*These weeks are in addition to all of our other activities.
Restorative Horsemanship Week
Ready for a rejuvenating, unique experience? Upper Canyon Outfitters is proud to present Restorative Horsemanship Wellness Week. This will be a week balanced with structured, restorative activities and relaxing free time. The week’s activities will be goal oriented in creating an authentic connection with an individual horse. Horsemanship skills and mindfulness skills will blend to allow participants to experience a genuine connection with not only their horse, but also the fellow participants. The class will be capped at 12 as to allow for individualized instruction. It is important to note that while no horse experience is required, participants will be learning intermediate horsemanship skills and will be asked to follow a comprehensive agenda each day. Mornings will be spent participating in Equine Facilitated Learning activities that focus on learning how to become a horse’s leader and provide comfort for a prey animal. Participants will learn grooming, groundwork, handling and tacking skills. The afternoons will be spent participating in a variety of activities including trail rides, guided fly fishing, guided hikes, history tour, picnics and 4×4 tours, all of which will take place in one of the three mountain ranges surrounding UCO.
Our chef will be planning a special menu for this week of wellness, focusing on delectable, nutritious meals and snacks. UCO also plans on providing plenty of free time to enjoy the daily happy hour with specialty cheeses and wines highlighted nightly. In addition, an early morning yoga class will be provided to help participants prepare for a full day of activities. The week will conclude with a celebratory dinner, a slideshow of the participants accomplishments and live music under the stars.
This experience provides participants with the perfect opportunity to deepen a connection with horses, humans and self. It is an opportunity to take a holistic vacation and return home feeling restored and rejuvenated.
Goals: Mindfulness, connecting to nature, authenticity, rejuvenate, connect
Activities: EFL will be a big focus, mindfulness in nature, group processing/problem solving (accomplishing something)
Check in June 29 and check out July 5 six nights/ five days Cost $4,050.00
Grand Slam Week
5 different types of water/ 6 different species of Fish
This is truly a unique package in that it really can’t be offered many places in America. So much water, so many fish and all within five minutes to one hour of Upper Canyon Outfitters.
This package is packed with what Fly fishing in Montana should look like: One day on the Upper Ruby River, One day on the Lower Ruby River, One day hiking to a high mountain lake, One day floating the famous Madison River, One day fishing a small tributary stream in the high mountain meadows. Get the Grand Slam and catch Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Westslope Cutthroat, Brook Trout, Arctic Grayling, Mountain Whitefish all in the same week.
The Ruby River begins between the Gravelly and Snowcrest Mountain Ranges. The river flows down these mountains into the Ruby Valley where UCO sets on the banks of the Upper Ruby. The river then flows into the Ruby Reservoir, below the reservoir, the river flows in the valley that lies between the Ruby Mountain Range and the Tobacco Root Mountains.
The Upper stretches of the Ruby River are secluded and surrounded by high mountain peaks and this section of the Ruby is excellent dry fly fishing for rainbows, cutthroat and grayling and an occasional brook trout. The lower stretch of the river, below Ruby Dam, provides excellent brown trout fishing; the current is slower with deeper pools and you never know what monster brown lurks below. .
Enjoy a high mountain lake fishing in the Tobacco Root Mountains which is made up of high peaks, snowy basins, alpine lakes, forested slopes and open rolling foothills. This range has numerous old gold mine claims and prospect sites, which were most active from the 1880’s until the 1930’s. Enjoy spectacular scenery, see history of the past and catch some of the most brilliantly colored Westslope Cutthroat you will ever see.
The Madison river is one of the most famous rivers in the west. It offers beautiful scenery and excellent fishing. The Madison River offers opportunities for all types of fishing from dry fly, nymph to streamer fishing. The Madison has countless rifles, runs and pools, and provides the best fly fishing on the river. Big Browns and Rainbows are known to be found on the Madison.
Fishing Mountain Meadow streams in the Ruby Valley; there are many small tributary streams that produce fast action for smaller sized trout (and sometimes some surprisingly larger fish). The water is so clear you can see the bottom even in places up to ten feet deep. It is a relaxing day fishing surrounded by wildlife and lots of fish.
Check in for week 1 is August 10 and check out August 16 six nights/ five days Cost $4925.
Check in for week 2 is August 24 and check out August 30 six nights/ five days Cost $4,925.
Discover it Week
Discover The Wilderness, Discover You, Discover Montana: This week’s retreat provides a unique opportunity to combine recreation with an introspective tone. This week is not only filled with laughter, fun and camaraderie, you will enjoy nature and discover a balance of harmony and develop a “closer attachment” to the natural world around you.
This week is full of opportunities to explore the outdoors and how to look at the Earth in a totally different way. The days are challenging, yet restorative. During this retreat you will learn about the natural world. Awareness, tracking skills, outdoor survival, outdoor philosophy, outdoor skills, and so much more Another highlight of this trip will be the opportunity to experience guided self-reflection through Equine Facilitated Learning. Hiking in the backcountry, Horseback riding, fly fishing, all under the Big Montana Sky! We want to help you relax, have a good time, and surprise yourself with the skills you already possess.
Many of our guests have told us they like the Discover It week with UCO, because it truly is a vacation out of the ordinary, while they challenged themselves by learning new skills. It was not only physically active; it opened their eyes and mind to the natural and spiritual world around them, it made them stop and think that there is more to life than 9 – 5 and what society deems important. They enjoyed making new friends, laughing and relaxing. Many have even told us it helped them with what they desired in life and how to accomplish those goals.
Our instructors will be there assisting you in everything you need and do, please feel free to ask questions and always let us know about any health concerns. Through exploring, sharing and learning, you will expand on building confidence and self-sufficiency in nature. Here at UCO we seek to fulfill that desire and dream.
“It’s one thing to walk through a landscape and just “see” things; it’s another, to fully understand it.”
Check in is July 27 and check out August 2 six nights/ five days. Includes meals, five days of activities with our experienced guides and instructors, class materials and all fishing equipment. Cost $3,750.00
Reaching Great Heights
A Week of Hiking Created for Adventurers of all Ages
We have put together a week filled with mountain exploration, big views, camaraderie, and wellness. For this week we have chosen trails that strike a balance between elevation gains and accessibility. We will take our time as we wander through the mountains of Montana. Not an experienced hiker? Not a problem. The group will stick together and take as many breaks as necessary. People are often surprised how far they can hike if they accept the challenge of the climb and patiently go at their own pace. That is what this week is all about! The hikes during this specialty week will take you through three different mountain ranges. Day one will be a hike across the snowcrest mountain range on a well established trail that Donna’s grandpa helped build in the 1930s with the help of the CCC. This is a great hike to be on the lookout for any antlers that deer and elk may have shed. It is a great trophy to take home! Day two will take you north of UCO to another trail in the Tobacco Roots which will lead you to a high mountain lake where we will rest and have a picnic lunch before heading back to the ranch. On the way home we will be sure to stop for a refreshment at The Ruby Valley Brew, a local favorite and always a good time! After two full days of hiking, we have arranged for our guests to have an opportunity to dip your toes in the Ruby River. This will be a day of guided fly fishing, we have guides that can accommodate the expert anglers all the way to first time fishers! Day four will be back to the fresh air of the mountain tops as we explore the Gravelly Range mountains with our very own wildflower expert. This is your chance to learn about local wildlife and the abundant wildflowers Montana has to offer. This is a day filled with breathtaking beauty, wildflowers and big skies. Day five you will have an opportunity to explore old mining towns with Donna for a full dose of history or take a 4 hour horseback ride with a picnic lunch.
Each night you will be brought back to the ranch for rest and relaxation. We will be sure to arrange for a massage therapist midweek to help with any sore muscles and early morning yoga sessions to get you ready for your busy days. On your last night at the ranch you will be treated to live music and an extended happy hour under the big skies of Montana. This week was designed as a bucket list activity. This is not a week created for extreme hikers, rather, it is a week for those with a strong sense of adventure and a can do attitude. If you bring those two things, we will get you to the summit!
Check in July 29 and check out August 4 six nights/ five days Cost $3,660.00.
Modern Nymphing School at Upper Canyon Outfitters
Nymphing nowadays across the USA is highly influenced by various European techniques brought by professional competitors. With its relevant adaptations, from the limestone creeks of the East coast, to tail waters and big freestone rivers in the West, subsurface fishing is one of the fastest growing techniques for good reason: Higher fish-catching rate!
UCO’s Modern Nymphing School is equally intended for novice and seasoned anglers willing to learn new techniques and add dynamic angling strategies to their fishing repertoire.
Some of the main topics to be covered by this program are General Concepts, Gear, Rigging (leaders and configurations), Casting, How To’s, Reading Water and Adaptations.
This program consists of 5 nights and 5 days of classroom and onsite instruction. Participants will be visiting Upper Canyon Outfitters at a time of year when water conditions require advanced techniques. This will give the students an opportunity to practice their newly developed skills in advanced waters with guidance provided. It will be important for participants to come prepared to fish in potentially cold and warm weather conditions.
The school will start with two half days of instruction followed up by two half day guided fishing to put the newly acquired skills to practice. Participants will then spend the next three days on guided fishing trips covering different water types in the Lower Ruby, Upper Ruby and tributaries. After check out from Upper Canyon Outfitters on July 1, guides will meet participants for one more full day of fishing on the Lower Ruby before heading back home.
The cost will include lodging, meals, terminal tackle- flies, tippet, leader material, etc. UCO has a limited number of 10’ nymphing rods we can provide. We do offer waders and boots. You will also be responsible for purchasing a valid Montana Fishing License.
Check in June 15 and check out June 21 Cost $4,600.00
