Once again the alarm goes off at 3:45 am and we're out the door about 5 am. Yeah - we're crazy like that! The weather calls for showers but we're hoping they hold off until the afternoon. Not much to see on the drive up - way fewer animals than last week so once again we arrive safe & sound.
We've heard that the Black Bear sightings are best from Floating Island over to Tower (Thanks Sarah and Travis!) - which the segment of the road from Roosevelt to Tower opened just this weekend - so our plan is to get over there as soon as we can. For us this means Don is going to have to go 45 mph. Not an easy task for us -we're used to about 30 to 35 mph!! We skip turning and going south at Madison and go left and head north.
Lucky (?) for us there's nothing going on - Gibbon Canyon is quiet, Gibbon Meadows, Elk Meadows, Floating Island - but we get to South Twin Lake and find about 6 cars all squeezed into one parking area. Wolf Watchers. Right now they're just standing around talking so we go on. But they must know that there's some Wolf Pack going thru the area.
When we get to the top of Mammoth we stop as a Marmot crosses the road and goes up the rocks - and poses!!
We pause for a few shots and go on. Our next stop is at the little church in Mammoth. The Bison have taken over the lawn - not sure if they'll have to pass on services this morning or all use the back door!!
This little one is enjoying the sunshine and the grass at the church on this Sunday morning.
It's a pretty quiet drive as we head east out of Mammoth. A Bison herd is once again causing a Bison Jam but there aren't many of them and we get thru in record time. We don't make any stops and pretty soon we're over to Petrified Tree where we find cars parked right at the entrance. They're busy snapping photos but we can't see WHAT! Finally we see it!!
A Cinnamon Black Bear - and he's CLOSE!!
No wonder we can't see what they're seeing!!
He wanders around digging and eating. Thru the tall grass, over dead logs, behind trees.
We stand in the light rain until he starts to head UP the hill. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll still be in the area when we come back by as we head home.
It's our first trip to Tower since that segment of road just opened - and there's not a thing going on. How disappointing!! But there's always another trip thru on our way home so we back-track and take the turn for Lamar Valley. Just past the Yellowstone Picnic Area we find a parking area filled and everyone standing on a hill on the other side of the road. Cameras and lenses are trained on a Bison carcass on the other side - I'm not sure I ever heard what happened to it but the Rangers had to move it further from the road. They've put it on a small hill but there wasn't anything on it when we went on by.
Just down the road another group of people are stopped and way Way WAY up on Specimen Ridge is a Grizzly with 2 of her cubs born this year. The unfortunate news is that there should be 3 cubs - life in Yellowstone is not an easy life. The second cub is right up next to Mom - so very hard to see. And yes - that tiny dot to the right of her IS a cub!!
Not much to see after that. Lots of Bison in Lamar Valley today. We did find some Pronghorn close to the road so stopped and snapped a few photos.
As we make the turn at Soda Butte Picnic Area and head back thru Lamar Valley we find a few people stopped at Confluence looking for Wolves. They think they're over against the trees - Way Far Away!! So we stop and Don gets the spotting scope out and we finally locate them. I could only find 2 of them but they think there's 4 total.
Hard to spot them as they walk thru the trees.
A bit easier when this one comes out and stands looking back. We finally lose them and load everything back up and head on down the road. Still nothing going on at the carcass - people are standing around talking - cameras covered from the rain. It's time for lunch so we find a table once again at the Yellowstone Picnic Area. Hotdogs again - this time I sit in the truck - it's just a bit chilly this afternoon.
When we finish we go back to check the Bison carcass - still nothing - and down a bit further to see if we can spot the Grizzly with 2 cubs again - she's disappeared. So we back-track and when we get to Roosevelt we make the turn to check the road to Tower again. And once again there's nothing going on. Shoot!! We've waited and waited for it to open - only to find there's nothing to see.
So when we get to the Tower Store we start to turn around when we notice there's a few people looking over the edge. Maybe we better take a look too.
Good thing we did!!
This Black Bear is just wandering and digging and eating. We spend a good half hour with him.
He finally wanders over to the edge and disappears. Before we leave we look behind us to the other side of the road where Big Horn Sheep can be seen.
But what we can't see from where we stand - another Black Bear!! This one has 2 cubs - these are called COY - meaning Cubs Of Year - they would have been born early in 2016 while she denned.
One of the important things cubs must learn is to climb a tree - this could save them if a large male comes close - BUT I'm not sure this tree is going to give them much protection!! Maybe this one is just for fun!
The family keeps moving along the top of the hill so we move to a parking area and keep watching them. We're hoping she comes down the hill and uses the road but pretty soon there's a BUNCH of people gathered and she turns and goes back uphill - now she's got a long ways to go before she'll come out where we can see her again - so we load up and head down the road.
Petrified Tree is quiet - the Cinnamon Black Bear has disappeared - but when we get to Hellroaring Overlook there's a traffic jam. Good thing we're close to the front of it!! From the truck we can see the cause - it's a Black Bear and a yearling cub - and they're grazing right next to the road. And I do mean - Right Next To!!
Only thing is - the grass and bushes are in the way - not to mention the other people who walk in front of you - so it's hard to get a clear shot of them. Don and I recognize this bear. Last year we photographed her just down the road as she grazed down below the road with 2 new cubs. She's lost one of them - we've also seen her twice already this year. She's the one we saw the first weekend - sitting under a tree near Phantom Lake - and we saw her another Sunday near Hellroaring Trailhead.
But as we drive by I'm able to get a shot of the cub!
Awesome!!
The bachelor Bull Elk are laying by the road - in their usual spot! - so we stop and get some shots of them. You can almost see their antlers grow!
Then it's a lot of driving. The Wolf Watchers have moved to just north of Roaring Mountain. Don and I stop to look
Don and I drive by here - at least twice a trip - but rarely stop to photograph it. Glad the Wolf Watchers made us do it!!
Then it's alot of driving once again. When we get to Madison we decide to check out south towards Old Faithful. This is the first time we've gone by and Firehole Canyon Drive is open so we take it. The water is high - nothing else to see. But as we head south along the Firehole River we spot an Osprey sitting in the water. We didn't get stopped quick enuf and have to find somewhere to turn around and when we get back he's just taking off. We can see he's got a fish but he somehow loses it as he flies off. No photos - just a fun memory.
Now it's back down the road and we head towards the West Entrance - but we always have to stop to look for Pika. Even tho' we haven't had ANY luck - we keep trying!!
And this time our luck changes!! We once again walk past our usual spot - nothing to see - and go a bit further and find Pika. Only problem is - these don't stay in view very long. But at least I got some photos of them!!
Wish this one would have stayed in view longer - he was such a pretty golden color!
But now as we walk on by our usual area - we finally spot a Pika!! And to our amazement he comes right down to the grass in front of us!!!
They are Soooo Cute!!! Then our fun is ruined when a Hawk flies over and everyone disappears!!!
Oh well - it was sure fun for a bit!!
Don and I are always on the lookout for Otters along the Madison - in all of our trips we've caught them there - - - twice! We just never give up!!! So there's a pull-out where we saw them last year and now when we go by we always drive thru the pull-out to have a look. Today there's a few cars - nothing unusual - the Park is getting busier and busier - but there's a man pointing across the river for his son - so we look in the direction he's pointing and here on the other side of the river - up on the rocks - stands a Coyote!! I'll photograph a Coyote!!
We haven't figured out what he's got - Don thinks it's a duck - I'm thinking it might be part of a fish (maybe leftovers from the Otters????). He stands and watches us and then climbs higher to eat his lunch.
It was a great way to end the day!!
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