Spring is Coming to the Grand Canyon!

We've had several tours in the last month filled with courageous guests who have braved icy trails and snow storms, but the welcome, first signs of Spring have arrived. For the next 10 days, there are only two days with any precipitation forecast, and they're both for light rain and snow only at the Rims. The forecasted high today is 63 degrees fahrenheit! The snow is melting rapidly, and the Canyon is warming up. For guests and hikers heading into the Canyon in the next 10 days, things are good.

In southern Arizona the desert is literally covered with green grass in places. It's a lovely change from the sandy, barren soils of usual. So for people shuttling up from Phoenix, you're in for a treat as you drive from the green, grassy desert into the spring time mountains. And our wildflowers should be just around the corner!

Fossil Mystery Solved in the Canadian Rockies

What makes the Burgess Shales in the Canadian Rockies special is that they contain fossilized soft tissues of animals, and how exactly this happened has baffled scientists since the fossils' discovery in 1909. Normally fossilized remains are only of the "hard" parts of animals - the bones, teeth, shells...etc. But at the Burgess Shales, the finer details of the animals are present because their soft tissue is intact.

This soft tissue evidence has allowed scientists to discover and name animals they had no idea ever existed and that bare very little resemblance to anything else they've discovered. They discovered an animal with 5 eyes and a vacuum cleaner-like snout, a crustacean with fins, a worm-like being with pincers and 7 pairs of symmetrical spines, and many other truly fascinating animals.

What the scientists now believe happened is that these animals were covered very quickly by a large slide of mud and pushed so deep in to the ocean that they couldn't undergo the normal processes of decay. So they remain beautifully intact, have given scientists a wealth of information, and given the rest of us one more interesting thing to enjoy about the mountains!

Firearms in Yellowstone

In February 2010, a law was passed that will allow firearms in Yellowstone for people who can legally possess firearms in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Firing of firearms and hunting is still strictly prohibited inside the park.

At the Wildland Trekking Company we don't allow firearms on our tours for obvious liability reasons. Instead we incorporate smart, proven systems for safely visiting areas with grizzly bears and other wildlife. All of our Yellowstone and Canadian Rockies tours carry several cans of bear spray, which has been shown to more effectively propel bear attacks than sidearms. We keep very clean camps and hang our food, which is the most effective way to avoid bear encounters. Most importantly, we travel in small groups, and there isn't a single documented incident of a grizzly bear attack on a group of 4 or more.

We love seeing wildlife on our tours, and seeing a grizzly bear is something you will never forget. Our systems provide a context for enjoying wildlife and doing it in as safe a way as possible.

Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon Getting Hammered!

The Colorado Plateau has been hammered by snow storm after snow storm this winter. Another one is on its way starting tonight and snowing into Monday. For those of you heading out soon, know that the winter weather only extends about a mile down into the Canyon. As you hike down, you'll soon be out of the snow. We provide crampons for your boots near the rim because it can get icy. What's amazing is that at the bottom of the Canyon the temperatures are similar to Phoenix, so while it could be snowing at the top, the bottom can be in the 70s!

Also, this wet winter is GREAT news for wildflower enthusiasts! It's in wet winters that the spring flowers come out strong, so those of you joining us in March and April for Grand Canyon tours, you're in for a treat!

Yellowstone and Canadian Rockies

Arguably some of the most wild and beautiful country in the Rockies, Yellowstone and the Canadian Rockies are really just a day's travel from anywhere in the US or Canada. With AMAZING hiking, incredible wildlife, and unsurpassed scenery they are beckoning the adventurers of the world to them!

Welcome to our new blog!

We're excited to add this blog as a feature to our new website. Thanks for visiting! This picture is on one of our camps along the New Hance to Grandview Trail.