Bison walking along the road in Yellowstone National Park -- Photos by Iris Chrol

Who says you have to rough it?

I'm 30 minutes into my Jackson adventure when I spot my first bear. This furry guy is lying in wait for me on my king-sized bed at the Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa.

I'll see my second and third bears two days later in Yellowstone National Park on the Wolves and Grizzlies Spring Safari arranged by the lodge.

The night before the safari, participants meet over Pinot Noir and brie in Rusty Parrot's cozy library.

We're a fun group of 10: Robin and Ed from Texas; Cherie and Bob from Michigan, Georgann and Hugh from Texas, Tim and Jan from Wisconsin, Karolyn from California and me -- the lone Canadian.

Our guides, Scott Laursen and Jared Baecker, two biologists from the Teton Science School that operates the Wolves and Grizzlies Safari program, tell us what to expect on our two-day adventure. We'll travel more than 500 miles through the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana to our ultimate destination -- Yellowstone National Park, the core of the 20-million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

With the reintroduction of the wolf population 10 years ago -- the imported wolves came from Canada -- it's now one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems in the world.

Day 1

The town of Jackson has just started to wake and stretch as this convoy of two pulls out at 6:20 a.m. I'm in the van with Karolyn, Jan, Tim, Georgann, Hugh and guide / chauffeur / babysitter Jared, who comforts us with "I always come back with everyone."

The others are in a similar SUV -- a modified Suburban with roof hatches. The guides effortlessly rattle off information about the animals, biology, geography and geology of the land we're traveling through and to.

A prairie girl, I never tire of the postcard-like vista before me ... the sun poking up over the mountains as fog lifts off the lakes; the mix of forest and mountains with each passing mile.

We stop for breakfast at the Bunkhouse Bistro in Driggs, Idaho. The hearty homestyle eats are as satisfying as the cowboy pinups near the outhouse.

Aside from the amazing views, points of interest along the way include the small town of Ashton, Idaho, where most of the movie Napoleon Dynamite was filmed. For the first time I see Canada geese outside Canada.

The trek north takes us along the edge of Island Park caldera, an ancient volcano crater.

Yellowstone has had its share of volcanic activity -- the last eruption occurred more than 640,000 years ago, causing the central portion to collapse and form a 30 - by 45-mile caldera or basin.

As the miles go by, the landscape changes from rolling farmlands to mountains; trees replace crops and grazing cattle in the fields. The closer to Yellowstone we get, the more snow seems to be on the ground.

Paintpot area of Yellowstone National Park

Lunch, of the brown bag variety, is devoured en route.

"Welcome to a little piece of paradise," says the all-knowing Jared as we cross the west entrance into Yellowstone.

Our stop, watch, walk and go route takes us east along the Madison River toward Madison and then south past the Fountain Paint Pot and the Grand Prismatic Spring toward the Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful, before doubling back to Madison and then journeying north to the Norris Geyser Basin and Mammoth Hot Springs. From there we head east toward the Lamar Valley and our destination for the evening -- Cooke City, Mont.

Ungulates thrive in the park and in a matter of minutes, we see a herd of bison (not buffalo) grazing along the Madison River. They're thin -- evidence of a hard winter -- and their coats are moulting.

The bison are everywhere, walking on the road, grazing in the fields. I look in awe as mothers nurse their rusty red newborn calves and day-old calves test-drive their wobbly legs.

A coyote tears at the carcass of the dead animal

On many occasions brave bison walk right by or in front of our vehicle. They don't stop for us ... we stop for them.

It's a bit surreal to look through the window and make eye contact with a bison.

Of the other hoofed mammals that call the park home we're fortunate to see elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorns (not antelope), moose and mule deer.

We're seeing these animals on their turf, not behind glass or bars but free, roaming and doing their thing.

When we get to the next great view -- an eagle's nest -- up come the roof hatches, our heads pop out as we train the binoculars on the tree before us ... there inside the eight-foot nest is a baby bald eagle. Pretty cool.

Seems too perfect to see a large white trumpeter swan at Swan Lake Flats.

At various stops, sandhill cranes camouflage well into the light brown grass, while red tailed hawks, golden eagles and osprey perform aerial maneuvres overhead.

It's hard to miss the charred tree trunks of the fire that ravaged almost 800,000 acres of the park in 1988.

Old Faithful errupts at Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone boasts 10,000 thermal features in the form of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots.

We learn that three-quarters of the world's geyers are in Yellowstone; the others are in Iceland, Russia and New Zealand.

With perfect timing, we arrive at the most famous geyser -- Old Faithful -- just minutes before it's expected to erupt, given the current eruption interval of 92 minutes. Old Faithful soon rises to the occasion, releasing short spurts of steam that grow to an eruption of over 100 feet. During the 90-second show, thousands of gallons of water are expelled through the four-inch constriction at the geyer's surface.

Along the Gibbon River we stop at a spot where days earlier a cow bison became stuck in the mud. Today, a determined coyote is tearing at the carcass. I feel sorry for the sense of hopelessness this bison must have felt but I'm not as disturbed by the sight of the feeding coyote as I thought I would be. It's the way of nature -- one dies, another survives.

At the Norris Geyser Basin, the most changeable thermal area in Yellowstone, signs warn of the deadly high temperatures and unstable condition of the sand-like rock sheet around us.

Scoping out the wildlife

En route to Mammoth Hot Springs, we pass the massive Obsidian Cliff, another example of how volcano activity has left its mark this time in the form of dark volcanic glass.

Our route takes us past canyons so steep, the bottom is nowhere in sight. Not to mention the miles and miles of leggy narrow trees.

A quick stop at Floating Island Lake provides a quiet view of the sun sparkling off the rippling water before we break for dinner.

Closer to the Lamar Valley, Jared and Scott find picnic tables within sight of grazing mule deer. As the deer become more comfortable with our presence, they graze closer to us.

And then there's the alpha male. What does an alpha male coyote do when a human male can't hold it in any longer and "scents" his territory? The coyote lifts his leg and marks over top.

As dusk approaches, so does the main attraction -- wolf watching in the Lamar Valley. With scopes and binoculars, we join the wolf groupies already assembled, patiently waiting for a glimpse of these star animals. It appears the wolves have someplace else to be, but the excitement returns when our guides get word of grizzlies at a further point.

There, with scopes fixed on the snow-covered ridge hundreds of feet from us, a dark-coloured dot comes into focus ... it's a grizzly bear lumbering over the snow! With the occasional tumble, he moves from treeline to treeline until he's out of view, just like the setting sun. Wow.

One of the waterfalls at Yellowstone National Park

At 9:30 p.m., we reach the day's final stop -- the Alpine Motel in Cooke City. I'm cold, exhausted, excited, and I wouldn't want to be anyplace else.

Day 2

At 5:20 a.m. while the sun still sleeps, we're back on the road to Yellowstone. About 20 minutes later we watch a moose contentedly munching on breakfast. Further up the road a grizzly pokes out from the trees before retreating.

Back in Yellowstone, the wolf watch resumes with the rising sun.

The best vantage point requires a hike up a small hill. Using the scope we follow a pack of eight or nine wolves darting about on the side of the ridge across from us. Some are greyish in colour, others black and one light blonde. Not to anthopomorphize, but they look happy.

I realize the wolves aren't the only pack on this trip. There's a sense of team as we work together to spot a wolf or bear; giving reference points to the others and then moving back and forth between scopes so everyone gets a chance to see.

On the steep descent, we stop to check out a mostly cleaned-to-the-bone elk carcass. Is that pain or terror frozen on its face?

The exterior of the Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa

These mini hikes have a sensory appeal to me. It's a chance to stop and smell the sage bush -- literally. Or to hear the rushing water from the fast-flowing river just feet away. I touch a tuft of soft and wiry bison fur. Who pooped in the woods? I can tell which animals have walked this path by the droppings left behind. Where else can I see bighorn sheep lounging in the meadow?

Aside from the biting cold wind, I revel in the natural tranquility of my surroundings: bright blue sky, cotton ball-like clouds, fields and forests of green with mountains and hills all around me.

As we set a course to the cascading terraces of travertine at Mammoth Hot Springs, I notice how easily we identify the animals we see and we're just as good as spotting the illusive rock "bear" and tree "bear."

During our picnic lunch at Mammoth Hot Springs, we're fascinated by the boldness of one magpie, determined to join our party by jumping from grass to bench to table top! Breathlessly we watch as a lone bison walks within 20 or so feet of us.

Bighorn sheep grazing in the meadow in Yellowstone National Park

This trip reinforces how easily the fine balance of nature can be thrown off. A speeding car spooks the elk at the side of the road; their sudden movements disturbs the nearby bison who then charges after them. The return of a predator like the wolf, and migration patterns, animal populations and vegetation return to "normal."

I'm sad to leave this piece of paradise. With Yellowstone miles away, I miss the comforting presence of the bison. I think back to the sight of one fiercely satisfying an itch with a branch and smile.

Back in Jackson, our 36-hour whirlwind adventure concludes with a five-star dinner at the Rusty Parrot before we say our good-byes.

IF YOU GO ...

- While the beginning of May is the ideal time for the Wolves and Grizzlies Safari (similar packages are offered in the fall and winter months), the Jackson tourist season doesn't start until the Memorial weekend at the end of May, which is when attractions like stagecoach rides, town square shoot-outs and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar open.

- Still, there are plenty of other attractions to be seen while walking Jackson's boardwalk sidewalks. There's the Town Square with antler arch entries at each corner, a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, an endless supply of T-shirt and souvenir shops and a self-guided tour of the Snake River Brewing Co.

The travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs

- The works of renowned wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelsen are on display at the Images of Nature gallery and are a must-see.

- The Stagecoach bar in the nearby town of Wilson is a popular watering spot for locals to two-step and listen to the house band which has been performing "Sunday Night Mass" for almost 35 years.

- Be sure to visit The National Museum of Wildlife Art, about 21/2 miles from Jackson. It features permanent and changing exhibits, a children's discovery centre, gift shop and cafeteria. Visitors can see the Clymer studio - a recreation of the Teton Village studio used by wildlife painter and illustrator John Clymer.

- Jackson bites: Billy's Giant Hamburgers is a great place for big, juicy burgers. Harvest Organic Bakery & Cafe offers one-stop shopping for books, groceries and healthy eats. Moo's Gourmet Confection is THE place to get your licks of all natural homemade ice cream. And for authentic Mexican favourites with your choice of 40 kinds of tequila, try Merry Piglets Mexican Grill.

- On the web: www.rustyparrot.com; www.wildlifeexpeditions.org; www.jacksonholechamber.com; www.wildlifeart.org; www.nps.gov/yell.