Following the Nez Perce Trail- Mist Creek Pass (5 day)

Special guest:  Dick Clark PhD.

Yellowstone National park has been the home of a variety of Native American groups.  One of the most famous groups of Native American's never lived there but passed through in the summer of 1877.  Chief Joseph, his brother Ollocot, White Bird and a number of other Nez Perce Chiefs fled from the Army and through Yellowstone National Park.

Come with us and follow the lost and mysterious routes of the Nez Perce Indians as they fled from the Army that fateful summer in 1877.  This progressive travel multi day horseback trip will take us up Pelican Creek over Mist Creek Pass and down the wild Lamar River Canyon.  Here amongst the buffalo, wolves, bears and other wildlife, we'll retrace the steps of Chief Joseph as he and the other chiefs eluded the Army to save their people.  Our evenings will discuss the plight of these people and how their story ended.

The Lamar River Canyon was also the home of one of the fiercest wildfires of the 1988 catastrophic fire season.  We will ride through the origins of the famous Clover Mist Fire.  While the historical trip will be our focus, we'll also look at and discuss fire ecology, and some of the exciting events that occurred during that blazing summer of 1988.

The Lamar River Valley within Yellowstone National Park is the most common place for watching wolves, bear, and American bison interact. From where the Lamar River leaves the upper Lamar Canyon and flows to join the Yellowstone, visitors can see spectacular wildlife interactions on a daily basis from the safety of their cars. However, for the more adventurous, ride with us up the upper Lamar and see the wildlife in a more intimate setting as buffalo stroll down the trail 100 yards from our campsite watch bears forage on the hillsides, and wolves trot along in search of prey.

For those who fish, this trip also camps along beautiful fishing waters every evening, with a possible stay an extra night at a good fishing hole or two.  Contact us about organizing the trip with fishing in mind.