1^st Drive:  Probably the longest drive, round up cattle and take them about 40 miles
2^nd Drive: Drive cattle from winter pastures to summer pastures
3^rd Drive: This time we drive cattle from summer pastures to other summer pastures

Sample Itinerary - Subject to changes

Day 1: Arrive or be picked up at the Bozeman Airport between 12- 1 PM. We'll transport you to Townsend. There's time for necessary shopping, and getting a fishing license, if you plan to fish. We'll drive you to the first camp for dinner, getting acquainted, and orientation.

Day 2: Breakfast at camp. Introduction to horse, familiarization with horse and tack. Basic riding class and safety briefing. Short trail ride. Lunch. Roundup of cattle in surrounding foothills, corral cattle for the night. Dinner, entertainment/fishing, etc. Briefing on next day's plan, sing-along.

Day 3: Breakfast. Saddle up horses. Start cattle on the trail. Lunch along the trail. Trail cattle during the afternoon to a holding pen, where they'll be corralled for the night. Dinner at new camp. Entertainment/fishing/possibly a trip to the hot springs, briefing for tomorrow, sing-along.

Day 4: Breakfast. Continue along the trail until lunch at noon. Move on up the trail and corral cattle for the night. Dinner at new camp. Entertainment, briefing for next day, sing-along.

Day 5: Breakfast. Gather up cattle and trail them the last few miles to their summer pasture. Lunch along the trail. Ride to camp in late afternoon. Relax, swim/fish, and get ready for dinner and barn dance.

Day 6: Sleep in! Breakfast. Trail ride. Break camp and drive back to the valley for lunch and relaxation. Time for touring and shopping if you like. Steak dinner and closing program (with awards) at ranch. Sleep at ranches of hosts, or motel...your preference.

Day 7: Breakfast. No activities. We will deliver you to the airport. 

--Subject to change--
            

Hot, cold, sunny, windy, warm, cool, drafty, exquisite...That will cover most of it. Anything is possible in Montana's weather! The cattle have to go when it's time, so we've experienced every kind of weather, and are prepared to make the best of it. Think layers in clothing, and bring raingear.

 June can be quite rainy and cold, with temperatures often ranging from the high-30s at night and early morning to the 80s during the day.  August temperatures may be a little warmer, from lows in the 30s or 40s to highs in the upper-90s.  We cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you remain warm and dry.  If it does rain, you will never regret having good rain gear with both boot and hat covers (we'll have extra hat covers). 

Luggage: Your luggage will get dusty and dirty. We suggest a duffel bag or two. Your bags will be loaded in a gear trailer and traveling along a dusty road on the day we change camp.

We will provide sleeping pad, tent and tag.  Sleeping bags and pads are provided for international guests.  Otherwise, please bring your own, warm, sleeping bag. All items except your sleeping bag should be able to fit into a duffel bag not to exceed 60 lbs (27 kg).

It is important that you bring warm and dry clothing. May and June can be cool and it can snow around that time of the year. Fortunately we haven't really had to cope with extremely bad weather, but preparation is everything.

We have a fully equipped cook wagon on the drive. You'll be served hot family style meals at breakfast and supper every day.

Breakfast includes eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes with maple or blueberry syrup, muffins or sweet rolls, cold cereals, French toast, milk, juices, coffee, hot chocolate and generous portions of fresh mountain air!

Lunch varies from drive to drive. Sometimes we have sack lunches of a sandwich, fresh fruit and a candy bar along the trail. Other times, the chuck wagon follows closely behind the cattle and we'll have hot soup or chili. Cold water, soft drinks (we call it "pop") fruit juice or lemonade, coffee, tea and cocoa are available at all times.

 Dinner (Sample)

            Day 1:              Prime Rib, Ranch Spuds, Cowboy Beans

            Day 2:              Barbecued Chicken, Potato Salad, Green Beans

            Day 3:              Burritos, Chicken Enchiladas, Quesadillas

            Day 4:              Pot Roast, Peas & Mushrooms

            Day 5:              Barbecue Ribs (pork and beef), Buckaroo Spuds

            Day 6:              T-Bone Steak, Fried Potatoes & Onions, Corn

           Nightly:            Salad or Relish Tray

                                    Choice of Vegetable:  two at each dinner meal

                                    Bread:  Garlic, Grilled or Plain

                                    Salad Dressings:  Ranch, Low-Fat Ranch, French and Italian Dressings                     

                                    Condiments:  Sour Cream and Catsup

                                    Fruit:  Apples or oranges          Dessert:  Dutch Oven Cobblers or Cakes

Guests requiring any type of special dietary requirements are requested to notify us no later than two weeks prior to the start of their drive so that specific arrangements can be made.

Alcohol: We cannot provide alcohol, but we can pack any that you purcahse. If you did not purchase enough before the drive, contact Henry Barron in Camp. He goes to town and can make some purchases for you.

Moving Camp: You will need to place your sleeping bag, duffel bag and foam pad in the white gear trailer on the day that we move camp. The Trail Boss will let you know the night before if you'll need to pack up. Your belongings will go on to the next camp while you're out on the trail. If there's something you think you'll need during the day, take it with you.

Lodging and Privacy: Normally, we like to place unaccompanied males in one wall tent, unaccompanied females in another wall tent, and families in wall tents.  These tents are large, easily heated, essentially waterproof, and can house about six to eight people per tent.  We set these tents prior to the cattle drive.  It's a great way to build camaraderie among tent-mates, especially if we have competition between the tents in roping, fly-fishing, softball games, or tug-o-wars.  If you are coming with a group, please let us know in advance so that all of your group may be housed in one tent if possible.

However, we recognize that many people prefer privacy.  If this is the case with you, we do provide small two-person tents for couples, parent/child combos, or for anyone who just wants to be by him or herself.  These small tents are put up and taken down by our camp staff on a daily basis.  The disadvantages to the small tents are that they can be a little cramped for space and we cannot place a heater in them.  Please decide what you want to do and let us know on the information sheet.  Wall tents are not available just for couples.  Remember, this is not the Hilton or even Motel 6 for that matter.

Tack:		Western
Horses:		Quarter mix
Pace:		Moderate with trots and canters
Level:		(2 to 4 out of 5)    Good Novice+
Age:		Min 12
Weight:		Max 220 lbs
Riders:		Min 25 riders	Max 36 riders

Riding Experience: Try to be as honest as you can about your riding experience. We have over sixty horses to choose from, so we are sure to match you up with a horse appropriate to your experience level.

Passports

Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).

Passport Note

(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.

(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.

(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).



The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.

ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:

1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.

Visa Note

(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.

Validity

Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.

Applications to:

Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).

Working Days Required

Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.