Day 1

Leaving Regina, we will head toward the Alberta border along the Trans Canada Highway, driving by some of the typical coteaus of the northern plains landscape. This 5-hour trip will take us to the Historic Reesor Ranch, our hosts for the first part of this journey. The Reesors run a cattle ranch in the remotest area of the Cypress Hills. This leg is the essential beginning or our Montane Natural and Cultural History Tour in the Western Hills. We will end our day of activity with a sunset horse ride to the top of the ''Bench'', the high plateau.

Day 2

Topped with lodgepole pines, white spruce and aspen, these ''the Cypress Hills'' have had the good fortune of avoiding glacial erosion 40,000,000 years ago. Intriguing conglomerate rock formations give the landscape its distinctive beauty. This is a montane habitat and many bird species that would normally live in the Rocky Mountains are found here in their easternmost range. At high elevations fescue prairie abounds, some species of grasses requiring 18 inches of precipitation annually .The Cypress Hills also happen to be loaded with history. Fort Walsh National Historic Site brings to life the tragic 1873 massacre that ultimately led to the creation of the North West Mounted Police.

Day 3

As one crosses the rough ''Gap'' road and climbs into the Centre Block, one begins to see the possibilities of a wildflower safari in the Central Hills. Overwhelming is the flowery summer explosion of the healthy mixed grass prairie where bluebells and wild roses create the prettiest carpet of greenery this side of the Atlantic. Provincial park authorities carefully laid out the new Trans-Canada Trail, so that it fully takes advantage of the priceless spaces on the dry south-facing slopes of the plateau. We will end the day at the Spring Valley Guest Ranch in the Eastern Hills, where a horseback ride may take us by some ancient First Nations campgrounds on the plateau overlooking the valley.

Day 4

Let us head to Dinosaur Country. As the Frenchman River winds its way across Southern Saskatchewan, it carves stunning landscapes that defy imagination. Glacial spillways, of course, dwarf the fluvial remnants of the glorious rivers they once were. Yet they occasionally expose slices of natural history that provide glimpses into the somewhat chilling prehistory of our planet. Palaeontologists around Eastend have unearthed one of the most beautifully preserved specimens of the infamously voracious Tyrannosaurus Rex. Geological configurations have turned this pretty town of 600 people into Saskatchewan's version of a dinosaur Mecca. And every summer, new excavations take place in the shadow of some of the most electrifying scenery on the Northern Plains.

We may return for an evening of stargazing at the Wilkinson Memorial Observatory.

Day 5

Murraydale Rodeo, here we come! The 90th Annual Murraydale Stampede (Sunday, July 9, 2000) and picnic is Saskatchewan's longest running and oldest consecutive rodeo. Held on an Indian reservation in a natural amphitheatre within the hills, native and non-native cowboys compete in exciting and rather dangerous traditional rodeo events. For the locals, this is an opportunity to visit with friends and family. The variety of skills and talents exhibited in one day and the genuine hospitality of rural communities will leave you with a lasting appreciation of how life on the prairies shapes the Western Canadian ethos.

Please note that depending on the date of travel, the rodeo trip may be replaced by a day of paleontological or archaeological fieldwork and hikes into the hills.

We will end our day by a night of camping in beautiful Pine Cree Regional Park.

Day 6

Return by travelling along the Red Coat Trail, the traditional farming communities of southern Saskatchewan and through the Cactus Hills, through historic downtown Moose Jaw and ultimately to Regina.

Package includes:
All sleeping accommodations, including tents, camping equipment, all home-cooked meals including wine and other refreshments, fees, applicable taxes, professional guide and all transportation from point of departure to point of return. Sleeping bags not included.