Colorado, North America -
Call of the Wild

Highlights

Overview

44-50 Community Service Hours

• Environmental community service at Mission: Wolf. Our time is spent assisting the staff in activities that directly benefit the health and wellbeing of the 30 resident wolves.

• A Certificate of Community Service indicating the total number of hours worked and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award will be issued upon successful completion of the program.

Activities

• Whitewater Raft: Arkansas River

• Aerial Course: Lost Canyon, San Isabel National Forest

• Rock Climb: San Isabel National Forest

• Explore: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Buena Vista, Cottonwood Pass

• Swim: Princeton Hot Springs, Chalk Creek

Completing Grades

8-12

Duration

17 Days

Accommodations

We sleep in tents, shower about every three to five days, and use latrines or flush toilets as bathrooms.

Tuition (Airfare and baggage fees not included)

$4,895

Arrive/Depart

Denver, CO

Social Media

Join in on the fun! Check out #CotwRLT for a behind-the-scenes look at photos from past participants and leaders. 

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Description

We kick off our adventure as we head to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, home of the tallest dunes in North America. For two days we explore the rolling sand waves and make them our playground as we get acclimated and prepare for our time at Mission: Wolf.

All of the lectures, films, photos, and books combined cannot compare with an eye-to-eye encounter with a live wolf. In the intensity of a single gaze, we catch a glimpse of the untamed beauty, power, and mystery of the wild. To touch, feel, smell, hear, and experience these wild creatures benefits not only the wolves but also us, the people who want to understand and contribute to the delicate balance of their threatened future.

Sadly, selling wolves and wolf dogs as pets is a big business. Hundreds of these majestic creatures are abandoned when their owners can no longer provide the space and care they need. For nine days we live with the wolves in their sanctuary home between the red alpenglow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the jagged peaks of the Greenhorn Wilderness. Our time is spent assisting the staff in activities that directly benefit the health and wellbeing of the 30 resident wolves. We repair old fences, construct new pens, restore habitat, assist the staff on "Big Feed" days, and meet these beautiful animals eye to eye as a form of enrichment. At sunset, we hike and explore the many rivers and streams in this remote sanctuary.

Our adventures continue as we raft down the Arkansas River, challenge ourselves on an aerial course outside of Buena Vista, rock climb in San Isabel National Forest, and take a nice soak in the natural hot spring. The hot spring pools are located in the midst of the cool rushing waters of Chalk Creek. Each pool is fed by its own natural geothermal spring, bubbling up into the creek bed and into circles of stones that create natural pools of warmth and rejuvenation. We spend our last day together on “the road less traveled,” taking in the expansive views of the Continental Divide at Cottonwood Pass and celebrating both our new pack of friends and the difference we can make preserving an endangered species.

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Itinerary

Arrival (Day 1):

Arrive in Denver, CO, head out to the first stop, Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park (Day 2):

Explore some of the tallest dunes in North America, just over 750 feet high. Hike up and down the small valleys and hills to reach Star Dune (the highest). From the top comes the fun part: sledding back down!

Mission: Wolf Community Service (Days 3-11):

Depart for Mission: Wolf in the morning and, upon arrival, get acquainted with the wolves. Projects include building fire bunkers, rebuilding wolf enclosures, cutting firewood, making repairs to staff housing, repairing the enclosures, and helping out at the farm. Daily tasks include feeding the wolves in the morning and socializing with the ambassador wolves. Interact with a special group of wolves used to educate the public about these beautiful and often misunderstood animals. 

Rafting, High Aerial Course, Hot Springs and Climbing Adventure (Days 12-15):

Departing from Mission: Wolf, head north to Buena Vista to begin the next adventure, rafting down class 2 and 3 rapids through Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River. Next day, harness up for a high aerial course, then head to the local hot springs to unwind. Spend final day trying basic rock climbing in San Isabel National Forest. 

Closing (Day 16):

Pack up and explore Buena Vista and Cottonwood Pass.  We’ll prepare our final banquet and have our last evening together before heading home.

Homeward Bound (Day 17):

We say our final goodbyes and board our flights for home.

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Need To Know!

Traveler’s Health

The Road Less Traveled does not require any vaccinations or immunizations to travel with us, other than an up-to-date tetanus shot or booster (within the last nine years).

Day-To-Day Calendar

To receive an emailed copy of this program’s day-to-day calendar, please call our office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST at 773-342-5200 and we’ll happily send you one!

General Travel Info

It is imperative that no one make any travel arrangements until RLT provides instructions for specific arrival and departure time windows. Those details are typically released in mid-spring.

Families are individually responsible for booking their own airfare to get their student from home to the starting destination on the first day of the trip, and from the ending destination back home on the last day of the trip.

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