey through the heart of the world's first national park. Our itinerary offers maximum time in the field for photographing some of America's most impressive big game animals in absolutely beautiful habitats! What started as a wishful musing (“Wouldn’t it be great to spend the entire trip in the interior of the park?”) has become a reality—with the bonus of one day in the Lamar Valley. No other Yellowstone tour offers this comprehensive cross section of the very best of Yellowstone in winter. Don’t miss it!

Day 1
Participants fly to Bozeman, Montana, and take the shuttle to Mammoth Hot Springs—Yellowstone’s northernmost lodge—in time for dinner and an orientation. The shuttle cost is not included in the tour fee, but we will help with arrangements. (D)

Days 2–3
Using specially chartered track-converted passenger vans, we travel to the West Yellowstone area. We visit the wildlife-rich scenic areas along the Firehole and Madison Rivers and the Norris Geyser Basin. This area of the interior offers an enormous variety of wildlife, snow-encrusted trees, erupting geysers, hoar-frosted grasses and rugged mountain vistas. (BLD)

Days 4–5
The Old Faithful area contains a wide variety of active geologic features as well as some magnificent elk and bison.

Winter is a hard time for the park’s animals, but their lives are made a bit easier by the warmth of these thermal areas. Much of our exploration of this area will be done on foot. We explore and photograph the Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. (BLD)

Day 6
We spend a full day photographing through the park to the Obsidian Cliffs and on to Mammoth Hot Springs. (BLD)

Day 7
Our final day will be spent in the Lamar Valley, one of the richest wildlife areas of the park, where the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone has had the most noticeable effect. We hope to photograph bighorn sheep, pronghorns, coyotes and, perhaps, wolves. (BLD)

Day 8
We return by shuttle to the Bozeman airport this morning. Please schedule your return flight for no earlier than noon. (B)



	Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, Inc. P.O. Box 655, Vashon Island, Washington USA 98070 Phone: (206) 463-5383 Fax: (206) 463-5484 Email: info@photosafaris.com Copyright © 2008, Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, Inc.