trip out west

[fwhitaker]

I am looking to put a trip out west (ID, WY or MT) together for next spring. Any recommendations on a particular all-inclusive service or should I do all the arrangements myself?

what are the advantages of each, time versus money?

[THE EG]

fwhitacker,

You might need to be a little more specific to get more answers. Your question is pretty broad. You might want to do searches on anywhere you are interested. Many have been discussed before and may be very helpful as you try to narrow your search.

I think it is a matter of time/comfort vs. money. I was cash poor this summer. So I took the cheap...er...thrifty way this year. I'm still trying to download pictures but I did it about as inexpensively as you can.

I drove 4850 miles (the portable DVD player is the greatest kid traveling invention ever!!!) which cost me about $500 in my econo car (of course this does not include wear and tear costs or the oil change when I got back). By camping out I averaged $15 a day for "lodging". I could have done this cheaper. By shopping at grocery stores and camp cooking I averaged about $15 a day on food. Frankly, by turning off the AC at home for two weeks I may have lived cheaper than staying home.:)

My point was to show my kids the west and boy did they see it. We traveled through most of South Dakota and Wyoming with a bit of Montana and Colorado to boot.

I was more interested in touristy things like viewing wildlife and scenery with the kids but I probably passed near 10 or 15 of the best trout streams in the west. We stopped and fished at a couple.

It just depends on how much energy you want to expend and/or how much money you want to spend.

If I had my druthers, I would have been flying first class into some place like Jackson Hole or Bozeman and having the guest relations vehicle picking me up to take me to the lodge. But that can run into hundreds if not thousands of dollars per day. It just depends on what you like and what you can afford.

One thing though. Realize that due to snow runoff and spawning closings, you often can't fish in areas in the west you may want to in the spring time.

[chuckwagon]

Mr Whitaker,

I saw you on TV not too long ago. It was probably a UGA baseball game in Athens. Were you there? Or maybe the Gday game this spring. I am pretty sure it was a baseball game during the NCAA championship series?

Anyway I would hold off untill mid to late summer . It seems to fish better.
Do some searches on the YNP and that would be my target.

I just fished for the week with one other friend. We flew into BZN and fished the park,Madison and Henry's fork. I spent less that $1000 bucks with meals and lodging.

Good luck,

Drifter is a good point of reference as well.

Trey
CW

[R&R]

Early May is an excellent time frame before runoff and the crowds. Fishing on the Yellowstone can be spectacular with the caddis hatch. Some water will be closed, but the weather should be nice. Many guide services can set you up with lodging if you want. Some of the all inclusive places are pretty pricey, but only because they don't spare any expense. Hubbard's Yellowstone Lodge and Five Rivers Lodge are examples. On the other hand, you can stay at the Rainbow Trout Hotel in Livingston for pretty cheap and get a guide for a few days and do a few days on your own. You can also camp at a boat ramp on the Yellowstone River and eat from a can and spend little beyond travel expenses.

Have a good time no matter how you go.