Extreme Western History Adventures

  Imagine it’s June 25, 1876-the fateful day of George Custer’s ill-fated Battle at the Little Bighorn in Montana. You are waking up from the last campsite Custer ever slept in, on your seven-day excursion tracing the general and his cavalry on the last days of their lives. You ride on your horse to Crow’s Nest, where, in the clear, predawn hours, Crow scouts discover the enormous Indian village down below: “big village, big trouble.” The scouts on your trip are descendants of the originals, who told Custer they saw so many ponies, “it was like worms crawling through the grass.” Custer went ahead anyway—one of many mistakes he made that day.
  Your trip continues to Medicine Tail Coulee, where you and your fellow soldiers try to flank the village, like Custer unsuccessfully attempted to do. “You are right there,” says Steve Shaw, organizer of “Custer’s Ride to Glory” held every June. “And it’s so much like it was back 150 years ago. There’s no roads, no telephone.”
  Then you get to “fight and die,” as Shaw puts it. Or as a Southwest Florida participant Donn Crothers remembers it: “There were plenty of Indians to fight with and lots of gunsmoke and dust and horses running everywhere to excite any cowboy of any age.”
  “This really is riding into history,” Shaw says. “You feel so bad for those soldiers, trying to form skirmish lines, trying to protect Custer, and yet you know they’re not going to make it.”
  When we dream of wonderful vacations, most of us imagine going someplace we know, like a place at the lake or a trip to the family cabin. Perhaps we’ll visit the local heritage and cultural museums or ride some horses. We’ll certainly have time for naps. For most of us, that’s our idea of fun.
  Sure, vacations should be fun, but shouldn’t they also be exciting and new and maybe even challenging? Shouldn’t they be a clean break  from the ordinary? Shouldn’t vacations go for  the gusto?
  And we don’t mean your grandpa’s gusto. Here’s what we do mean.
  We mean standing at the very spot where Custer’s 7th Calvary was wiped out in 1876, wearing their same uniform, carrying their same weapons and watching as Sioux rush out from the Little Bighorn to “kill” you.
  Too much gusto?
  How about you experience what the pioneers did, as they moved west in lumbering wagons, on a covered wagon adventure in Kansas, through the nation’s last tallgrass prairie?
  Or would you like to work shoulder-to-shoulder with archaeologists in Crow Canyon, Colorado, to unearth Anasazi artifacts buried for 700 years?
  Or maybe you want to join Global Volunteers to help improve life for the Blackfeet Nation in Montana?
  And what could be more popular in these hard economic times than panning for gold in a Klondike Gold Rush boomtown?
  That’s just a sampling of the amazing adventures we’ve collected to give you a new perspective on Western “vacations” for years to come.
  Great adventures are out there, awaiting great adventurers, with memories that will last a lifetime.

Cowboy Up

Pahrump, Nevada

Channel your inner Bill Pickett or Vera McGinnis in this structured three-day “Rodeo Experience” by learning the fundamentals of rodeo atop a horse that matches your skill level. Cowboy hat not included. 

Great American Days:
Three days; $390. 

866-987-9876 GreatAmericanDays.com

Culinary Whitewater Series

Salmon River, Idaho

This rafting trip through Idaho focuses on how to make delicious meals using only a Dutch Oven, a necessity in pioneer living. Learn to cook, bake and fry in the cookware that sustained Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery on their Westward expedition during 1803-06. 

ROW Adventures:
July 14 –19, 2009; $1,395.
800-451-6034 • RowAdventures.com

­­­Deep Desert Hikes

Moab, Utah

For the truly adventurous, explore a customized hike on the 812-mile Hayduke Trail that could take you through six national parks, as well as national monuments, state parks and wilderness areas. The backcountry trail honors George Washington Hayduke, the environmentalist frustrated by corporate greed in Edward Abbey’s novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang. You’ll hike, wade through rivers, even fight quicksand as you make your way to the scenic landscapes, prehistoric ruins and rock formations. The trail ends in Zion National Park, a sanctuary settled by Mormons in 1858.

Deep Desert Adventures:
Ranging from two days at $375 to a month at $9,600.
435-260-1696 • DeepDesert.com 

Among The Elk

Haines, Oregon

Take a break from modern life while feeding and watching 250 elk up close on this horse-drawn tour in Oregon. Learn about conservation and ranching in this Old West setting.
T&T Wildlife Tours:
Weekend Afternoons, December 13, 2009-March 2, 2010; $7.
541-856-3356  - TNTHorsemanship.com

Klondike Goldfields Rail Adventure

Skagway, Alaska

Release your inner Sourdough as you follow the trail of 1897 Klondike Gold Rush prospectors on the White Pass & Yukon Railway and disembark at Bennett, a Gold Rush town site. History narration continues aboard the motorcoach that takes you along the Klondike Highway. This is not part of the rail adventure, but we recommend that you make a stop on that highway at the historic gold dredge, where you can get the full tour and pan for gold.

White Pass & Yukon Railway:
May to September; Roundtrip: $228.
800-343-7373 • WPYR.com
Klondike Gold Dredge:
May to October; $42, full tour or $25, panning only.
907-983-3175 • KlondikeGoldDredge.com

Crow Canyon Dig
Cortez, Colorado
Work alongside professional archaeologists at Hovenweep National Monument while uncovering Anasazi artifacts more than 700 years old. You’ll learn excavation techniques and wash and catalog pottery and stone tools that help increase our understanding of how the Anasazi met the challenges of living off this rugged land. You’ll be learning about Anasazi history all throughout the week, especially during your guided tours to Mesa Verde National Park and Sand Canyon Pueblo, another site excavated by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center:
Seven days, June 14 – September 5, 2009; $1,400.
800-422-8975 • CrowCanyon.org 

Enchanted Hiker

Santa Fe, New Mexico

See the beauty of Santa Fe, Bandelier and Taos on your Enchanted Hiker tour. The high desert features old adobe settlements, modern art colonies and historic ruins. Your first stop on this 100-mile circle of enchantment will be cliff dwellings, deserted by Anasazi farmers in the 1500s. End your hike in Chimayo under the shadow of mountains at the Santuario, built in 1816, on sacred earth historically known as a shrine for the cure of disease.

Escape Adventures:
July 19-24, 2009 & August 16-21, 2009; $1,190. 

800-596-2953 • EscapeAdventures.com

Blackfeet Reservation Life

Glacier National Park, Montana

Fur trader James Willard Schultz was accepted as a member of the Blackfeet in the 1880s and lived among them until his death 70 years later; his tales of their culture fascinated celebrated author Wallace Stegner as a boy. You too can witness sacred rituals and powwows, learn the Blackfeet language and hear legends about the Piegan Blackfeet people as you help contribute to better their lives. This tax-deductible volunteer trip is family-friendly and could involve building a playground, delivering meals to the elderly or planting trees.

Global Volunteers:
Seven days, June 6-August 15, 2009; $995. 

800-487-1074 • GlobalVolunteers.org

Lewis and Clark Tour

Portland, Oregon, to Astoria, Washington 

In November 1805, Lewis and Clark thought they had reached the Pacific Ocean; in reality, it was the mouth of the Columbia River. Experience their journey along the Columbia River by motor coach, starting in Oregon and ending in Washington. Your tour will include stops at the Fort Clatsop replica, the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center and the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, and even a jet boat ride on the Snake River. You’ll gain a unique perspective on the famed Corps of Discovery as each exact spot is enlivened by a discussion of the successes and failures the explorers experienced there. 

I Live History:
September 9-17, 2009; $1,995.
928-445-2639 • ILiveHistory.com 

Custer’s Ride to Glory    

Hardin, Montana

Trace George Armstrong Custer and his ill-fated 7th Calvary on horseback from Crow’s Nest to Medicine Trail Coulee. The trip includes three days of re-enacting Custer’s “Last Stand” in proper attire for a live audience. For this ride, you will be provided with horses, tack, blanks and chuckwagon food, as well as cavalry training. A tour of Medicine Rock offers you the opportunity to connect with the great grandson of Lakota Chief Sitting Bull. 

Custer’s Ride to Glory:
June 2010; $1,850. 

505-286-4585 • Great-American-Adventures.com

Bighorn Sheep Tour

Dubois, Wyoming

Discover the reason why Crow Indians admire  Bighorn Sheep while bundling up for a four-wheel tour into the herd. Binoculars and scopes are provided for easy viewing of the sheep and the other winter wildlife located in Wyoming. 

National Bighorn Sheep Center:
Afternoon, November through March; $25. 

888-209-2795 • Bighorn.org

John Wayne Wagon Train Adventure

Stampede Pass in Easton, Washington

Riders and teamsters will pass through cattle ranches, basalt rockeries and forests in this covered wagon train adventure on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The trail follows the rockbed of a former Milwaukee Railroad line and ends in Tekoa.

Happy Trails:
May 22-June 7, 2009; $95.

360-886-1729 • JWPWR.org 

Artist Ride

Wall, South Dakota

What first started as a trail ride in 1984 has turned into an annual artist retreat at the Shearer ranch on the Cheyenne River, as 50 artists are invited to draw, paint and photograph models dressed as mountain men, cavalry soldiers, cowboys and Indians. Artists even fill out a “wish list” of what they hope models will bring so the artists can bring their vision of the American frontier to life. 

Artist Ride:
August 28-30, 2009; $525. 
605-341-0620 - FiddlersGreenStudio.com

Bike Death Valley

Death Valley, California

Before he was president, some of you may have been introduced to Death Valley with these words: “Hello, I’m Ronald Reagan, your host on Death Valley Days, where Western history comes alive!” How many of you have seen Death Valley for yourself though? Here’s your chance to bike through the Mojave Desert and enjoy the scenery that the Timbisha Shoshoni tribe calls home as you think about the 49ers whose shortcut through here brought them hardships. Before you leave the park, don’t forget to stop in at the visitor’s center and learn about the 20-mule team that hauled borax through here in the 1880s.

Backroads:
October 23-26, 2009; $1,898.
800-462-2848 • Backroads.com

Oregon Trail Wagon Trek

Fort Casper, Wyoming

Travel in the footsteps of pioneers along the Oregon, Mormon and California Trails while riding in a genuine Conestoga wagon. Hear stories of pioneers, learn about the Sioux that inhabited the region and experience the 1865 Red Buttes Battle between soldiers and Sioux Indians. 

Historic Trails West:
Three days, May to October; $695 per wagon rider, $795 per horse rider. 

307-266-4868 • HistoricTrailsWest.com 

Monument Valley Tours

Monument Valley, Utah

John Wayne saddled up here in 1939’s Stagecoach, but if you want to know the authentic history of this region, this is the adventure for you. Navajo guides help you explore “Valley of the Rocks,” taking you to restricted areas of rock windows and arches, and leading you through Anasazi ruins and rock art at Mystery Valley. (Don’t worry Western film buffs, the guides will still point out John Ford’s Point to you.)

Goulding’s Tour:
One day; $90.
435-727-3231 • Gouldings.com 

Got Buffalo?

Comanche, Oklahoma

Get acquainted with the Chisholm Trail in a unique way—through this buffalo hunting experience in Oklahoma. When most think of the Chisholm Trail, they imagine drovers herding millions of Longhorn cattle from the mid-1860s through the 1880s. You’ll be seeing it through the eyes of a hardy frontiersman, as you hunt bison, from horseback or from a wagon (your choice). The trip also includes chuckwagon meals prepared by a Dutch Oven. 

Comanche Outfitters:
Three days; $2,750, for cow buffalo and $4,150, for mature bull buffalo.
580-439-2747 • ComancheOutfitters.com

Golden Gate Dinner Cruise

San Francisco, California

Founded in 1892, the Red and White Fleet first began service as a ferry. When the two bridges—Golden Gate and Bay Bridges— connected San Francisco to the surrounding bay, the fleet began carrying passengers on sightseeing tours. If space is available, opt for the cruise and dining combo, which includes a three-course dinner at Pier 39’s Fog Harbor Fish House.

Red and White Fleet:
Evening; $62 per person, minimum of 10.

415-673-2900 • RedAndWhite.com  

Longhorn Trail Drive

Mountain Home, Texas

Round up some friends and escape on an authentic Longhorn Drive through Texas’s Hill Country at the Y.O. Ranch, which has branded five generations of the Schreiner family since 1852. Charles “Captain” Schreiner purchased the Y.O. brand from James Clement and his partner J.W. Taylor, who had moved here to escape Texas’s bloodiest feud, the Sutton-Taylor Feud of 1868-75 that involved the likes of gunslinger John Wesley Hardin and McNelly’s Texas Rangers. Taylor came here looking for peace, and you should find it too. After a night of dancing and eating hearty chuckwagon chow, you’ll move the herd to its new feeding grounds. Then relax under the stars with some whiskey, and watch out for rustlers. 

Y.O. Ranch:
May 22-24, 2009 & October 16-18, 2009; $350 or $600 with horse.
800-967-2624 • YORanch.com

Boy Scout Adventure

Fairfield, Utah

Boy Scouts can travel back to 1858 to serve as soldiers in the Utah Territory, which will earn them their American Heritage Merit Badges. Scouts are mustered into the army and issued uniforms and muskets so they can fully experience frontier camp life.

Johnston’s Army Adventure Camp:
Two days, April through October; $15. 

801-538-7220 • StateParks.Utah.gov

Tony Hillerman Country

Phoenix, Arizona

“My first encounter with the friendly high, dry, big sky landscape of the Four Corners world ... was love at first sight for me,” wrote author Tony Hillerman. Now you can experience the lands and people who inspired Hillerman’s characters Chee and Leaphorn. You’ll meet a Navajo silversmith, whose name appears in The Wailing Wind and The First Eagle, and take a tour of Canyon de Chelly, guided by Navajo James Peshlakai. 

Detours of Arizona:
May 4-8, 2009 & October 19-23, 2009; $1,350.
866-438-6877 • DetoursAZ.com 

Backpacking Without the Backpack

Boulder, Utah

Enjoy the beauty and solitude of red rock canyons while you hike into Escalante Canyon, unburdened by a heavy pack on your back (the horses carry it to base camp for you!). You’ll see 1,000-year-old Anasazi writings, wildflowers blooming and ancient trails during your trip to the Narrows. Each canyon bend beckons you to continue, and in some places during your hike, you may touch both walls at once while the sky peeks out in just a narrow strip of blue.

Escalante Canyon Outfitters:
May 3-11, 2009; $1,420. 

888-326-4453 • EcoHike.com

Mountain Biking Butch Cassidy Country

Telluride, Colorado, to Moab, Utah

Bike 215 miles from Colorado to Utah, transitioning from beautiful alpine peaks to desert slick rock on this self-guided tour. Start in Telluride, Colorado, a former mining town and home to the first bank robbery of outlaw Butch Cassidy, and end in Moab, Utah, where miners fled after Telluride’s ore dried up. 

San Juan Hut Systems:
Seven days, June to October; $850. 

970-626-3033 • SanJuanHuts.com

Art of Tracking in the Southwest

Albuquerque, New Mexico

In the heart of New Mexico, embark on a hiking, camping and tracking journey that will teach you about animal tracking and survival skills on Anasazi soil. This unique experience presents the history and rich culture of the Anasazi, while emphasizing the importance of Mother Nature. You’ll arrive in Albuquerque and be transported to the Circle A Ranch near Cuba, on the western flank of the San Pedro Mountains. You’ll track deer, elk, coyote and mountain lions on sandy trails that lead you to Chaco Canyon and other Anasazi ruins.

Tracking Project:
September 12-19, 2009; $950. 

505-898-6967 • TheTrackingProject.org 

Teton Covered Wagon Train & Horse Adventure

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Cowboys from the Double H Bar Ranch lead you on this covered wagon train adventure through Wyoming’s Teton Pass, taking a backcountry trail that originated in 1854. The tour company owner’s ancestors traveled it guided by the Shoshoni. Evenings at camp are filled with cowboy songs, Old West yarns and a clear view of the stars. Enjoy flavorful meals prepared in Dutch Ovens over an open fire and carried in the Conestoga chuckwagon. 

Teton Wagon Train & Horse Adventure:
Four days, June through August; $895. 

888-734-6101 • TetonWagonTrain.com

1838 Rendezvous

Riverton, Wyoming

This annual rendezvous celebrates the mountain men and fur traders of the 1800s for its 20th year. Participate in tomahawk throwing contests and blackpowder shooting matches, and bring your tents to stay on the original campsite of the fur trade-era mountain men and Indians.

1838 Rendezvous Association:
July 1-5, 2009; $20, Campers and $50, Traders. 

307-765-2401 • 1838Rendezvous.com

Wildlife of Yellowstone

Yellowstone, Wyoming

You will wonder why Lewis and Clark chose to bypass this area when you view the wolves, elk and bald eagles here, set against the beautiful winter backdrop of the Tetons. The explorers didn’t have the opportunity to watch Old Faithful erupt from a heated snow coach, but you can!

Natural Habitat Adventures:
Seven days, January to March 2010; $3,895.

800-543-8917 • NatHab.com 

Grand Canyon Sky Tour

Las Vegas, Nevada, to Grand Canyon N.P.

Fly from the Vegas strip to one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World—Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Soak in the aerial views of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River before you land at the Grand Canyon West Ranch. Then a horse-drawn wagon takes you to an outlaw cookout, where stories and legends of the West are shared around a campfire. 

Grand Canyon Helicopter Ranch Adventure:
One day; $440. 

800-222-6966 • GrandCanyonTourCompany.com