Introduction
Some of the best things haven't changed for a hundred years. The grandeur of the mountains. The fragrant hush of the forest. The way everything tastes better in the open air. The camaraderie of the evening campfire. Our 5,000 square km guide territory lies within a transition zone between the Coast Mountains and the Chilcotin Plateau. This favored position produces a "Rainshadow". This means sunny skies and a dry "bug-free" environment. The area is renowned for its bio-diversity, with vegetation ranging from Douglas fir to alpine tundra. Plants, representing both temperate vegetation to the south and boreal vegetation to the north, occur together. Massive ancient firs give way to the trembling aspen and meadows brocaded with an abundance of wildflowers that bloom May through to September (our Indian summer) at their preferred elevations. Our guide area encompasses an outstanding variety of wildlife. California bighorn sheep (the largest population in British Columbia), moose, mule deer, mountain goat, Grizzly, Black bear and wolf are plentiful and frequently sighted. "Chilcotin" is an Indian name meaning "People of the Blue Water". Our water is clean and cold as it seeps out of the sandy shale mountain slopes.

Guest Ranch Stays (4D/3N, every Mon & Thurs, year-round)
Western hospitality, all the activities of a true western lifestyle, and tried & tested mountain Cayuse horses matched to your abilities! We've packed in a lot of activities, but it's your option to choose between leisure, action packed, or something in between. We'll take care in matching your group according to abilities, interests and even ages. That's right. You won't find adults mixed with a family, and you won't find novice mixed with advanced. Families are matched with families (this is especially important for the children). If you bring your own group, you can have the Ranch for your own private Adventure! Whether it's the "River Ride" or "Eldorado Pass", you'll find each ride cleverly crafted to gradually take you to new heights. If you're advanced, the alpine is just a short ride away with high passes and 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. This is not "trail riding"! When you're not riding, there's healthy and abundant food. Enjoy our library, swim or fish at a nearby lake, or play a board game before enjoying the camaraderie of the evening campfire. Bring your guitar or other portable instrument and song books. If you're a family group, sun tan on our large deck overlooking the Bendor Range and spectate while your children have riding lessons. The guides are available for target practice, bareback lessons, horse logging demonstrations and horseshoe throwing competitions. Get involved in shoeing a horse, throwing the diamond on the pack, or throwing a lariat. You can tour the turn-of-the-century mining towns, visit a mining or a chain saw museum, pan for gold in Gun Creek, or drive to the foot of a glacier and explore old pioneer cabins. In the month of May we offer a 4D Grizzly Viewing Ranch Adventure.

Grizzly Viewing Trips (4D Ranch in May or 7D Pack Horse, June Jun 20-26 & Jul 4-10)
We have been viewing Grizzlies and collecting data on the bears within our territory since 1990. Our licensed guides are knowledgeable on their habitat, migration and feeding patterns, and seasonal habits. Guest education and participation is a trademark of our adventures. Collecting hair samples from a Grizzly rub tree or territory marker tree, visiting a Grizzly den where bears hibernate during winter, documenting sightings, and receiving Grizzly viewing and study literature are all part of our Grizzly Viewing Study Adventures.
4D Ranch (Mon-Thurs or Thurs-Mon): Viewing is done by a combination of vehicle and foot, returning nightly to our Ranch. We leave early in the morning to catch the Grizzlies feeding on the first fresh shoots and grasses of the spring. This is the time when the bears are re-establishing territories, and it is the start of the breeding season. Grizzlies are concentrated in low elevations. Sightings and photographic opportunities are available throughout the day. This is ideal for both amateur and professional photographers. Collecting hair samples, documenting sightings and tracks, and studying bear habitat and a winter den are all part of the experience.
7D Pack Horse (Sun-Sat): Viewing is done from Mountain Cayuse horses. Riders access the back country like explorers, with personal gear packed on horses. The first and the last nights of the adventure are spent in our Ranch while the rest of the nights are spent in an alpine camp(s). Trails traveled by Grizzly bears through the mountains are marked with rub trees or territory markers. We collect the hair from these trees, and GPS their locations for subsequent mapping and analyses. The alpine meadows provide favored summer feeding ranges, and open areas allow for excellent sightings and photographic opportunities. For advanced horse riders only, wilderness camping, uneven and steep terrain experience required.

Pack Horse Trips (4D, 7D, or 10D, June-October)
This is the ultimate wilderness adventure! Ride into the backcountry like an explorer, pack horses in tow. Travel the mountains in nomadic style, seeing new scenery each day. Follow game trails, cross rivers and glaciers, and ride through valleys echoing with the whistles of scurrying marmots. Enjoy open-air lunches with the world's best views. There's so much to learn about wildlife habits and the wilderness. You can ride all day without seeing another person. Travel passes once used by Indians and later for prospectors, then down into wide U shaped valleys with their mosaic of wildflowers, wild hay meadows and big-game mineral licks. There's even plenty of time for fishing (licenses available on site), gold panning, and exploring ancient geological features. Accommodation is our permanent alpine camp(s). On the 10, 7 and 4 day trips, both the first and the last nights are spent at our Ranch.

Alpine Fly-In Fishing at Spruce Lake (4D/3N, every Mon & Thurs, June-October)
Picture a surrounding panorama of snow-covered peaks and a forested terrain populated with mountain goats, big horn sheep, black bears and deer. Complete the picture with a vision of silver trout shattering mountain reflections on the surface of the Lake. Take into account that this lake belongs to you almost exclusively. It is protected by its own remote location, and can be accessed only by foot, on horseback or by float plane. Spruce Lake teems with a natural population of native rainbow trout. They average around 2 pounds, and the 4 and 5 pound ones put up a fight worthy of a salmon. Cold mountain streams feed the lake, keeping the rainbow-painted beauties in perfect fighting condition throughout the season. With its extensive shoreline shallows, Spruce Lake is ideal for fly-fishing and spin casting. As well as tips on the best flies to use, your Licensed Angling Guide is knowledgeable on wildlife and the environment, and can take you on guided hikes to explore 50 million year old fossil beds and unforgettable viewpoints. Accommodation is our high alpine camp, located on the shore of Spruce Lake at 1,700 meters. We have spacious tent cabins, complete with heaters, and there is even a gravity-fed hot water shower! Our pioneer log cabin provides a fully-serviced cook house. Fishing licenses available on-site.

Wilderness Hiking Retreats (4D, Thurs-Sun & 7D, Sun-Sat, June-October)
If you're looking to discover true backcountry wilderness while hiking in a truly unique alpine setting, this is the ideal vacation package. Imagine secluded alpine basins in the heart of the sunny South Chilcotin - the last expanse of truly wild west. Picture a surrounding panorama of snow-covered peaks and a forested terrain. Complete the picture with a vision of silver trout shattering mountain reflections on the surface of Spruce Lake.
You and your guide(s) will access the alpine by foot (fly-in is an option). Like true explorers, with pack horses in tow, you'll travel through the mountains in nomadic style, following game trails, crossing glaciers, and enjoying open-air lunches with the world's best views. The south Chilcotin Mountains are known for sunny skies and dry climate. In addition to the favorable climate, the area is known for its bio-diversity. This gives rise to an abundance of wildflowers that bloom May through to September at their preferred elevations, and an outstanding variety of wildlife. California bighorn sheep (the largest population in British Columbia), moose, mule deer, mountain goat, Grizzly, Black bear and wolf are plentiful and frequently sighted. If your main interest is fishing, let us know and we can plan for your overnight accommodation at our Spruce Lake camp. Accommodation is our alpine camps. NOTE: Seasoned hikers can choose between a series of alpine camps.

Wilderness Mountain Bike Tours (4D, Mon-Thurs, & 7D, Sun-Sat, June-October)
Our southern Chilcotin Mountains are one of the top mountain biking areas in British Columbia. Riders love the single track routes and the panoramic views. The grand finale is a "classic descent" over two mountain passes, through lush alpine meadows, dropping more that 5,000 vertical feet over 25 kilometers. On our tours, Riders cycle free of any panniers and back packs. For the more seasoned riders who choose to stay in our alpine camp(s), we'll transport all your personal gear in and out of camp, as well as between camps. Accommodation is our Ranch or alpine camp(s). It is recommended that riders provide their own bikes.

Winter Snowmobile & Ski Adventures (4D, Thurs-Sun or 7D, Sun-Sat, December-April)
Snowmobile Adventures: These are for those seeking authentic wilderness. Explore over 500 km of old mining and logging roads on your own, or leave the navigation to one of our licensed wilderness guides. At the end of the day, you'll return to our warm and spacious Ranch, relax in front of a fireplace after a home cooked meal and relive the adventure. If you're looking for more of a challenge, the Hut-to-Hut is for you. By day, you'll experience alpine wilderness and lots of adventure as you make your own trails through mountain forests up to spectacular alpine lookouts. By night, you'll be sheltered in remote mountain cabin(s).

Ski Adventures: These are ideal for small groups of skiers who wish to explore a variety of different backcountry settings. The Ranch Trip is guided by experienced guides who know the best places to ski and the best ways to get to them. When you're not skiing, you can enjoy the many other options available, such as sleigh rides, horseback riding on woolly Cayuse horses, stoking our two story fireplace, biathlon shooting and more. For more of a challenge, you can Ski Tour into the high alpine in the deep winter snowdrifts and stay at our Spruce Lake cabin. Besides outstanding back country skiing opportunities, you can ice fish or explore 50 million year old fossil bluffs. The cabin sleeps 6 to 8, and is equipped with propane and wood stoves, and a radio phone. Our licensed guides transport all gear and supplies, so there's no heavy packs. Accommodation is a combination of Ranch, mountain cabin(s), and Spruce Lake Cabin.

Wilderness Guide Training (1-2 weeks, May-August, call us for details and rates)
 

Rates

Chilcotin Holidays Guest Ranch Stay, year-round 2004 Rates, per person, include transfer from/to Vancouver
4 Days/3 Nights, Mon-Thurs or Thurs-Mon
$735
4D Grizzly Viewing Ranch Stay (month of May): $1195

Pack Horse Trips, June-October 2004 Rates, per person, include transfer from/to Vancouver
4D/3N, Thurs-Sun	7D/6N, Sun-Sat	10D/9N, Thurs-Sat
$795	$1280	$1775
7D Grizzly Viewing, Jun 20-26 & Jul 4-10: $1850

Alpine Fly-In Fishing at Ranch or Spruce Lake , June-October 2004 Rates, per person (min 2), include transfer from/to Vancouver
4D/3N, Thurs-Sun or Sun-Thurs	$1195

Wilderness Hiking Retreats, June-October 2004 Rates, per person, include transfer from/to Vancouver
4D/3N, Thurs-Sun	7D/6N, Sun-Sat
$740	$1099

Wilderness Mountain Bike Tours, June-October 2004 Rates, per person, include transfer from/to Vancouver
4D/3N, Thurs-Sun	7D/6N, Sun-Sat
$740	$1099

Winter Snowmobile or Ski Adventures, December-April 2004 Rates, per person, include transfer from/to Vancouver
4D/3N, Thurs-Sun	7D/6N, Sun-Sat
$735	$1280

 

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