Buffalo, Wolves and a Grizzly - All in One Day

Usually when you have a day in which you are walking through the woods and make eye contact with a herd of buffalo, a pack of wolves and a grizzly bear, you are having a bad day. But not in Golden, BC, Canada which is the only place on earth you can do so safely, all in one day.

At the Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch, you can measure yourself up against Chester, the 2,400lb bull sire of a herd of twenty buffalo. Looking at this massive bull sire, you might wonder how buffalo could have almost become extinct in North America. It is a good question, and one you could pose to Leo Downey on your own private tour of his working ranch. Yes, it is a working ranch, which means these animals are not pets, but part of the local food system. Leo, with stepson Shawn Hansen, does all the work (expect for the packaging) on site and sells the meat to locals. But before that winter chore, he shares the story and experience of the buffalo with visitors in an intimate way. Groups of five (larger are possible) get exclusive access to the entire ranch for a period of 3 hours. This time includes an interpretive tour with Leo or his wife Karen and the freedom to explore all 80 acres of the ranch including the glacial-blue Blaeberry River shoreline with its comfortable sandbars where people can relax, paint, take photos, play music and swim if they dare. A number of activities, such as fire making, music and art, and a catered lunch can also be included for an extra cost.

Like Chester, wandering the open fields below the surrounding Rocky Mountains, Leo looks like he belongs here. Which is interesting, because he didn't arrive until 1997. A successful musician in California, with a 3-record deal with Sony and a promotional deal with Budweiser on the table, Leo looked at his options and chose instead to focus his life on the natural world. First he volunteered with the California Condor Recovery Program which successfully saved this large bird from extinction (in 1985 only 9 wild birds remained). Then, with his new wife and a detailed checklist of criteria, Leo went looking for a new home. “We wanted to live in a place that felt wild and clean, where we could raise our own food,” he says. In 1997 he found it at the Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch. “As important as 'place' was to us,” he continues, “'people' also mattered. In Golden the community felt good.”

Now he wants others to feel good and so invites requests for private buffalo ranch tours. In fact, for longer visits they also have a self-contained guesthouse with three bedrooms. You can find all the details at www.tourismgolden.com/activities/summer/202. Perhaps the cyclical nature of ranching has influenced Leo as well, because he is now trying to reinvigorate his musical talents. See www.leodowney.com for details on that journey.

So you have settled in, had a relaxing morning with the buffalo, and are wondering what to do with the afternoon. Across the road you see a sign. It says Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre. It is the home of a pack of wolves where you can learn about these mystifying and misunderstood animals on an interpretive tour. Or for an unforgettably intimate experience, you can actually go for a walk with Aspen, Tuk, Maya and Wiley and witness and photograph their sleek and fluid movements in their natural enviornment. All info is at www.tourismgolden.com/activities/summer/325.

Then, across the valley, at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, you can ride a chairlift to the world's largest enclosed and protected bear refuge to visit Boo, the resident grizzly. Orphaned as a cub by a poacher, Boo has been delighting visitors with his carefree demeanour for years. He has also provided invaluable information about grizzly development and behaviour for future rehabilitation and release programs. There is even an opportunity to be an assistant refuge ranger – walking the perimeter, helping with Boo's diet management, leading a tour – for an hour in the morning or afternoon. See www.tourismgolden.com/activities/summer/144.

Three wildlife viewings in one day is pretty impressive. Or you can do it Leo's way: make for Golden and watch the animals for the rest of your life.