Backcountry Adventurer

Amy grew up on the side of a mountain near Anchorage, AK where she developed a deep-seated passion for all things wild, rugged and slightly dangerous. After many childhood excursions with her family, Amy began traveling on her own and working in adventure travel as a consultant and guide in the San Juan Islands, the Greater Yellowstone region and Costa Rica.

Amy has a B.S. in Biology from Montana State University – Billings where she is involved in a long-term research project involving Montana’s only scorpion species, the Northern Scorpion. When not in the office, Amy will most likely be backpacking, fly fishing, or looking for snakes and scorpions. 

After talking with hundreds of people about adventure vacations, I believe there are basically two types of travelers: those who prepare weeks or even months in advance and those who throw a few things into a suitcase the day before a trip. Personality probably has a lot to do with which type of traveler you are, but everyone can benefit from a little thoughtful preparation before travel. Not only will you enjoy your adventure vacation more, but you will gain more from the entire experience if you spend a little time getting ready to go. Here are a few suggestions...

Prepare Your Body:

Getting physically prepared doesn't mean you have to run a marathon before you're ready to hike and bike on your Austin Lehman adventure. If you sit at a desk most of the day and you don't work out often, you will want to take it up a notch. Go for a walk four or five days a week, or hop on a bike (regular or stationary) every few days. I spoke with a woman last week who walks every day during her lunch break. She's headed to the Canadian Rockies this summer and I'm confident she will be adequately prepared for hiking those awe inspiring mountains.

Prepare Your Mind:

Make it a point to read about the area you will be visiting. The first time I went to Costa Rica I was not prepared for the differences in culture and environment. I hadn't read much and I was overwhelmed with all of the new sights and sounds. Austin Lehman provides a reading list for each of our adventures. If you are traveling with children, show them pictures of the area you'll be visiting. Photos help them to build a mental picture and it allows them to join in your excitement about the adventure. Looking at a map of the area will help you to orient yourself with your surroundings once you’re on your journey.

Immunizations (if traveling outside the US):

It's very important to check with your physician and the Center for Disease Control website before you travel outside of the U.S.  Some areas of the world have immunizations that are required, and some immunizations are only necessary in certain seasons. You will want to be aware of which immunizations are recommended and make informed decisions about which ones you want to take and which ones are not necessary. This is a decision that your doctor (or the doctor at your local travel clinic) should be able to help you make.

What to Pack:

Whenever someone asks me what type of clothes they should pack, I always say, "layers". It doesn't matter if you are traveling to Alaska or Nicaragua... layers are important. All of those layers should be breathable, non-cotton materials. Equally important would be a good pair of light-weight hiking shoes. I almost ruined my last backpacking trip with my son because I was trying to eke out a few more miles in my old hiking boots before forking up the dough for new ones. If you purchase new shoes before you travel, make sure to give your feet ample time to break them in. If your feet hurt, your whole body hurts. (Keep an eye out for next week’s blog from EMS’s Jim Darroch on how to choose the right footwear.)

A good rain jacket can be your best friend on any vacation. Unfortunately, Austin-Lehman can't control the weather, so it’s important to be prepared for an occasional wet day. Many outdoor clothing companies make a light-weight, packable rain coat that can also step in as a wind breaker, if needed.

Another important item to bring is a camera. No matter what camera you own, make sure you have the protective gear you need to keep it dry and dirt free. There's nothing more disappointing than missing that perfect shot because your camera lens has taken in moisture.  A good case can usually solve this, but even a zip lock bag makes a big difference.  Make sure to be smart about when you take out your camera too; don’t use your brand-new $2000 camera in a rain storm if you don’t have the accessories to keep it water free.

If you're traveling to a third-world country, you might want to consider bringing a few items to give away. Many of the people in other countries do not enjoy the standard of living we experience at home. Your travel experience can be greatly enhanced by bringing little gifts to give to children such as pencils, crayons, or small notepads. Pack for a Purpose is a great non-profit organization which can provide items needed in specific locations around the world, and can help you gain an idea of what to bring to other places.

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive. The more I travel, the more I learn about getting prepared - it can be part of the fun of travel. In case you were wondering, I am the type of traveler who likes to throw things in a suitcase at the last minute. I have to admit, it's not always the best choice but it does add to the adventure.

Yellowstone National Park, our first National Park, is the only place in the continental U.S. where visitors can still see substantial herds of large mammals and the predators that hunt them. If you choose to visit the greater Yellowstone area this summer, you will likely see bison, elk, moose, deer, and big horn sheep. More rare, yet argueably more exciting are sightings of Grizzly bears, black bears, coyotes and the controversial Grey Wolf. Yellowstone has been called North America's Serengeti and although we cannot compete with the millions of migratory animals of South Africa, YNP is much closer to home.

With the reintroduction of the wolf into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, all of the large carnivores native to the region at the end of the last ice age, again roamed the forests and plains of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The decision to reintroduce the wolves has been surrounded by controversy. I have no desire to delve into the politics surrounding the decision to bring the much feared and equally revered wolf back into the Yellowstone ecosystem, but from a purely selfish perspective I'm hoping for a glimpse of a Yellowstone wolf this summer.

I've seen wild wolves many times, but for some reason its never enough. When I was a young girl, I lived in a small town outside of Anchorage, AK. My house sat on the edge of a large forest, a cold, clear stream ran through my back yard. I spent many hours during the long Alaskan summer days roaming through the woods with my friends. One late afternoon as we walked along a narrow animal trail on a bluff above the stream we noticed a family of wolves had come down to the stream several yards in front of and below us. The parents were bright silver with haunting yellow eyes. I remember thinking they were keenly aware of their surroundings, constantly sniffing the air and looking around for danger. Instinctually, we all ducked down behind some low shrubs growing along the trail and watched in wide-eyed silence through the branches as the parents led their litter of young pups to the bank of the stream to drink. They didn't drink for long before they disappeared into the forest again, but I was mystified, enraptured and intrigued. My mother didn't believe my story until the adult wolves showed up in our back yard a few days later trying to find an easy meal from the trash cans behind our house. Those two sightings left me forever changed.

If you've been considering a trip to the Tetons or Yellowstone Park this summer, we'd love to have you join us where the wild things still live. There are several packs of wolves now residing within the borders of Yellowstone Park, with many of the wolf sightings concentrated in the Lamar Valley. Catching a glimpse of these elusive predators is an encounter you will not quickly forget.
 

As I step out of the San Jose airport into the warm, humid air a feeling of peace and relaxation washes over me, much as it does every time I arrive in this tiny country in Central America, except this visit will be different than all of the others. This adventure will take me to the Osa Peninsula, one of the least visited areas in all of Costa Rica. Suddenly I see Carlos through the crowd of Ticos waiting for friends and family. Carlos knows his country well and I'm so grateful he is willing to spend the next few days showing me a part of Costa Rica I haven't had the chance to explore before.

We leave the airport and head south and west into the Talamanca Mountain range toward Cerro de la Muerte, the highest point of the Pan American highway in Central America. We stop briefly at a small typical Costa Rican restaurant to get lunch; beans and rice, homemade tortillas, and fresh fruit before heading up higher into an ecosystem called paramo about 3,300m above sea level (around 10,000 ft), which is only found in Costa Rica and a few areas of Panama. Many endemic species live in this unique habitat. As we get out of our vehicle and start to walk a short distance into the vegetation I'm struck by how much the dwarf shrubs and trees resemble the alpine ecosystems I've studied back home in the Rockies, the Cascades and the Olympics; small, waxy leaves with tiny, white bell shaped flowers. We spend the night in a quaint lodge nestled in a valley near Costa Rica's most recently established National Park, Quetzal National Park.

Savegre Hotel Nature Reserve and Spa

I rise early to try and catch a glimpse of the beautiful Resplendid Quetzal only to be informed by one of the garden keepers that the Queztal has already visited his favorite avocado tree near the small trout pond earlier that morning and moved on to other feeding areas. I hoped this was not a foreshadowing of my luck at spotting wildlife as we headed even further south toward Sierpe on the outskirts of Central America's largest mangrove forest.

In the small town of Sierpe we board a boat and begin our voyage through the mangroves toward the Pacific Ocean and Osa Peninsula’s, Drake Bay. The number of bird and other wildlife sightings increase as we travel down river toward the ocean; frigate birds, raccoons, macaws, and caimans. Soon we can see the open ocean and the waves lapping at the mouth of the Rio Sierpe. Our captain maneuvers easily through the surf and continues on toward the northernmost tip of the Osa Peninsula. As we draw closer to shore I realize there isn't a dock...we're going to get as close to shore as possible and wade the rest of the way. Porters come to carry our luggage ashore while the passengers focus on the beauty surrounding us. I feel like I've just stepped into a scene from Swiss Family Robinson.

Approaching the Osa Peninsula after leaving the mouth of the Sierpe River

Early the next morning Carlos and I start down a small footpath into the jungle. He begins to share with me his knowledge about the plants, birds and animals we see as we walk. We stop to look at some edible fruits that have dropped from the thick rainforest canopy when Carlos notices a small band of howler monkeys watching us from the branches above. A young monkey clings to its mother, and eyes us curiously. We walk a little further and pause to look at a large tree frog clinging to the trunk of a tree when I notice that the ground seems to be moving beneath my feet. I look down and discover the reason for the strange sensation; small crabs almost completely cover the ground where I'm standing. When I move, each crab quickly scuttles away.

Gladiator tree frog (Hypsiboas rosenbergi), trying to blend in to his surroundings

I grew up on the side of a mountain in Eagle River, Alaska, and even though I now live in Montana, one of the least populated states in the contagious U.S., I'm amazed at how wild and secluded the Osa Peninsula feels. It gives me the same sensation I get when hiking and camping in remote locations in Alaska - the environment is still pristine, untouched, untamed. As I look around me, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that there are still places like the Osa Peninsula on this planet I call home.

A remote beach on the Osa Peninsula at high tide

Austin Lehman Adventures will be offering a trip to Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula this year. We'd love to have you join us on this life-changing adventure! Come experience some of the most beautiful and remote areas in Central America.