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White River Base Camp
offered by supplier M14307 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 7
day(s)
Group Size: 1
- 4
people
Destination(s):
Montana
Specialty Categories:
Horse Riding
Hiking & Trekking
Season: July - September
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 225 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 225 US Dollar (USD)
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Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive at Benchmark just after daylight. The wranglers should just be finishing up with the saddling of the stock. After an introduction to safe horsemanship, you will be introduced to your horse for the trip. Riders are matched as closely as possible to their mounts according to individual skills and abilities. Our stock is good, gentle stock. You should be on the trail early in the morning, and riding into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.
We cross the South Fork of the Sun River via the packbridge, then across the West Fork packbridge. Quite often we see elk, whitetail deer, and mule deer along this stretch of trail while the dew is still on the grass. We often stop for lunch at the Indian Creek Ranger Station, or thereabouts. On some trips we may camp in this vicinity, if we have previously made arrangements.
After lunch we saddle up and start up and start the ride up Indian Creek. This is an especially scenic area. On most trips in late July to mid-August, bears can be seen from time to time, feeding on the berry crop across the drainage.
This is also a good area in which to see mountain goats. The scenic ride climaxes on top of the Continental Divide. From here it is five miles down hill to our camp, and a well deserved rest after the 22-mile horseback ride. (Remember that we can make this 22 miles in two days instead of one, if you wish and your time allows.)
Day 2: After yesterday's hard ride, we turned the horses out to pasture, as we plan to spend most of this day in and around our base camp. Our camp is located at the nexus of the White River and South Fork of the White River, in almost the exact geographical center of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The White River is 150 yards from camp and affords some really good fishing opportunities for both novice and expert fishermen. West slope cutthroat trout are the primary species. If you don’t wish to fish, you can go for a scenic hike right out of camp, take a sun shower (we cheat and heat the water when necessary), and watch the deer feed in and around camp most anytime.
Day 3: The daily schedule for any day can be arranged to fit both personal and group desires, and weather conditions. This day we are planning a day ride to the South Fork of the Flathead River. It involves a 7-mile (one way) river grade trip, fishing and swimming in the river (which is about 10 degrees warmer than the White River).
On the way we may see wildlife, take pictures in White River Park and Murphy's Meadows, pick out the profile on "Scarface" Mountain, and practice horsemanship. After returning to a delicious meal, campfire talk, songs and good company can be enjoyed any evening.
Day 4: Today we are going up the White River on horseback, to a "secret" place known only as "the lost World". This place is a remote valley, inaccessible from most directions, and then only by an unmarked trail. Many times, mountain goat, elk and mule deer can be seen. This place gives us the feeling that they are on the moon as the terrain seems to be mostly rock. On the way we will pass Needle Falls, where the mainstream of the White River appears to pass through the eye of the "needle:, a hole in the rock that in recent times formed a natural bridge. By mid-afternoon we should be back in camp, with time left for a hike or to fish after dinner.
Day 5: This is a good day to go to the "Flathead Alps", up the drainage of the South Fork of the White river. A relatively easy ride, it can be as easy or as hard as you wish as you can hike in the "Alps" while the others catch a nap in the sun or take pictures. Adventure is where you find it, or in some cases where you create it.
Day 6: This is a special day, one that we have been saving until now. This trip is a must for everyone. Just four miles up the trail from camp, on Haystack Mountain, to the Chinese Wall.
This is an overpowering sight, as the mountain appears to have been cut off with a huge knife, some 1,400 feet from top to bottom. This is the Continental Divide. The general area is also referred to as the "overthrust belt". Often we see bighorn sheep and mountain goats, and sometimes a herd of elk can be spotted in the valley below. If you like mountain scenery, you will love this place set in the midst of a panorama of the wildest places in the continental U.S.
Day 7: If our trip is for more than 7 days, numerous possibilities exist for extended itineraries. We can include a side trip of one or more days in duration to such places a s the head of Cliff Creek, Big Salmon Lake, or another way out to Benchmark or different trails. If this is the last day of our trip, we will try to be in the saddle by early morning. We will take the same trail we came in on, but somehow it looks much different going the other direction, but just as beautiful. We should be to Benchmark by mid-afternoon, and you can be to Augusta by 6:00 PM, checking into a motel with a hot tub to pamper your tired body after the trip.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Adult $225.00 per day
Child $200.00 per day
A Down Payment of half the total cost will give you a preliminary reservation.
These payments are non-refundable except in the case of a medical crisis that prevents your coming, in which case we will carry your payments for a year.
Also see tour packages in:
USA
Montana
Horse Riding
Hiking & Trekking
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