Yellowstone Alpen Guides

Geyser Basin Tour

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:35:17 +0000

Beginning August 17, 2009: Geyser Basin Tour on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8am to approximately 4pm. We will be exploring the largest concentration of geysers in the world! Yellowstone’s Upper and Lower Geyser Basins are home to a wide variety of thermal features from bubbling mud to erupting boiling water. Of course, no geyser tour would be complete without a visit to Old Faithful! There will also be time for wildlife viewing opportunities and short walks to points of interest. These tours are $55 for adults, $50 for seniors and $45 for kids 15 and under. Rates do not include National Park entrance fees, lunch, tax or gratuity.

Evening Wildlife Tour

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:34:16 +0000

Beginning August 17, 2009: *Evening Wildlife Tour* is offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1pm to approximately 9pm. This tour will pass by the area visited on the Lower Loop tour and then travel to the scenic Yellowstone Lake area and the spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone getting a great look at the 309′ lower falls of the Yellowstone River. In the evening we will be looking for wildlife in the Hayden Valley area. A picnic chicken dinner is included in the rate. Rates are $65 for adults, $60 for seniors and $55 for kids 15 and under. Rates do not include National Park entrance fees, tax or gratuity.

New Tours Added- Sea Kayaking West of Yellowstone

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:57:03 +0000

View this tour here
Kayaking the waters west of Yellowstone lets you experience this unspoiled ecosystem as you glide along the pristine lakes and rivers in your own sleek kayak.

Join our friendly expert guides as you explore the rivers and lakes bordering Yellowstone National Park or, “go it on your own” with our Freedom Rentals.

No experience necessary! Paddling techniques are relatively simple and easy to learn and every trip is expertly guided. Our fleet of kayaks includes state of the art tandem and single boats designed to be extremely stable yet fast on the water. We strive to match groups according to interests and abilities making your kayak adventure with Yellowstone Alpen Guides a delightful and unforgettable experience.

Yellowstone Alpen Guides has 25 years of experience guiding throughout this landmark ecosystem. Our skilled guides are great traveling partners. Their confident, helpful manner will make you comfortable and proficient while exploring our unique surroundings. Our trademark service will make your visit the best it can be.

Morning Mist: Mon – Wed -Fri 7:00 to 10:00Am: Adults $55, Children $45
The early bird gets the quiet serenity as dawn emerges to day. This three hour tour exploring Hebgen Lake is a great start for a wonderful day in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Evening Escape: Mon and Wed and Fri 6:30Pm – 9:30P: Adults $55, Children $45
The evening waters of Hebgen Lake are a relaxing serene place to enjoy sunset over the Henry Mountains to the west.

Half Day Tour: Sat and Sun 9:00am –Noon, Tues and Thurs 2:00Pm – 5pm

The Basics: By arrangement: Starting at $50
Enjoy an hour introductory lesson followed by 3 hours of freedom rental exploring the local waters.

Ask about our special activities, private tours and multi-sport packages.

Rentals:
Single kayak: $50/day, $40/half day
Tandem kayak: $70/day, $60/half day
Canoe: $70/day, $60/half day

“Breaking News” For anyone planning travel through Yellowstone Park

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:18:20 +0000

For anyone planning travel through Yellowstone Park: Yellowstone Park is going to be embarking on a major road construction process this summer between Madison Junction and Norris Junction. If you are planning to travel through Yellowstone as part of your trip this summer, please be advised of the following construction schedule:
April 17, 2009 - May 24, 2009: Expect 30 minute delays on this road.
May 25, 2009 - August 16, 2009: Expect 30 minute delays on this road. This road will be CLOSED each evening from 10pm - 8am!
August 17, 2009 - November 1, 2009: This road will be closed entirely.
For more information, you can visit the National Park Service website for Yellowstone at www.nps.gov/yell

Calling All Nordic Skiers to the Rendezvous Ski Race

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:40:09 +0000

Published: Thu Feb 05, 2009
by: fasterskier.com

Calling all Nordic skiers nationwide! Join us on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 for the 30th Annual Rendezvous Ski Race. The boom of the cannon will send hundreds of skiers off to the races in West Yellowstone, Montana. Challenge yourself on our famed Rendezvous Ski Trails with the 50k, 25k, 10k, 5k, or 2k events.

In honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Yellowstone Rendezvous Race, we have invited all previous 50k winners to return. If you have been to the Rendezvous Race in the past, return for an on-snow reunion, see old pals, ski all day, and savor the delicious desserts at the awards ceremony. If this is your first time, you will be rewarded with incredible skiing, great camaraderie, and the satisfaction of completing the infamous Rendezvous Race.

The 2009 Yellowstone Rendezvous Race will once again be part of the American Ski Marathon Series. Races in the ASM series highlight long distance ski events throughout the country. This is North America’s longest-running and largest citizen’s racing series. That’s right, we are talking about citizen skiers like you and I. In the past, the race has attracted over 800 skiers and we are hoping to top that this coming year. In the 2008 race, Barry Makarewicz won the Men’s 50K with a time of 2:28:19 while Shayla Swanson won the Women’s 50K with a time of 2:40:00. In the Men’s 25K Chris Humbert won with a time of 1:15:46 and in the Women’s 25K Tamsen Pruzan won with a time of 1:25:29. Erk Andersont crossed the finish line first for the Men’s 25 K Classic race with a time of 1:28:45 and Kelly Milligan won the Women’s 25 K Classic with at time of 1:36:55.

Bring the whole family. Cross-country skiing is a lifelong sport and it doesn’t hurt to start early. We welcome kids 13 and older to ski the 10k or 25k courses. The tweeners (aged 9-15) will challenge each other on the 5k course. See the youngsters under 9 smile all the way around the two-kilometer loop. Spend the night and come out for the West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation (WYSEF) Youth Ski Festival on Sunday. All kids 13 and younger can don a bib and participate in fun filled activities such as the obstacle course, relay race, and radar run. Remember the racers will be on skis and this event ends up being fun for the whole family.

Make the Rendezvous Race a true ski vacation. Yellowstone National Park is scheduled to remain open to snowcoach and snowmobile tours until March 15, 2009. Reserve a trip into our first national park with our partners at Xanterra, Yellowstone Alpen Guides, Yellowstone Vacations, the Holiday Inn, or the Days Inn. If you have not seen Yellowstone in the winter, now is the time. Snow covered trails are begging for you to kick and glide over them. Buffalo, elk, geysers, and hot pots abound. Don’t forget your camera. This is an experience you will want to brag about all year.

Early registration deadlines are closing soon. The entry fee includes participation in the race, a long-sleeved t-shirt, bail-out shuttles along the course, aid stations, finish area food and refreshments, race souvenirs, promotional materials, admission to the awards ceremony and don’t forget dessert. To register for the 30th Annual Rendezvous Race or for more information, please go to www.rendezvousrace.com. See you on the Rendezvous Ski Trails March 7, 2009!

Google’s News Archive Search

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:32:19 +0000

Timeline results for yellowstone park
Google’s News Archive search

New Photo Gallery Added

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:17:50 +0000

new photo gallery added here
. Gallery includes pictures of Yellowstone’s wildlife, winter photos, and summer pics, as welll as photos from the 1950’s.

Upgraded Yellowstone ‘Bomber’ fleets cleaner and quieter

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:44:59 +0000

By BRETT FRENCH
The Billings Gazette

Sunday, December 21, 2008 2:06 AM MST

BILLINGS, Mont. — The old “Bombers” aren’t so old anymore.

The aged, yellow and red Bombardier snow coaches — the first machines to carry winter visitors into Yellowstone National Park — are now greener under the hood.

“They’re the cleanest and next to the quietest operating snow coaches in Yellowstone,” said Scott Carsley of Yellowstone Alpen Guides in West Yellowstone.

Under a Park Service rule published this year, snow coaches will have to meet best-available-technology requirements for noise and emissions by 2011. Concessionaires are modifying their fleets to meet the standards even though the rule was never implemented because of a lawsuit.

Yellowstone Alpen Guides only runs Bombers — which have skis on the front and tank-like tracks in the back — to carry its clientele into Yellowstone. Hatches on the top of the coaches allow visitors to poke their heads out for photos or better viewing of wildlife such as buffalo that may be too dangerous to view from outside the vehicles.

Five in Alpen Guides’ eight-coach fleet have been updated with Chevy 5.3 liter Vortec engines, in addition to other interior work to dampen sound and dispel exhaust. The cost is about $20,000 per machine, Carsley said.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which operates a snow coach shuttle service into the park at Mammoth, is also upgrading its yellow fleet of 19 Bombers built in the 1960s and ’70s with new engines, electronic fuel injection and catalytic converters.

“We feel the Bombers are part of the history of Yellowstone,” said Todd Scott, director of support services and activities for Xanterra at Mammoth. “We feel they belong here in Yellowstone.”

The Bombardiers were the first snow coaches to be granted a permit for access to the park in winter after Harold Young and Bill Nicholls began offering winter tours in 1955. Carsley said he has traced the pedigree of two of his machines back to the 1953 rigs first used in the park.

The machines were built in Canada based on designs created by J. Armand Bombardier in 1936. Different designs offered differing carrying capacities, from 12 to 18 passengers. In Canada, the vehicles were used for delivering mail, as school buses and to make milk deliveries. The last coaches were built in 1981.

They made their movie debut in 1953’s “How to Marry a Millionaire” starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. A fur-hatted Rory Calhoun took Grable for a ride in one of the Bombers.

“We believe they are the way to go,” Carsley said. “They’re made to travel on the snow. You can ride in a van anywhere.”

“In certain snow conditions, they’re the best thing, especially for running to the South Entrance where there is deeper snow conditions,” Scott said. “They’re a lighter vehicle designed for oversnow travel.”

view the entire article

The Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:35:25 +0000

Greater Yellowstone Parks Debut Virtual Research Learning Center
New Web Site Connects People To The Latest Scientific Information

Scholars from eight to eighty now have a new way to access the latest research about four national park sites in Montana and Wyoming.

The new Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center is a web site designed to connect parks, science, and people.

Using the Internet shortens the time between data collection and analysis, and sharing information with scientists and the people who need this information in order to manage, educate, and learn about parks and park resources.

National Park Service staff and cooperating scientists are already creating products, such as one-page resource and project summaries designed help people understand park resources and management issues at various levels of complexity. The web site also provides access to materials from other sources that facilitate deeper inquiry into the status, significance, and interconnectedness of park resources.

Virtual visitors can go to www.greateryellowstonescience.org to learn more about subjects like grizzly bears, thermal features, and historic structures at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

This virtual Science Learning Center is one of 21 similar centers at national parks around the nation which have been established to foster partnerships, share and store information, and encourage people to protect the parks.

The web site is a cooperative effort of the National Park Service, the Yellowstone Park Foundation, Montana State University’s Big Sky Institute, and the Yellowstone Association. It is made possible by a grant from Canon, U.S.A.

Official National Park Service Newspaper

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:15:58 +0000

Winter 2008 - Dial-up (516 Kb pdf)

Winter 2008 - Broadband (718 Kb pdf)