Back Country Adventures — Attraction in West Yellowstone

“SORRY” WONT GET MY FAMILY BACK THE 8 HOURS OF FEELING ANXIOUS, UNSAFE AND LET DOWN AFTER A DISMAL TOUR BY “BACK COUNTRY ADVENTURE.”

Date of tour - 12/26/21 8am - 4pm (Old faithful & geysers) Jerry - Manager Zach - Tour / driver Van - #4 Our group - 2 seniors, 4 adults, 2 children (2 & 4 years old) (2 other adult guests not in our party)

I got off my second phone Call with “Jerry” the manager of Back Country Adventure feeling let down. I initially called on 12/27/21 where I kindly expressed my concerns to Jerry about our experience and politely asked for a refund. I was clear, I was direct and I didn’t raise my voice, yell or use in appropriate language. Jerry called me back this morning and said he could not give us a refund. He was rude, said he didn't care about my concerns and said "there are two sides to every story" and that "Zach" the tour guide painted a different picture. As a business owner myself, I would never dream of treating my customers this way.

Here is a very important list of concerns that I expressed to Jerry, the manager on our phone call.

✅ We felt unsafe. (The conditions on the tour took a turn and we basically were in a blizzard.) Zach continued the tour even though we asked about safety moving forward.

✅ Zach talking about redskins / politics saying that it wasn’t even that offensive.

✅ Zach talked about his friend Carl twice who was killed by a bear In graphic detail including specifics regarding the injuries sustained by the deceased. (what does this inappropriate story have to do with a Yellowstone tour?)

✅ Zach's general macabre stories and constantly reverting the conversation back to death.

✅ Zach said it was a “suicide mission” that we even drove to Yellowstone for our tour. (Apparently he thought the weather was too bad for us to drive in but fine for him to take us on a tour?)

✅ Constantly saying we won’t be able to get home because of the storm.

✅ We had to ask Zach to enforce your company’s mask policy When another customer constantly took their mask off. (In a small van crammed with people)

✅ Zach made light of the serious situation that we found ourselves in. (White out storm, sliding off the rode, getting stuck in a ditch etc.) We were all scared while he was making jokes.

✅ Zach making a joke out of us potentially getting stuck in Yellowstone overnight and "for up to a week" because of bad weather. (We had two seniors in their 70's without their medications and a 4 year old with a medical condition with us. This wasn't funny to us or appropriate.

✅ Zach promoted his flyfishing Business several times and told us to come back and fly fish with him.

✅ We were in flight or fight mode the whole trip

✅ Too many personal stories

✅ Anxiety inducing

✅ Why do tour in blizzard?

✅ Driving off before everyone was buckled

✅ Forgot to put the van in park before attempting to get out almost rear ending another coach.

✅ Mentioned a hearsay story about a man whose wife contracted tuberculosis over the winter and her widower had to stuff her body in a barrel before burial. Made a joke about the death of the wife making the winter easier on the widower in a misogynistic tone.

✅ Overall we thought that his priority was not our safety

✅ He said that conditions were so bad that if he had the choice he would’ve stayed home and that kind of implies that he thought that the conditions weren't safe for him even come to work.

✅ We learned nothing from him about Yellowstone

In the future I hope Back Country Adventures learns that the safety of their guests is more...

DO NOT BOOK A TOUR WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE UNSAFE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND DISMISSIVE OF LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. IF YOU VALUE YOUR SAFETY OR THAT OF YOUR FAMILY, BOOK ELSEWHERE.

What an absolute nightmare of an experience. It started with the tour guide, Zack, greeting our party by telling us he would have rather stayed home and that us driving that day was a "suicide mission". We have children of 2 and 4 who heard this comment. It was white out blizzard like conditions and the business should have not been operating that day but they clearly put profits over the safety of their clients and their employees. Zack made constant comments about poor visibility and falling off the road to an embankment or canyon because conditions were so bad. His premonition would be validated when he drove us off the road into a snowy ditch ON WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.

Zack also recounted brutal details of his friend's recent death on multiple occasions in the presence of children. It was wildly inappropriate and completely tone deaf and unprofessional. He joked about us getting stuck in the park, falling into a canyon and the snow coach rolling over. It was obvious that his main priority was not the safety of his passengers but including specifics about the horrible injuries and deaths that other people had suffered. He failed to educate us at all about anything other than people dying in the park. That is not why we came here. We came to learn about the park and Zack failed horribly in that sense. Zack also drove off before everyone had a chance to buckle up with further reinforces his disregard for the safety of his passengers. I can't imagine being an owner of a business and thinking this is OK.

Worst of all, when my wife called to talk to the manager, Jerry, he was dismissive and condescending and would not let her finish before he "had to go" and abruptly ended the conversation.

Overall, we paid over $1,000 to have our lives put in danger and our safety disregarded.

Do yourself a favor and book with a company that values your safety because this...

Unforgettable 130-Mile Snowmobile Adventure with Guide Kurt from Peak Country Snowmobile Rentals in Yellowstone National Park

I recently had the incredible opportunity to embark on a 130-mile snowmobile adventure through Yellowstone National Park with guide Kurt from Peak Country Snowmobile Rentals in West Yellowstone, Montana. The experience was absolutely unforgettable. Riding snowmobiles through the stunning winter landscape of Yellowstone was exhilarating, allowing us to cover a vast amount of ground and explore parts of the park that are otherwise hard to reach during the colder months.

The wildlife sightings were beyond amazing. One of the most intense moments was when we witnessed a pack of wolves hunting a bison herd. Seeing the wolves in action was a rare and awe-inspiring experience that added so much excitement to the trip. We also encountered bison trudging through the snow, spotted foxes darting across the terrain, and saw eagles soaring high above us. Kurt’s sharp eye made sure we didn’t miss any of these amazing wildlife encounters.

Kurt was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable, professional, and incredibly passionate about Yellowstone. He not only shared insights about the park’s history and geology but also gave us an appreciation for its unique winter ecosystem. His enthusiasm made the entire trip even more enjoyable and educational.

The snowmobiling itself was smooth and fun, offering a unique and adventurous way to see Yellowstone’s winter beauty. From frozen lakes to snow-covered mountains, the park’s breathtaking scenery was like something out of a dream.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable way to explore Yellowstone in winter, I highly recommend booking a tour with Kurt and Peak Country Snowmobile Rentals. Whether you’re a snowmobile enthusiast or just someone looking for an extraordinary adventure, this trip will leave you with lasting...