Visit the tundra haunts of this gentle arctic beast, where we'll observe brilliant wildflowers in bloom and newborn calves sheltering beside their mothers. From high ridges, we'll enjoy splendid views of the Chukchi Sea and search the landscape for northern birds and bands of musk oxen while basking in the endless daylight of the midnight sun.

Spend three and a half days (four nights) exploring the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks, near Lake Placid. Activities will focus on hiking, but will include some quiet paddling, swimming, and visiting points of interest that are historic, culinary, or otherwise fun. At roughly 6 million acres, this is one of the largest parks in the country, with hundreds of peaks, hundreds of lakes, and 1.3 gazillion trees. We’ll only cover a small amount of that area, but that includes some of its best parts. The hikes will be generally moderate, with one being somewhat (not too) strenuous. Participants may opt out of any activity.

>> Lodging: We’ll be staying at the wonderful Adirondak Loj (www.adk.org/page.php?pname=adirondak-loj) on Heart Lake, in a gorgeous setting, with trailheads leading to wilderness from the front door. The lodge includes a large lounge with fireplace, dining room, bathrooms and showers, parking, free (but weak) wifi, and no TVs! Beds are bunks in a 6-person bunkroom or 12-person loft. Costs for four nights, including four full breakfasts (special diets accommodated), towels and linens, and room and sales taxes are $286 (bunkroom) and $245 (loft). Swimming and canoe/kayak rentals are available at the lake. Check out the slideshow at http://tinyurl.com/dxccwd5.

>> Additional costs, including travel and food, are the responsibility of participants. Lunches and dinners may be purchased at the lodge for $9 and $19 each, respectively. No pets are allowed. Contact Mike (Michael.darzi@saic.com) for more information. The trip is limited to 10 people and requires a non-refundable $100 deposit to reserve.

Help remove the noxious Cheatgrass weed in this land of volcanic fire, glacial ice, and ancient rivers. We'll backpack in and enjoy the wonders of Rainbow Falls, the Postpile, and hotsprings.

Come traverse the wildlife-rich coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge into the broad river valleys and spectacular glaciated high peaks of the Brooks Range. This once-in-a-lifetime trip will travel through the "biological heart" of the Refuge, where we expect to see the migrating Porcupine caribou herd, dozens of migratory bird species, wolves, brown bears and perhaps a wolverine.