From andy@cqs.washington.edu Thu Mar 6 18:53:58 1997 Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu (mx5.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.6]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW96.12/8.8.4+UW97.03) with ESMTP id SAA19578 for ; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 18:53:56 -0800 Received: from zookeeper.zoology.washington.edu (zookeeper.zoology.washington.edu [128.95.68.109]) by mx5.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW96.12/8.8.4+UW96.12) with ESMTP id SAA17531 for ; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 18:53:54 -0800 Received: from salmo.cqs.washington.edu (salmo.cqs.washington.edu [128.95.148.161]) by zookeeper.zoology.washington.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id SAA26371 for ; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 18:31:27 -0800 Received: by salmo.cqs.washington.edu (8.6.10/COFS Revision: 2.30 ) id SAA15498; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 18:53:52 -0800 Date: Thu, 6 Mar 1997 18:53:51 -0800 (PST) From: Andy Cooper To: PSSCB , wildlife@u.washington.edu Subject: UPDATE: Wolf Research in Yellowstone: PSSCB Spring Break Trip! Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi Gang! I've finally got the info on the Spring Break trip to Yellowstone! We are being given the opportunity to accompany the Yellowstone Wolf Reintroduction Program's field crew for up to 5 days during Spring Break!! (Monday, March 24 - Friday, March 28) We will serve as observers and possibly assistants depending on the tasks at hand. Basically we'll be tracking, observing, and learning about wolves from sunrise to sunset (quite literally)! We will get to experience everything a wolf biologist experiences...for better or worse :) Unfortunately, the field crew can only handle a limited number of people. There are only SEVEN spots open! So here's the deal: These spots will be filled on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED basis. Drop me a line by e-mail saying that you will DEFINITELY go and I'll put you on the list...if you are not sure, PLEASE do not put your name on the list! Current PSSCB members will have priority until 5:00pm Sunday, March 9, at which point I will begin filling the remaining spaces with non-PSSCB members (who will then pay their $5.00 annual dues and become members). Non-PSSCB members can send me e-mails and get on the waiting list now, though. When you send a message, please include your home and school/work phone numbers, and say whether or not you've paid your PSSCB dues this year. Now for the nitty-gritty details...and they are gritty! (I'm VERY excited about all this and really looking forward to it, but I also want to make sure everyone knows exactly what they might be in for so that we all will have an GREAT time!) 1) Due to current airfare prices ($300-$350 roundtrip plus then having to rent vehicles) we're going to probably have to drive. Therefore we'd be leaving the morning of Saturday, March 22 (arriving in Yellowstone Sunday evening). If we stay the full five days (which is negotiable if peple burn out) we would leave Yellowstone on Saturday, March 29, getting back to Seattle Sunday evening. I'm looking into getting UW vehicles, but we're probably going to need at least 2 people who have vehicles and that are willing to drive (my plan is that they will be compensated by the other participants). We will be splitting up into smaller groups while conducting research, so we need 2-3 vehicles, but all driving will be done on PAVED roads. 2) We will be with the wolf research teams all day...from before the sun rises until after the sun sets! If you can not hike ALL DAY with a full daypack, then this trip is NOT for you (this is comming from Doug Smith the person coordinating our activities with the wolf research teams)! 3) They do NOT have lodging for us! We will be camping (in a developed campground) for our entire stay in Yellowstone. It'll be borderline spring-time, so expect it to be COLD and WET (though we may be pleasantly surprised)! This also means that dinners will be cooked by campstove in the dark, unless we go to the nearby town (Doug suggested we do that at least a few times just to make life a little easier...which sounds good to me :) 4) Each person will have to bring her or his own spotting scope / binoculars. Other necessary items...rain gear (that you can deal with potentially all day), daypack large enough to hold all the gear and food you may need for the day, COLD WEATHER GEAR, hiking boots, sleeping bag, water bottles...the usual camping stuff...some of us will have to bring tents. If you have snowshoes, it was recommended that you bring them...just in case we have to go through the snow to check out a kill (though they are NOT necessary...I was assured of this!). 5) Despite the fact that I'm organizing the trip, I will not be holding peoples' hands here...and neither will the field biologists. You must be comfortable with living and working in incliamte weather. If you've never been camping before, this probably isn't the best situation in which to learn...not that you have to be an expert either. Just know your limitations and be confident enough to act appropriately. So, to wrap up...we will be responsible for all of our expenses. I haven't had time to work it out yet, but it'll be 4-days/2-nights on the road (accounting for gas, lodging, food), and up to 5 days in a campground, supplying all our own food and transportation while in the park. Everything is VERY flexible...we don't have to stay the full five days. Some can stay the full 5, some can leave early...given that there's consensus and transportation works out. We can stay the full 5 days but only work with the wolf team for 3 or 4 of them. It's completely open. I just want to make sure everyone knows what they're in for so we can all have an INCREDIBLE time!!!!!!! If you're interested (and not going to change your mind if all of the sudden it looks like ski conditions will be great or something...) drop me an e-mail with your name, home and work/school phone numbers, and your PSSCB membership status. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Well, enough of my babbling! Talk to you soon!! -- Andy Cooper Conservation Chair .