Taking place while spring is deepening and the weather warming with the promise of summer in British Columbia, this horseback riding grizzly viewing pack tour coincides with  the beginning of the Grizzly mating season in Canada. Catch yourself holding your breath in anticipation of the female finally obliging to the male Grizzly, after a week-long courting ritual.

Then, in the height of summer, follow the Grizzlies’ progress as they track the snow line as it retreats to higher elevations, feeding on the fresh shoots of grass as it grows.

Grizzly Bear Viewing Tour Dates

All departures are from Sunday Noon to Saturday 1PM:

May to October

These are Level II and III experiences. This 7-Day Camp-Based Grizzly Viewing by horse or foot allows you to migrate with the bears as they retreat higher up in the mountains into the sub-alpine.

Be privileged to the stunning sight of the Grizzlies as they graze in the alpine meadows, providing favored summer feeding ranges and open areas for spectacular viewing opportunities.

On this adventure of a lifetime, gain a deeper appreciation of these fascinating animals. Take a hands-on role in the long-term management of the Grizzlies with our ongoing wildlife research.

As part of the Grizzly Study, your licensed guide will take you through the life cycles, seasonal habits, feeding patterns, migration and habitats of the Grizzly bear, and you’ll participate in:

• The collection of Grizzly hair samples from a Grizzly rub tree or territory marker tree for DNA research;
• Visiting a Grizzly den where bears hibernate through the winter;
• Documentation of Grizzly sightings;
• GPS Grizzly locations for subsequent mapping and analyses;
• Learning to recognize bear tracks.

Come away from your BC Grizzly viewing tour, not just as an observer, but as an active player in contributing to the understanding of the Grizzly – the symbol of the wilderness.

How this holiday makes a difference:

For the past 16 years since the establishment of the ranch in 1990, we have taken an active and significant part in British Columbia Grizzly Bear research. By doing so, we have contributed towards the understanding and the body of knowledge of these spectacular creatures, from their life cycles, seasonal habits, feeding patterns, migration to their daily habits.

At the start of our operation, we developed “wildlife sighting” forms and subsequently taught our staff and guests how to use these form and record data. For 16 years, these forms have been used and continue to be used by our staff and guests on every trip into the mountains. We record big game sightings including Black and Grizzly bear, mountain goats, Californian Bighorn, Mule deer, wolf, moose and others. The collected information include population counts, male-female ratios, age and other details such as movement.

As well as the wildlife sightings, our staff and guests collect Grizzly hair from rub trees throughout our 6,000 square mile operating area. We will also train field staff of the local timber Licensee to also collect samples, and funding has been committed towards the costs of DNA Analyses.

In 2005, a graduate student was hired and became involved in our Grizzly research. He is now completing his graduate degree using the hair samples and analyses for his thesis. The findings will contribute to the methodology of subsequent Grizzly research, and provide a basis for resource management practices and decisions.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Deciding whether to choose a Ranch or a Camp based adventure has a lot to do with past experiences and personal preferences.

Ranch Based Tours

These adventures are suited to all levels - the beginner to the advanced. Ranch based adventures allow for flexibility in duration and degree of difficulty on a day-to-day basis. Our Guest Ranch is spacious, complete with two storey fireplace, sun room, large central dining room, a large outdoor deck facing the rugged Coast Mountains, and queen beds with feather duvets. The atmosphere is similar to that of a large family home. The 8 guest bedrooms have a varied combination of sleeping arrangements (such as queen, twin, single, and queen with bunk), along with 4 shared bathrooms. Our log chalets are self-contained, and range in size from the 1 bedroom Honeymoon Cabin to the 3 bedroom Family Reunion.

Camp Cabin

Camp Based Levels I, II and III
These adventure are suited for the beginner/intermediate to the advanced. Our Alpine Camps vary between fully equipped permanent base camps and seasonal camps. The permanent camps include different combinations of log cabins and/or tent cabins for eating and sleeping. Tent cabins consist of 10 x 12 "walk about" structures with raised floors. Some of the permanent camps are more developed, with gravity-fed showers, solar lighting and heaters in the tent cabins.

Many factors come into play when choosing the right level of trip, such as physical condition and whether or not you are coming rested. The following are "rules of thumb" on a "sliding scale" that will help you choose a level suited to your abilities.

Access in and out of camps varies between 3-9 hours and 5-20 km, and includes elevation changes up to 1,000m over uneven terrain. Daily itineraries vary according to the level of the trip and group interests.

Level I - Beginner/intermediate with camping experience. May not have experience on uneven terrain or partake in the activity on a regular basis. Once in camp, expect rides/hikes of 3-4 hours covering 6-10 km mostly on defined trails, and elevation changes of less than 1,000m. Intermediate and advanced that do not have experience on uneven terrain may best be suited to Level I.

Camp Tent Cabin

Level II - Intermediate to advanced with camping experience. Has experience on uneven terrain. May not partake in the activity on a regular basis but is in good physical condition and wants a demanding adventure. Includes challenging terrain and undefined trails. Once in camp, expect rides/hikes of 4-6 hours that cover 7-12 km, and elevation changes up to 1,000m.

Level III - Advanced with wilderness camping experience. Has experience on uneven and steep terrain. Partakes in the activity on a regular basis, is in good physical condition and wants to be challenged. Includes challenging and steep terrain, and undefined trails. Once in camp, expect rides/hikes of 6-9 hours that cover 12-20 km, and elevation changes that exceed 1,000m.

Combining Adventures

Our trips are specialized and customized, and represent a unique combination of experiences. Schedules allow for Combination Trips. Popular ones include a 4 day Guest Ranch Adventure followed by 4 day Horse Pack Trip, 7 day Guide Training followed by 7 day Horse Pack Trip, and 4 day Ranch Hike followed by 4 day Camp Hike. If interests or abilities of group members are "mixed", combinations of adventures are chosen simultaneously. A family, for example, may choose a Horse Pack Trip and a Fishing Trip based from the same camp.