点评:A true interaction with Wolves is not an easily arranged excursion, but Peggy Jehly makes it not only possible, but convenient and affordable! While other wolf encounters cost hundreds of dollars (even thousands), this company puts you face-to-face with their wolves for $125 each (with a two-person minimum). Anyone who has looked into wolf encounter excursions knows how incredibly reasonable this fee really is! I HIGHLY recommend this experience to anyone and everyone.
Vibe & Atmosphere:
What struck me the most was how relaxed the handlers were. I got to hold the leash and sit with these beautiful creatures within minutes of their release from the vehicle. The atmosphere that Peggy and her volunteers manage to foster in a public park with no control over other people's behavior is a testament to how well they know their business and the law surrounding “predator animals”. The vibe was conversational throughout the entire experience. I felt I was getting to know real people and truly connecting to the animals rather than just “getting my social content”. Peggy and her volunteers mentioned more than once that they are foremost wolf EDUCATORS, and that is exactly how it felt.
Service & Staff:
Peggy was super responsive, highly professional, and easy to contact. Once we were on the walk, she took hundreds of incredible photos while her volunteers attended to us and the animals. I enjoyed my in-depth conversations with both of Peggy’s staff members.
What We Did while there:
We arrived at the designated meeting spot and met with Peggy and her staff. They gave us a briefing about the animals we would meet, carefully covering their temperament, what to expect, how to hold the leash, and other general logistics we needed to know. We then began our walk, and each of us got to hold the leash for one of the wolves. We stopped at two different spots to take pictures, and then we got to give the wolves treats. Then we looped back and got to visit with the wolves while Peggy processed our photos. This was my favorite part of the walk, because we got to nest with them, one of the two even hid behind me when someone she didn’t care for walked by on the trail. It was an incredibly sweet moment. And then I got to see the younger wolf annoy the older wolf, a truly authentic experience! The entire experience was incredible, and I will say that this downtime to just pet, sit with, and visit the wolves was the cherry on top.
Pros & Cons:
While I don’t consider it a “con”, something to be aware of is that because of the delicate legal implications of animals classified as “predators”, the volunteers will need to take the animal from you when they feel it necessary to avoid any potential negative interactions with others on the trail (real or perceived). They did an amazing job of explaining to me why they were so cautious, even when people were more than 20 feet from us. I personally liked this level of vigilance. I just feel it is something that people should be aware of when booking this experience. For SOME, the price tag and the 2-person minimum may be a “con”, but I know for a fact this is an incredibly affordable fee, especially for the value you get out of it.
The pros are numerous; here are my top five:
1. You get literally hundreds of professional photographs handed to you on a thumb drive before you leave the tour (no waiting for an email, or following copy/paste links).
2. You get to hold the leash! Actually getting to walk the wolf is a rare thing, I have found.
3. In my experience-based opinion, the value you get is insanely disproportionate to the dollar amount (in YOUR favor).
4. You also get to see a beautiful part of the Garden of the Gods park while walking with wolves!
5. You really do get to spend a significant amount of time with the animals in a very up-close and personal way. In my experience, this is a rare level of interaction, especially with “wolf” tours.
Tips for Future Travelers:
My recommendation is to email Peggy directly at peggy@coloradowolfadventures.com or contact her through the website to either book or inquire. I initially asked a question through Instagram, and never heard back. Once I was ready to book, I realized that IG is not a primary contact point for this company, so if that is how YOU have reached out to this company, you now know how to get in touch with them. Wear normal clothes, and be open to any adjustments in your wardrobe they may ask you to make based on their knowledge of the wolves ' behavior. Make sure you go to the bathroom before the scheduled time, as there really isn’t time (or facilities) while on the walk for pit stops; you do want to be able to spend the maximum amount of time with the animals as comfortably as possible. On that note, I recommend you dress appropriately for the weather conditions of the day because you will be spending the entire tour outside with the animals. I genuinely hope you book this experience for yourself and your group, as it is a truly unforgettable experience.
翻译:与狼真正互动并非易事,但佩吉·杰利 (Peggy Jehly) 不仅让这一切成为可能,而且便捷实惠!其他与狼相遇的活动动辄花费数百甚至数千美元,而这家公司只需每人 125 美元(至少两人起订)就能让你与狼群面对面。任何了解过与狼相遇之旅的人都知道这个价格有多么划算!我强烈推荐大家体验这项活动。
氛围:
最让我印象深刻的是驯狼员们的放松自在。狼群从车里出来后几分钟,我就能牵着牵引绳,与这些美丽的生灵坐在一起。佩吉和她的志愿者们在公共公园里营造出的这种氛围,以及在无法控制其他人行为的情况下,充分体现了他们对自身业务和“食肉动物”相关法律的精通。整个体验过程中,气氛轻松愉快,就像在聊天一样。我感觉自己是在结识真实的人,并与动物建立真正的联系,而不仅仅是“刷社交媒体”。佩吉和她的志愿者们不止一次提到,他们首先是狼的教育者,而我们的体验也的确如此。
服务与员工:
佩吉反应迅速,非常专业,而且很容易联系。我们开始徒步后,她拍了数百张精彩的照片,而她的志愿者们则照顾着我们和动物们。我非常享受与佩吉的两位工作人员的深入交流。
我们的行程:
我们到达了指定的集合地点,与佩吉和她的工作人员会面。他们向我们详细介绍了我们将要遇到的动物,包括它们的性情、需要注意的事项、如何牵绳以及其他一些我们需要了解的基本信息。之后,我们开始了徒步之旅,每个人都牵着一只狼。我们在两个不同的地点停下来拍照,然后给狼喂了些零食。之后我们返回,在佩吉处理照片的同时,我们和狼们进行了短暂的交流。这是我最喜欢的徒步环节,因为我们有机会和它们亲密接触。其中一只甚至在我不喜欢的人走过时躲到了我身后,真是太可爱了。之后我还亲眼目睹了小狼捉弄老狼,这真是一次难忘的体验!整个行程都非常棒,而这段可以抚摸、陪伴和与狼亲密接触的时光更是锦上添花。
优缺点:
虽然我不认为这是个“缺点”,但需要注意的是,由于被归类为“捕食者”的动物涉及敏感的法律问题,志愿者会在必要时将动物带走,以避免与步道上的其他人发生任何潜在的负面互动(无论是真实的还是想象的)。他们非常耐心地向我解释了他们为何如此谨慎,即使有人离我们超过20英尺(约6米)。我个人很喜欢这种高度警惕的态度。我只是觉得,在预订这项体验时,人们应该了解这一点。对某些人来说,价格和至少两人起订的要求可能是个“缺点”,但我可以肯定地说,这绝对物超所值,尤其是考虑到它的价值。
优点数不胜数;以下是我总结的五大优点:
1. 行程结束前,你会收到一个U盘,里面装着数百张专业照片(无需等待邮件,也无需复制粘贴链接)。
2. 你可以亲自牵着狼!我发现,能真正牵着狼散步的机会非常难得。
3. 根据我的经验,你获得的价值与价格相比简直是天壤之别(对你来说绝对超值)。
4. 你还能在与狼同行的同时,欣赏到众神花园公园的美丽景色!
5. 你真的可以和这些动物进行相当长时间的近距离亲密接触。就我的经验而言,这种程度的互动非常难得,尤其是在“狼之旅”中。
给未来旅行者的建议:
我建议您直接发送邮件给Peggy(邮箱:peggy@coloradowolfadventures.com)或通过网站联系她进行预订或咨询。我最初是通过Instagram提问的,但一直没有收到回复。准备预订时,我才意识到Instagram并非这家公司的主要联系方式。如果您之前是通过Instagram联系的,现在您知道该如何联系他们了。穿着日常服装即可,并做好接受他们根据狼群习性提出的着装建议的准备。请务必在预定时间前去洗手间,因为徒步过程中几乎没有时间(也没有洗手间)停下来方便;您肯定希望尽可能舒适地与动物们相处更长时间。因此,我建议您根据当天的天气情况穿着合适的衣物,因为整个行程您都将在户外与动物们一起度过。我真心希望您和您的团队能预订这次体验,因为这绝对是一次难忘的经历。