Hot Lunch Truck at the Gallatin Office!

Rollin' down the river, once the rapids have petered out the subject always comes around to .... food.
"Where should we eat?" MMMMmmmmm
Unfortunately, the closest eateries are 20-30 min drive away which can be not fun when kids are yelling and stomachs are growling...
This winter, we hooked up with Steve, a cook from California. He, and one of our guides, Louie, were having lots of success selling their food at the Berkeley Farmers Market. But, Steve wanted to move to Montana and Louie was headed home anyways and so they bought a catering truck and are setting it up at our Gallatin Office!
YAY!
Steve came over to our house the other night to share his special home made meat rub recipe and cook up some ribs....
YUM!

RECORD SNOWPACK!

Photo Courtesy of Bridger Bowl Ski Resort
The snow this winter has been constant! We are looking at a high water year!
We really don't know how this will pan out in terms of water levels but we have a feeling that the water this spring will be higher than usual - making for some exciting rafting! Hopefully the snowmelt will occur gradually and we will have solid water levels throughout the season but who knows?
High water season is usually Late May through sometime in June...
At that time, our Yellowstone River trips will be rockin fun and we will be very cautious about running clients through Yankee Jim Canyon. If water levels are too high to run through the Canyon, we will offer a special full day that will be 2 half day runs through the town stretch with a lunch provided at our river side office.
Our Mad Mile stretch of the Gallatin can also be too high to run with clients but that means that the upper stretch will still be a rockin good time. The issue with the Mad Mile is that it is more than a mile of cold class IV+ rapids - continuous. This means that if there is any swimming, it can be gnarly. As the water level becomes appropriate, raft trips down the Mad Mile will be offered, at our discretion. We reserve the right to choose the best stretch of river for different clients.
Please call us if you are curious about water levels during your visit!

Yellowstone Vacation Planning Advice

If you are currently planning on a trip to Yellowstone this spring or summer, here's some general tips to guide you:
Lodging gets booked up in the Park - as well as in the Entrance towns, so if you have specific dates, get on that!
For Camping - some campsites are first come, first served, others take reservations. There are campgrounds outside the park borders - Private operations as well as Forest Service Camping - so if the Park is booked, look right outside the park.
Don't plan on trying to see everything. You will spend all your time driving. Plan on taking a walk or a hike and getting off the beaten track. This is where the magic of Yellowstone will come alive!
Wildlife can be seen anywhere in Yellowstone Park. Use the Pullouts, bring the binos and travel early mornings or at dusk for best viewing potential.
Read the Newspaper they give you at the Park Entrance. It has a lot of helpful tips and safety advice that you don't want to miss!
Maximum park speed limits are strictly enforced and range from 15 to 45 mph. Plan on extra time to drive through the park.
Much of Yellowstone Park and the surrounding areas experience mountain weather patterns. This can result in rain or snow events even in July. The sun is also strong at many elevations in the Park. Be prepared by bringing hot and cold clothing items regardless of the season. Sunscreen is a must!
There are limited places to get food inside the park (that tend to get very busy during peak seasons) so consider packing a lunch and eating it outside.
Don't feed animals, including birds.

reservations are coming in!

We are now taking reservations for the 2008 season!
You will most likely be talking to Julie or Margot - and we are here to help you decide which trip is best for your group and help you out with planning your yellowstone vacation!
We are also working on creating some itineraries to post on the website to assist you in deciding what to do while you are here -
we look forward to speaking with you!
HAPPY NEW YEAR

summer is officially over

we cant believe it but its true. We made it through another summer. Bill Canoed the grand canyon (again)- barely making it through Lava Falls..
This is how the big boss relaxes - by gasping for air and pushing his luck!...
Thank you to J-Dub and Madge for running a smooth and pro Yellowstone Operation. We are so blessed to have you!
Our guides this year were one of the best crews we have ever had. Their dedication and hard work make MWW what it is! Our office staff Ran the Show and seemed to have a good time most days. We are grateful for their humor and intelligence. Shuttle drivers were super hard working and safe,
Photography was smoother than ever!
YEAY!
And we couldn't have done it without the custies!

What we do in the Winter

People always ask what we do in the winter, so here's a little update.
Bill just got back from an intensive Wilderness EMT course at NOLS in Lander. He took his National Test the other day and passed. He celebrated by putting extra goat milk in his Nettle tea.

Those of you who know us well will be pleased to learn that we hired a personal organizer to come and help us with our office. We removed 4 garbage bags of old files and clutter. We can now pay bills/ take reservations / write at the desk!



Stevie has been staying with us on and off - and he is planning to go on the Grand Canyon for a month - leaving next week. He is taking a yellow MWW boat- an new, unnamed one. It will probably return with some stories! Here is a pic of Steve pumping up some boats in the garage. They get soggy when it gets cold and he was helping to straighten the stack...




OK, lets see, what do we do in the winter? It always seems to be something - working on Montana Whitewater and related projects... We are already making resies, talking to potential guides and returning guides, planning how to improve and still have fun and hoping for more snow!! MWW (m dub) is a lot like a theatrical performance. We spend all this time preparing and practicing so that when the custies arrive, it's showtime!

Salmon River Trip with The Family

On September 15, we closed operations on the Yellowstone River in Gardiner for the season. A few days later, we left for a 5 day trip down the Main Salmon River in Idaho. Although we have canoed and rafted the Main many times before, this trip was really special because we were able to bring my Mom - Brenda Wilson from Toronto, my Auntie Dee from Vancouver and Baby Teebird (age 20 mos).

We brought 2 oar rigs - one for me (Margot) and one for Bill. We packed for two days, trying to make SURE that we had everything to make the trip perfect. Upon arrival at Corn Creek Put In (6 hours from home), we realized that we had forgotten our cam straps. If you know anything about rafting, you know that cam straps are as important as oars. They are for tying your gear into the boat. We were paralysed. Brenda - Grandma - had put the bag of cammies in the shed, thinking she was Helping us Put Things Away. She said - "You seemed to have so many of those things, I couldn't imagine that you would need more". She felt so bad. She had really screwed up the trip. We might as well turn around.

Well, obviously, we didn't. Within 30 seconds of sending a message to the Great Goddess of Cammies, a cute guy named Dan arrived in a Jet Boat. He just happened to work at the Salmon River Lodge.He loaned us a ton of cammies - WOW. What a cool guy. He didn't want any money but Bill had some tips falling out of his lifejacket so we tipped him. What a honey.

The first day was gorgeous. The last day was gorgeous. The days in between were rainy, cloudy and gnarly! The class III rapids provided enough excitement and we portaged Baby Tee on 3 of the biggest rapids. The rest of them, she either slept through or yelled "wheeee!"

On day 4, after 3 days of rain, Mom and Auntie Dee were over it. Wet, sandy tents and sleeping bags were just too much for these civilized ladies. Neither of them had slept a wink, even when dry. Dee stopped talking. Brenda went delirious. Late that day, we stopped at Shepp Ranch. Perfect Timing! They had rooms for us and were preparing a shrimp and steak banquet for a Hunting Guides Birthday Party. Wow. Shepp Ranch, right across from the Buckskin Bill Museum, is such a friendly place!

Luckily, the last night was sunny and warm and everybody ended the trip with comfy, dry clothes on.
It was a blast! Grandma even cried when it was over.