Washington Bio-Diversity and Habitats
On the far western shores of Washington State the land rises up from the ocean floor and ascends to the top of the highest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range: Mount Rainier at 14,411 feet. Washington is located on the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to eleven volcanoes. The last volcano to erupt in Washington was Mount St. Helen in 2008 which was a small eruption compared to the massive 1980 eruption. Of the eleven volcanoes, only four are considered extinct and many have been active within the last 150 years.

For thousands of years the land of the Pacific Northwest lay dormant under massive ice sheets that flowed down from the north; pressing and scraping the land, these ice sheets sculpted and created the terrain we know today. In most areas the ice was 3,000 feet thick, but in some areas it was twice as thick. As the glaciers melted and exposed the earth, life quickly moved in, colonized and created habitats that evolved and followed the receding edge of the ice. The flora and fauna learned to adapt and survive as life slowly moved up to higher elevations. Today you can find amazing life of all kinds from seashore to mountain top.

Does it rain in Washington? Ah, well, yes and no. If you focus on eastern Washington you would say no, there are many parts of Washington that average less than 10 inches of rain a year and some only 7.5 inches (even Tuscon, Arizona gets 12 inches of rain a year!). Western Washington is famous for rain, especially the Olympic Peninsula. Towns like Forks and south to Lake Quinault and Aberdeen average 12 - 13 feet a year, with records up to 15 feet and even more at higher elevations in the wilderness.

Because of such great variations of elevation and rainfall, Washington has numerous life zones and an abundance of habitats with micro habitats: Alpine, Sub-Alpine, Montane, Temperate Rainforest, Oceanic and Riparian in the west and Eastern Washington habitats include arid and desert zones, wetlands, lakes, scrub lands and the massive Columbia River Valley.

And what does this all mean? Bio-Diversity! Here are the stats: 515 species of birds, 140 mammals, 25 amphibians, 28 reptiles, more than 2,000 moths and butterflies, nearly 500 freshwater and marine fishes and 3,100 plant species (not including mosses, lichens, liverworts and fungi) and over 20,000 invertebrates.

Now is the time to to visit beautiful and diverse Washington and see what you can find!
Glaciers, Volcanoes and the Alpine
Arid and Desert Habitats
Pacific Coast and Marine Life
Temperate Rainforest
Washington Diversity Tour
10-Day Tour with Cabins
Tour starts in the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula and down the Pacific Coast. From the coast we travel east along the Columbia River and cross the Cascades just south of Mount Rainier. In eastern Washington, visiting sites along the Columbia River Basin. From the rainforest to arid eastern Washington, on this tour you will experience the bio-diversity of Washington state and visit habitats and life zones as diverse as the lowland rainforest, pacific coast, inland lakes, alpine, estuaries and river sloughs.


10-Day Tour with Car Camping
Tour starts with pick-up at the Bainbridge ferry terminal across from Seattle and ends at the Bremerton ferry on your way back to Seattle. You can choose lodging in cabins or tent camping at state parks with nice facilities. Camping is always best because you will be closer to nature. Our tents are very comfortable with lots of thick floor mats and bedding. You will see more birds and wildlife if you choose camping. Web Link
Current dates available to join an existing 10-Day tour: We are just starting to book tours for 2020 and so there are plenty of dates from March through September 2020 available to book your tour.
Olympic Peninsula Tour
5-Day Tour with Cabins
The 5-day tour starts with pick-up at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, which is easily accessible from the Seattle. From there the tour will travel the entire 350 mile loop of the Olympic Peninsula Highway stopping at all significant wildlife sites including Olympic National Park.


5-Day Tour with Car Camping
You can choose lodging in cabins or tent camping at state parks with nice facilities. Camping is best because you will be closer to nature. Our tents are very comfortable and cozy with lots of thick floor mats and bedding. You will see more birds and wildlife if you choose camping. Web Link
Current dates available to join an existing 5-Day tour: We are just starting to book tours for 2020 and so there are plenty of dates from March through September 2020 available to book your tour.
Olympic National Park Fun
Winter Snow Fun
We have a lot of beautiful snow this winter and the snow pack should last through the spring. This is the best snow year in a long time so schedule your snow-shoe or cross-country ski trip today.

Backpacking
Backpacking season starts early in Olympic National Park. There will be snow at higher elevations through early summer, but at sea-level the temperatures stay moderate and starting in March there are many great locations available for over-night trips. Check our website for a list of camping locations for any season.

Nature Tours
Winter and spring are the best time of year for birding on the Olympic Peninsula with over 300 different species of birds identified on the peninsula and over 500 in Washington state.

Hiking
Olympic National Park has over 600 miles of maintained trails and nearly 70 miles of stunning Pacific Coastline. Choose your hike and habitat; rainforest, mountains or coastal routes.

Fly-Fishing
Whether you enjoy an afternoon of fishing along the river, a day on Lake Crescent or including fly-fishing with your over-night backpacking trip to an alpine lake, we will have a tour for you. Check our website for more info.

You can find out more and see all our great photos on social media
Check our new website for dates, details and pricing
Call us at 970-556-6103
email: KaiyoteTours@gmail.com
It is a great time to visit Olympic for Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. We should have good snow through April. Winter and spring is also one of the best times for birding. Give us a call anytime, we are here!
Come see the Big and Beautiful Trees!
International Travel Schedule

2020
Argentina Birding, Butterflies, Waterfalls and Tango! (10 days) Jan 15 – 24, $3,850
Nepal Birding, Culture and Wonderful Easy Mountain Walks (10 days) Feb 19 – 28, $3,750
Sri Lanka Birding, Relaxing and Tranquility (10 days) March 5 – 14, $3,650
India Birding and Wildlife Viewing for Vegetarians (10 days) March 18 – 27, $3,650
Chicago Lyric Opera Ring Cycle and Urban Birding (8 days) April 12 – 19, $5,350
Iceland Southwest Birds, Waterfalls, Glaciers and Volcanoes (9 days) May 2 - 10, $4,150
Iceland Westfjords Birding Seabird Cliff Colonies (9 days) May 12 - 20, $4,150
Iceland Northeast Birds, More Birds, Sheep and Reindeer (9 days) May 22 - 30, $4,150
Santa Fe, New Mexico Opera Festival and New Mexico Birding (7 days) Aug 16 – 22, $3,950
Mongolia Birding, Wildlife Viewing and Culture (10 days) Sept 19– 28 $4,150
Sarawak, Borneo: Birding and Jungle Trekking (10 days) October 3 – 12, $3,650
Taiwan Birding and Culture Tour (10 days) Nov 1 – 10 $3,650
Taiwan Taroko Gorge Birding and Sightseeing (4 days) Nov 10 – 13, $1,050
Colombia Amazing Amazon Birding (10 days) Dec 1 - 10, $3,850
Stockholm Christmas, Winter Birding, Glögg and Julbord (8 days) Dec 21 – 27, $3,650
Estonia New Year's Eve in Tallinn (7 days) Dec 30 – Jan 5, $3,650

2021
Nicaragua Cloud Forest Birding and Coffee Tour (10 days) Jan 15 – 24, $3,450
El Salvador Birding and Culture Tour (6 days) Jan 26 – 31, $2,350
Nepal Birding, Culture and Wonderful Easy Mountain Walks  (10 days) Feb 10 – 19, $3,750
Sri Lanka Birding, Relaxing and Tranquility (10 days) Feb 23 – March 4, $3,650
India  Birding and Wildlife Viewing for Vegetarians  (10 days) March 8 – 17, $3,650
France, Birding the Camargue and Paris (10 days) March 26 – April 4, $3,850
France, Birding Brittany and Paris (10 days) April 6 – 15, $3,850
Chicago Urban Birding and Performing Arts Events (8 days) April 18 – 25, $3,250
Iceland Southwest Birds, Waterfalls, Glaciers and Volcanoes (9 days) May 2 - 10, $4,150
Iceland Westfjords Birding Seabird Cliff Colonies (9 days) May 12 - 20, $4,150
Iceland Northeast Birds, More Birds, Sheep and Reindeer (9 days) May 22 - 30, $4,150
Uganda Birding, Wildlife, Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees (10 days) June 3 - 12, $6,250
Sweden, Southwest Birding and Midsummer Celebration (10 days) June 16 – 25, $4,150
Åland Islands, Birds, Boats and Culture Tour (10 days) June 27 – July 6, $4,150
Santa Fe, New Mexico Opera Festival and New Mexico Birding (7 days) Aug 16 – 22, $3,950
Mongolia  Birding, Wildlife Viewing and Culture  (10 days) Sept 19– 28 $4,150
Sarawak, Borneo: Birding and Jungle Trekking  (10 days) October 3 – 12, $3,650
Taiwan Birding and Culture Tour  (10 days) Nov 1 – 10 $3,650
Taiwan Taroko Gorge Birding and Sightseeing (4 days) Nov 10 – 13, $1,050
Colombia Amazing Amazon Birding  (10 days) Nov 21 - 30, $3,850
Colombia Andes Birding (10 days) Dec 1 - 10, $3,850
Stockholm Christmas, Winter Birding, Glögg and Julbord (8 days) Dec 21 – 27, $3,650
Estonia New Year's Eve in Tallinn (7 days) Dec 30 – Jan 5, $3,650
Check our website for dates, details and pricing
Call us at 970-556-6103
email: KaiyoteTours@gmail.com
Your Dedicated Guides
Kaiyote & Ed
Photo: Here we are at Damai Beach, Sarawak Borneo Malaysia. We look forward to meeting and showing you all the great birds and wildlife and adventures that can be found around the world, the United States and in Washington state. Call us anytime! See you soon!
Kaiyote Tours www.KaiyoteTours.com +1 970-556-6103