It is almost assumed that if I can go to Yellowstone, I will. Lucky for me we were able to sneak in one more trip before Abby and I had to head home. It was just a day trip, which meant we were up early but that wasn’t a problem to me or anyone else. The only bummer was that Auntie Jillian could not go with us, as she had several final school projects to finish up.

We again left early and head towards the North Entrance in Gardner. From there we made a stop in Mammoth Hot Springs and then took off for Lamar Valley. Our first stop was up the 1/4 mile road to the Petrified Tree. The road was still closed the last time we came through and still snowy but a lot had changed in less then a week. We drove up to the end of the road and as we turned around to head back my mom spotted something down a long the creek. Sure enough, after finally seeing some movement, we discovered there was a bull moose! It has been years since we have seen a bull moose in Yellowstone. The fires in 1989 destroyed much of their protective habitat and they became scarce to the average road traveler. Twenty years later, the trees they rely on for protection have grown considerably and more and more people are beginning to see them again. This big guy was hiding down in the willows and trees, aware of our presence but because no one else had come up the road, seemed comfortable with us and just laid down in the bushes. We had to watch and wait for a good 30 minutes or so for him to do this, but it was worth it. His antlers were just starting to grow back in, but he was still an impressive guy none the less.

On our way out to Lamar, we noticed a crowd stopped along the road. Although we couldn’t see much, we knew something was there. Coyotes, wolves, bears? We could not tell. We waited a few minutes but then continued on. Our idea was that we had to come back out this way to get to other places, so if we were meant to see what was there… we would.

We drove out to Trout Lake and then turned around. My mom and I both saw what looked like a wolf chasing some pronghorn, but he disappeared into the river bottom before we could get the binoculars out and find him again. The scenery had changed a lot in one week. A lot of the snow had melted, the rivers were swollen with the melt off from the warm weather and green as beginning to dot the landscape.

As we passed by the location where everyone was stopped before, we noticed that the crowd had grown and everyone had their sights set on something. As we pulled off the road the story began to unfold. From what we could tell there was a pack of coyotes in the area but they were guarding something. As it turned out they were protecting a bison carcass as well as what may have been their den. Just moments before we pulled up, a lone male grizzly came around and stole the carcass away from the coyotes. We had the luck to watch the coyotes try to defend their den and regain their “lunch” buy barking, yipping and howling at the Grizzly. To top it off, these brave little coyotes began to nip and bite at the Grizzly but to no avail. The Grizzly continued to drag and move the carcass away from the den and claim it as his. As we learned later, he stayed there all day to entertain the crowds and to protect his meal for the day.

As we continued back down the road to Mammoth Hot Springs, another small crowd was stopped at Floating Island Lake. Last week when we came through, this little lake was frozen but now it had melted completely, exposing something very desirable to one determined little black bear. Out on the “floating island” was the carcass of what appeared to be an elk or small bison. The carcass must have laid there, frozen in the lake ice for the winter and was now open to the elements since the melt. Elkcicle… Yum! Well on this very day, a little black bear came along, realized what was out there and new he was hungry and wanted it. So, he got in the water circled around for about 3 minutes and then proceeded to pull the carcass from the island to the far shoreline. He then pulled it up onto the shore and began to snack, and snack, and snack. I think we watched him for a good half and hour or more. What a smart and very determined little black bear. Survival in Yellowstone will probably be easier for him in the future!

After a pit stop in Mammoth Hot Springs, we continued on and decided to head down to Canyon and Old Faithful. We didnt see much in the way of wildlife, other then the usual bison, deer, ravens, geese, and more common animals of Yellowstone. Before heading to Old Faithful we took the quick drive up to Canyon. We drove the Canyon loop, but unfortunately most of the lookouts and trails were still covered with snow. Being pregnant, I didn’t want to get out and walk around and risk slipping on the melting snow which gets pretty darn icy. It was also just cold enough up at Canyon to start snowing… just a cluster of little flakes though.

Before reaching Old Faithful, we stopped at Black Sand Geyser Basin to have a bite to eat. We brought sandwiches, fruit and veggies which all made Abby very happy. I have to say she was so well behaved and seemed to enjoy every bit of the trip. By this point she was able to say the word Buffalo and point at the bison when we saw them. So cute. Dad and I got out to walk around for a bit, so I had the chance to get some pictures as Cliff Geyser as it went off. This area is one of the smaller geyser basins, but very pretty.

When we reached Old Faithful we took another break, stretched our legs and then got back in the car to head back to Mammoth Hot Springs again. We stopped a few times along the way for pictures. The contrast between the remaining snow, the brown of the dormant grass and the green of plants coming to life made for some beautiful pictures. It was made even better by the pendng thunderstorm that was slowly starting to roll in over the mountains.

Once we hit Mammoth Hot Springs again, we made the decision to try and head out to Lamar one last time to see if there was anything we could see. Dusk was approaching quickly which meant more animals would be coming out for the evening to eat and move around. We did get a little bit lucky as we found a black bear just strolling a long a hillside. Because it was getting dark and he was moving constantly, my pictures of him didn’t turn out too well. Oh well! After seeing him we discovered that the little black bear at the lake was still there, napping and eating, and had stayed there all day. We also discovered the same with the grizzly. After the turn from Tower to Lamar we also run into a bit of a “traffic jam” just before the bridge over the Yellowstone River. It happens often in the park, but bison jams are still fun to snap pictures of!

At this point of the evening I was not feeling well so we decided to turn around and make our way home. It wasn’t fun to end the day like this, but at least I felt sick at the end of the day and not the beginning. the weather through Paradise Valley was rough and dark. The rain came down hard and of course it was now dark so we had to watch for deer as well. On several ocaaisions, tumble weeds blew across the road which from a distance looked like deer. It was a pins and needles drive but we made it home safe and sound. Despite getting sick, the day was amazing!

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As if our day in West Yellowstone on Friday wasn’t enough beauty for us, we decided to head to Yellowstone for two days to enjoy the weekend and each other. Saturday marked the beginning of National Parks week, which gave everyone free admission into all of the National Parks around the country. Despite that fact, Yellowstone was pretty quiet all weekend which is fine. More for us to enjoy!

On our way to Gardner, the North Entrance to the park we stopped in Livingston for breakfast. We ate at The Pop Stand and breakfast there was incredible and cheap! For $6 I had two slices of French Toast (each piece was the size of my head), 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of sausage and 2 scrambled eggs. Needless to say, I did not finish most of it but it was incredible. Even better then that, Abby ate for free! Yup, children under 12 eat free there. I haven’t seen a deal like that since I was under 12.

Once we entered the park, we headed out towards Lamar Valley… a popular spot for bear and wolf sightings. Our drive out to Lamar was fairly uneventful but we did see a few things from afar. We saw a gray wolf, bald and golden eagles, osprey, a marmot, bison, mule deer, elk, and river otters. We tried to get pictures of the otters playing in Soda Butte Creek, but the disappeared before we could even park the car! We drove as far as Trout Lake and then decided to turn around and head back to Mammoth.

On our way back, we passed by the Yellowstone Picnic area where during my last visit we saw a little black bear. While it wasn’t the same black bear, there was one creating a scene when we came by. During the summer we would have never been able to stop, but that is one of the joys of spring. We watched this bear move along from the picnic site and beyond for a while before we decided to move on.

After stopping back in Gardner to check into the hotel, grab some food and take a small break we were back on our way. This time we decided to head towards the West Entrance and Old Faithful. We didnt see much wildlife on this leg of the trip, but the day was beautiful and allowed for some great photography. It was wonderful to just drive around and enjoy the afternoon and evening. At several turn outs we ran into Yellowstone’s moocher’s, the ravens. They had no problem stopping right near our car windows to beg for handouts, but instead they had their pictures taken!

On our way back to Gardner for the evening we came across a small road jam due to a group of young bull elk. Several of them were oblivious to the cars and were focused on sparing with one another. Nothin’ but reindeer games!

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The second day of our trip was short, as Auntie Jillian had to be back for work. We headed out again toward Lamar in hopes of seeing some wolves or bears. Unfortunately, anything that was out there was too far to even be seen with the naked eye. Most people were out with high power spotting scopes looking at things way off on the hills. We didn’t leave Lamar Valley empty handed though. On our way back, I spotted the otters we had missed the day before. We drove up ahead of what appeared to be a young otter and got out of the car along the bank of the river several hundred feet ahead of him. The little otter swam and played and I was able to get a few distance pictures. He was cute and on several occasions you could hear him talking and chattering.

The rest of the day was spent driving and sight seeing. The snow along the Madison River at the West entrance had melted considerably and green grass was beginning to peak out. The bison were happily eating and the day was gorgeous! Even though we didn’t get to see some of the animals we had hoped to see, the drive was amazing. When we left the park I should have felt sad, but I knew I had one more weekend here and I knew I wouldn’t have to twist any arms to come back.

On the way home through the Gallatin, we spotted a fly fisherman out in the river near a small rock. There are plenty of fisherman out on the Gallatin, but this one caught our eye. Next to him on the small rock was a dog, his dog. The dog looked to be a Golden Retriever and I don’t think this dog could have been happier. For the sake of this story the dog was a boy and he was out with his buddy, fishing and it was quite apparent that he was having fun and always at the ready to help. As the man continued to cast his reel, his loyal friend sat there watching the water, sitting but tense, ready to come to his aide when needed. He was half wet and half dry which would led me to believe he had tried to help out not too long ago. It was the most picturesque sight to see. Something I often think of when it comes to living in this area of Montana. Out on the river fishing with man’s best friend at your side. Just perfect and that is why I love this place so much.

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Today… what a day! The weather was gorgeous, warm and melting the snow quickly so our plan to head to West Yellowstone was in full swing. The drive from Bozeman to West Yellowstone is about an hour and a half, but it doesn’t seem that long at all when you drive through Gallatin Canyon. What an amazing drive, especially today. Spring was definitely in the air.

Our plan when we arrived in West Yellowstone was to go to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. This place is small but wonderful, at least it is in my book. The center takes in Grizzlies and Wolves that have been orphaned through an unnatural process (mom was killed by a hunter, car, etc.) or takes in Grizzlies that have become to comfortable in a human environment. The alternative is generally to euthanize the animal or sending them to a zoo, if there is a zoo that will take them. Instead, these lucky animals end up in a place not far from their natural surroundings and seasons where they are cared for, loved and admired by employees and visitors.

Luckily, when we got there everything was quiet. West Yellowstone is just starting to open up again for the summer season and being there on a Friday keeps the crowds away. We basically had the place to ourselves, with the exception of a young girl, whom I was tempted to toss into the bear habitat, and her oblivious mother. I wont go into that mess of a story, but for those of you familiar with the story about a boy named Quentin… these two should meet up and go bowling sometime.

The grizzlies take turns in the large viewing habitat, so when we first arrived we were greeted by Kobuk and Nakina. These two are brother and sister and were orphaned when a hunter took their mother down while she was hunting free range chickens on his ranch. They had just been fed and seemed a little full as well as tired. Nakina kept out of sight, except for a few shots of her rear end, but Sam perched himself on a rock not far from us. He has such a sweet face and a funny personality, spending a lot of his time playing with several sticks that he found. Apparently he loves to climb trees and start chases around the habitat with his sister, but we pretty much saw the opposite of that. Oh well, Abby enjoyed that time a lot and seemed very much engrossed with the bears, that is until she realized she was allowed to walk around and not sit in her stroller.

After taking a ton of pictures of Kobuk we headed off to the two wolf habitats. I was in heaven! All of the wolves were out, for the most part, and were amazing. While I have seen wolves in the wild its nice to have an experience where you can be close to them and watch them interact without being scared off by some Yellowstone tourist that doesn’t know his rear end from his elbow. There was a naturalist on duty, who was able to point out the wolves, tell us their names and also tell us their rank in the pack. I couldn’t remember all of them, but I made my best effort to try and do so. You can see all of the pictures and information in the slide show below. I could talk endlessly about the wolves we saw and wolves in general, as they are my obsession, but I will spare you from that. Needless to say, watching both packs make me very happy and I was on a high when we left.

Before we left for the day, we stopped back by the bear habitat just in time to see the keepers place lunch around the area and see a new set of bears come out. The keepers place food in various spots around the habitat to keep the bears busy, both physically and mentally. When the doors opened I definitly was not expecting what was about to come strolling out. Sam and his sister Illie were orphaned as well and have lived their entire lives at the center. Sam, a Kodiak, weighs in at a whopping 1050 pounds and his sister comes in at 850. That’s almost double the size of Kobuk and Nakina, the two Grizzlies from earlier. They were impressive bears and I am glad there was plenty to separate me from them. The highlight was watching Sam try to get food out of a half frozen pond. Watching that bear put all of his weight on the ice and bounce up and down was incredible. Even more so was the sound of that ice breaking and buckling underneath him. Let’s just say it took him no more then 5 minutes to find what he was looking for. Amazing!

Illie, Sam’s sister had a beautiful heart shaped face. What a beautiful bear.

Before leaving we stopped in the gift shop so that Abby could enjoy the giant bear bench. She loved it and didn’t want to leave. We were lucky to even get a picture with her as she didn’t want to stop her play time to do such things. Play time with a giant bear is far more important then pictures!

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