Grizzly bear riding & hiking holiday, Canada
| country: | Canada | ||||
| location: | British Columbia | ||||
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. Camp-based Grizzly viewing June & July and ranch-based May-June. | ||||
| price: | From CA $3,059 (7 days) excluding flights
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| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Taking place while spring is deepening and the weather warming with the promise of summer, this adventure coincides with the beginning of the Grizzly mating season. 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. From June 8-July 12, 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:
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. From June 8-July 12, 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.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Leave Vancouver, enjoying the spectacular scenery of mountains and canyons as we drive to our Guest Ranch in time for a hearty homemade lunch. We introduce you to Western Mountain riding and go on an evening ride along the rushing river before your briefing on bear behaviour, track identification and safety procedures. |
| Day 2: | Learn some wrangler skills then follow the Grizzlies’ progress high into the mountains, learning about their habits, feeding patterns and habitats from our knowledgeable guides. Enjoy a campfire under star studded skies. |
| Day 3: | Our experience allows us to pick the best bear viewing opportunities. Witness some of the marvels of the Chilcotin Mountains; perhaps a sow grizzly and her cubs at play or as they feed. As we travel past pristine lakes and across rushing rivers to the next viewing spot there are plenty of opportunities for fishing in lakes and rivers brimming with wild Rainbow and Brook trout, Dolly Varden and Kokanee. |
| Day 4: | We will take you to explore Grizzly bear dens and you will be given the opportunity to collect data to contribute to our Grizzly Study. Take a hands-on role in the long-term management of the Grizzlies with our ongoing wildlife research. |
| Day 5: | Migrate with the bears as they retreat higher up in the mountains and be treated to the stunning sight of the Grizzlies as they graze in the alpine meadows. Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to sample green onions, wild potatoes and white bark pine nuts that grow wild in the south Chilcotin Mountains. Riding along well-defined horse trails, once used by explorers, pioneers and gold miners, we discover the outstanding variety of wildlife inhabiting our area . California Bighorn sheep, moose, Mule deer, Mountain goat, Black bear and wolf are plentiful and frequently sighted. |
| Day 6: | We pack up camp and saddle up for another ride. After a morning of Grizzly viewing, enjoy an open-air lunch before riding the trail that takes us back to the Ranch. Explore our library, swim at a nearby lake, or play a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Alternatively, you have a choice of guided fishing, gold panning, “hands-on” horse logging demonstrations, shoeing/packing, gymkhana horse sports, archery and stargazing. |
| Day 7: | Spend the morning visiting a nearby Grizzly Den or try some bareback lessons, or test your aim with some biathlon target shooting. Enjoy a farewell lunch before departing for Vancouver. |
travellers' tales
An incredible experience. The countryside is simply stunning. The horses were happy and healthy, and being able to ride for hours a day around the Chilcotin Mountains was such a wonderful freedom. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 For the past 17 years since the establishment of Chilcotin Holidays Guest Ranch in 1990, we have taken an active and significant part in 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 17 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. |
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