Peering down from the plane's window into a deep valley surrounded by steep mountains on all sides it's easy to picture how Jackson Hole got its name. However, the name stems more from the tradition of the miners who discovered this territory and less about its terrain. Locals onboard proudly point out the different peaks of the Tetons and surrounding mountains to wide-eyed visitors. Even on the drive from the airport to Jackson (Jackson is the city, Jackson Hole is the valley), you can spot wildlife. I saw a few elk as we passed the Elk Refuge into town and wondered whether the wildlife-to-human ratio in Jackson at this time of year is one-to-one.

April is considered shoulder season--after the skiers have left and before the RVs arrive--which means it's quiet. Many of the restaurants and shops are closed, so you've got the town of Jackson and the wildlife to yourself. The Wolves and Grizzlies Safari takes advantage of this prime time with three- and four-night expeditions that begin and end with luxurious night-stays at the 31-room Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa, rated as the top hotel in the Continental U.S. and Canada on Travel + Leisure's 2005 World's Best List. The safari is the ideal blend of luxury and Spartan as it bookends two intense days of 5am wake-ups and all-day van rides through Yellowstone with a posh, Jackson Hole resort that serves homemade afternoon cookies daily.

Naturally Speaking
With so much ground to cover, the only sane meeting time on our excursion was the 5pm meet-and-greet on the expedition's eve. A dozen of us gathered by the fireplace in the Rusty Parrot's library for wine, cheese, and introductions. People came from all over--Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, and as far as Florida, to see real-life wolves and grizzlies for the first time.

First, Jared and Scott, the naturalist-guides from the non-profit Teton Science School, introduced themselves by recounting their backgrounds in biology and the various studies in which they're involved. Then they gave us a brief synopsis of our route and itinerary for the next few days. Since the south entrance to Yellowstone remained snowed in, the plan was to drive north through the potato fields of Idaho to enter the park from the west. From there, we’d drive east through the park to Montana, where we would spend the night before making our way back. One thing was clear: We were going to cover some territory!

Spring is known as the best time for wildlife sightings because starved bears, wolves, and elk are emerging from a winter's hibernation and bison are giving birth. Although Jared and Scott repeatedly pointed out that wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed, the pair was visibly jazzed about what was in store for us during the upcoming two days in the park. I sensed more of a "Who knows what we'll see?" than a "Who knows if we'll see anything?" vibe.

Following well-intentioned orders, we threw back our posh duvets and abandoned our cozy beds at the Rusty Parrot Lodge at 5:30am--before the crack of dawn. Mugs of coffee in hand, we split into two safari vans equipped with handy rooftop hatches and started to make our way towards the park. To say it was chilly was an understatement, but luckily we were well advised to pack warm clothes. Scott filled us in on various aspects of the area while simultaneously driving and effortlessly spotting wildlife that nobody else in the van noticed.

Elk, Bison, and Bears, Oh My!
After a hearty breakfast at the Bunk House Bistro we drove through snow to the west entrance. Along the way we made a few u-turns to spot osprey, sand hill cranes, and other birds. Once inside the park, our first sighting was of elk foraging near a stream. Next came the bison--tons of them roaming at their own pace across the street. Binoculars at our fingertips and eyes peeled to the roadside, we were eager to spot everything and anything that moved. It takes practice to pick out these creatures, but Scott taught us a few techniques on where and how to scan, enabling us to see much more than the obvious herds of elk, bison, and pronghorn.

In addition to seeing bears, wolves, coyotes, moose, and eagles, we made brief stops to marvel at hot springs, geysers, and paint pots that can burn people to death in minutes, if not seconds. We even made it to Old Faithful in time to see it gushing skyward like a rocket high up into the air. Another benefit of visiting during off-season was that there were only a handful of spectators (compared to hundreds during the summer). We felt like we owned the park!

Around mid-afternoon we stumbled upon people on the side of the road watching a black bear devouring an elk carcass. Jared and Scott figured it cached the elk previously and had returned to finish it off. We set up scopes and milled around with our binoculars for a good hour, and the bear just kept eating and eating. With uncanny focus, that bear wasn't going to be distracted by anything--not even the 15 people staring at it from less than 100 yards away.

Determined to see wolves, we hopped back into the vans and took off to the Lamar Valley in the northeastern section of the park--famous wolf territory among those in the know. Dusk and dawn are excellent times for wildlife encounters, and it was approaching dusk. We set up by the grassy drainage area, then watched, waited, and learned a lot about patience and observation. Sometimes the key is to take a really broad scan of the area because something might be behind you, above you, or even zipping right in front of you.

Scott spotted the first wolf. It was behaving strangely--confident at first, with its tail up, then abruptly becoming scared as indicated by its erratic movements. Little did we know that these wolves live their own soap opera, and the drama is as gripping as who killed JR. This past winter, while the females of one pack were bedded down to have their cubs, the males of another pack ran the guarding males out. Now the females were stuck in the den without their mates. The scientists were abuzz. But it was getting cold, so we ordered up a round of Jared's "tundra mochas" to keep warm. A blend of hot chocolate and coffee, they instantly hit the spot after standing in the cold air.

Once the warming affect of the tundra mochas wore off, we headed to Cooke City, Montana, where we spent the night. Although it's nothing more than a one-street, two-bar, semi-ghost town of a town, Cooke City strategically positioned us for optimal wildlife sightings. Using it as our base camp, we would be able to be in the Lamar Valley at both dusk and dawn. Piles of plowed snow lined the motel's parking lot, and each of the rooms was literally just above freezing when we arrived, but thanks to super-powered heaters, we were toasty in no time.

Since first light is prime wildlife sighting time, we woke up a bit before 5am to eat scrambled eggs and toast at 5:15am. Even though we were feeling sorry for our sleepy selves, we took the time to recognize that the restaurant owner woke up even earlier to prepare our meal. After a quick bite, we packed up to make it back to the Lamar Valley before the sun rose.

En route, we saw a solitary moose hanging out by the water. Once situated with our scopes and tundra mochas, we spotted two wolves on a hunt. They were trying to tire out a lone elk to get in for the kill. We witnessed first-hand what our guides repeatedly said: It's tough being a wolf. The elk escaped. (I couldn't help but think that it's also tough being an elk.) Looking at the hills behind us, Jared picked out two grizzlies lazily ambling up to the top. Check and check--wolves and grizzlies!

Mission Accomplished
Through Idaho and back into Wyoming, we arrived with a few hours to relax at the lodge before dinner. Washed up and rested, everybody reconnected at the lodge's Wild Sage restaurant for wine and a rustic, gourmet meal. Around the dinner table was talk of our favorite travel destinations, gossip about our guides, and intentions of returning in the fall (September and October) for the Elk Bugling, Wolves, and Grizzlies Safari.