Wyoming’s Wilderness Never Fails to Surprise

It only took ten minutes. Just out of Jackson, a moose and her calf graze at their breakfast, barely registering our presence as the van sped past toward Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, A.K.A. "American's Serengeti." The game, it seems, is afoot. Let the wild life begin.

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Written by Cynthia Barnes

Cynthia Barnes has trekked to Timbuktu and Tibet, writing for National Geographic, Slate, Endless Vacation and other newspapers and magazines. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and former resident of Bangkok, she now names Wyoming as her new favorite place.

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There is perhaps no better way to experience the breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and geothermal wonders of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks than from the cockpit of a one- or two-person sea kayak. Even with no prior experience, this low-impact, non-technical, self-propelled craft requires only mild exertion and is perfectly suitable for first-time paddlers. The techniques are relatively simple and easy to learn and the sea kayak offers a welcome reprieve for hikers with weary knees. Sea kayaks also allow visitors to reach areas that would be otherwise inaccessible and serves as an excellent and unobtrusive platform for wildlife viewing.

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Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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We rose about a half hour before first light. As we put on our warm layers and lifejackets, the first light creeps over the hills. We push off one by one in our blue kayaks, there are only three of us on this excursion to the lily pad pond. We paddle across the calm bay to a little inlet.  As we creep along in the clear channel, a flock of Merganser ducks squawks by us. Very slowly and quietly we enter into the lily pad pond.  

The pond is misty and full of huge green pads loaded with yellow flowers. The center of which contains swirls of orange and black. We hear an eagle over head. Ever so gently, we glide across the pond scanning the water’s edge and look into the woods for wildlife.

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Written by Ali McNabb

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By Ali McNabb

Our paddle across Jackson Lake on the first day of an early season trip this year was one to remember, an epic tale of man verses the forces of nature. The morning kicked off with classic blue skies, sunshine and a calm lake.  However, while we were beached on a little island for a picnic, the clouds grew and billowed over the peak of Mt. Moran.  Zac and I gave each other a look as if to indicate, “Look at that weather, we’d better start rolling,” so we did.  The sky above continued to shine, but the clouds were darkening as they grew closer.  We had half a mile before reaching camp on Grassy Island at the southern tip of Jackson Lake.  I thought we could make it, but the weather had other plans.  The wind picked up and within seconds it started to hail; it took all the energy we had to remain accurately pointed in our kayaks.  We were all flailing about, and now the storm was nearly on top of us.  We still had to get to camp, which I then noticed was conveniently located in the eye of the storm.  Zac came rushing over and started helping each guest as we hauled the boats out of the water and on to our JRig (also known as, “Fatty,” the support boat for our operational equipment here in Wyoming).  I remember struggling to communicate with folks in the water, paddling and talking while keeping an eye out behind me.  All I saw was the silhouette of Zac lifting gear out of someone’s kayak and onto the rig.  It was bright and shiny a half mile behind us, yet furious ahead and the lighting was remarkable.  Once we were all safe on the JRig, we were able to motor to camp. 

Written by Ali McNabb

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Ali McNabb is one of our adventurous Wyoming guides, a BBQ-loving gal originally from Austin, Texas. In addition to kayaking, she also enjoys bike riding, hiking and reading in her down time. McNabb worked previously at Trek American and has traveled abroad extensively in between seasons, mainly in Mexico, but also throughout South America, Turkey and Ethiopia. 

1.  How long have you been a guide?

I have been a guide for 5 years and been lucky in my guiding experience to have traveled throughout most of North America, exploring the most amazing National Parks and Provincial Parks imaginable.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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There is no mistaking or denying Idaho’s rugged beauty.  It is a place of vast and magnificent wilderness.  It would be a rare thing for someone not to feel the strong call of nature here.  However, Idaho’s wilderness has a history and on-going record of the call of man and his influence on nature’s order.  There are several examples of this issue we continue to follow as we travel down Idaho’s vast waterways, asking ourselves when is it beneficial for man to manipulate the natural world, and when would it be better to let Mother Earth tend to her own? I don’t propose to have the answers, or even venture forth my opinions, but suffice it to say there is no lack of strong, relevant material to motivate our campfire talks here on the rivers of Idaho.

Reintroduction of the Gray Wolf

Wolf reintroduction occurs by repopulating a previously extirpated area with a group of wolves, with the hope that they will reestablish themselves in the area and ecosystem.  Although wolves are the most environmentally adaptable mammals next to man, they had been hunted out of all of the lower 48 states, with the exception of a few small packs in remote northeastern Minnesota.  Wolves were highly prevalent in North America until westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s – settlers hunted the wild bison, deer, elk and moose, forcing the wolves to then hunt domestic livestock (sheep and cattle).  When this occurred, bounties were issued for wolf kills, and continued as late as the 1960’s. 

Written by Debbie Hausler

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Sitting in a sleek, stealth dory, content with my thoughts, I watched golden strands of silk drift through the late afternoon sunlight in the Grand Canyon. These strands, actually tiny ballooning spiders, carried me into another world. One so entirely peaceful and relaxing, that nearly a year after the experience, my memory escapes back to that moment daily.

Have you descended into the bowels of the Grand Canyon to face Class 10 rapids or stood at the rim in awe of the canyon’s enormity? Have you experienced Yellowstone National Park’s geysers from the boardwalks or on a sea kayak away from the shuffling masses? Do you remember your first night spent under a blanket of stars? Was it in a national park?

Yosemite National Park Ranger, Shelton Johnson, in the Ken Burns “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” documentary, stated the obvious so eloquently – and the eloquent so obviously. His words, “A single moment in a national park can last forever” still resonate with me more than a month after I first heard them.

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Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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Are you looking for a hassle-free national park vacation?  Would you like to combine whitewater rafting and hiking with nights spent under an uninhibited night sky with your family and friends for an unforgettable summer vacation?

Listed here are 5 all-inclusive national park vacation ideas:

Whitewater Rafting Through Dinosaur National Park
Dinosaur National Monument offers everything you could want in an ideal, fun-filled vacation.  Hike, raft and explore where dinosaurs once roamed.  Submerge yourself in a canyon surrounded by red rock cliffs.  Explore side canyons and oases in a mini-Grand Canyon like setting.  Explore ancient Indian rock art including petroglyphs and pictographs.  And learn about the canyon’s geologic history as you delve deeper into the canyon along the Green River.  This 4-day adventure is appropriate for children 7 and older.

Sea Kayaking on Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park
Step off the boardwalks and into a unique wilderness experience.  Spend a half-day kayaking on Yellowstone Lake and beyond the bow of your kayak you see gushing geysers, bubbling mud pots and the rising steam of geothermal hot springs.  O.A.R.S. provides everything needed to sea kayak, hike and sightsee your way to some of the most extraordinary sites in this national park.  O.A.R.S.’ special permits allow adventurers to see breathtaking landscapes from unique perspectives.  This ½-day adventure is appropriate for children 7 and older.

Hiking and Whitewater Rafting in Yosemite National Park
Spend two days rafting on California’s crown jewel of whitewater, the Wild and Scenic Tuolumne River, and three days exploring Yosemite National Park on foot.  This five-day adventure is a mere three-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.  O.A.R.S. partners with Yexplore for guided interpretive hikes in Yosemite National Park, culminating with a climactic 17-mile hike up Yosemite’s most iconic piece of rock – Half Dome.  This adventure is appropriate for children age 12 and older.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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