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Yellowstone Wolf Adventure

By Author Hal Brindley

Posted on Last updated:

Hoodoo Trek in Yellowstone

Travel For Wildlife joined the Yellowstone Wolf Tracker, Nathan Varley, on a guided 6-day backcountry hike up to the remote Hoodoo Basin in Yellowstone National Park. (August 2013).

wolf-portrait

We saw wolf and bear signs everywhere (both black and grizzly) as well as a cougar track! We sighted moose, bison, pronhorns, elk, and mountain goats and a wide variety of birds and insects!

Our favorite thing about hiking with Yellowstone Wolf Tracker was that it was a “supported trek”, meaning Nathan hires additional guides to join the trek, carry gear, and cook all the meals. It was awesome!

Here are a few photos from our journey.

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Unexpected experience: Helping the park service haul a dead bison away from the trail.
Unexpected experience: Helping the park service haul a dead bison away from the trail.
We spotted several moose browsing in the trees during our hike in Yellowstone
We spotted several moose browsing in the trees during our hike in Yellowstone
A Dusky Grouse calls softly to her five chicks hiding across the trail from us. Yellowstone National Park.
A Dusky Grouse calls softly to her five chicks hiding across the trail from us. Yellowstone National Park.
A huge wolf track all the way up in the HooDoo Basin in Yellowstone back country. Awesome!
A huge wolf track all the way up in the HooDoo Basin in Yellowstone back country. Awesome!
See that tiny white spot? It's a mountain goat climbing a steep cliff out of the Hoodoo Basin in Yellowstone!
See that tiny white spot? It’s a mountain goat climbing a steep cliff out of the Hoodoo Basin in Yellowstone!
A pronghorn in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley
A pronghorn antelope in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
Nathan Varley (far right) and his crew of guides that led us up to the Hoodoos. An awesome group of guys.
Nathan Varley (far right) and his crew of guides that led us up to the Hoodoos. A great group of guys.

About Yellowstone Wolf Tracker

Summary: Nathan Varley and Linda Thurston are wildlife biologists with extensive experience in wolf research and Yellowstone wildlife. Nathan and Linda lead day tours and multi-day packages in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. Their company, The Wildside, runs popular Yellowstone wolf tour packages including the Winter Wolf Watch.

Regions: USA (Yellowstone National Park)

Focus Species: Wolves, Grizzly Bears

Sample Tours: Winter Wolf Watch, Spring Wolf Watch, Autumn Wolf Watch

Hal Brindley at the Antarctic Circle

Hal Brindley

Brindley is an American conservation biologist, wildlife photographer, filmmaker, writer, and illustrator living in Asheville, NC. He studied black-footed cats in Namibia for his master’s research, has traveled to all seven continents, and loves native plant gardening. See more of his work at Travel for Wildlife, Truly Wild, Our Wild Yard, & Naturalist Studio.