As usual - the alarm goes off at 3:45 in the morning and we're backing out of the driveway shortly after 5 am. We can usually see animals of some sort as we head up Ashton Hill and go thru Island Park and today we find a Moose at Last Chance.
It's pretty quiet along the Madison - the only thing we see is a single Elk on the other side of the river. We take the left and head north thru Gibbon Canyon, past Elk Meadows and Gibbon Meadows - seeing nothing to stop us. On past Norris and finally just past Roaring Mountain we find some people lining the road - waiting for something. We stop to find out what's going on and find out a Grizzly and her 2 year old cub had been seen but had gone up into the trees. They can't see them now and a little further down the road - those people seem to think that they're in the trees where they're at. We decided not to wait and see which group really had a Grizzly and loaded up and headed north again.
It's pretty quiet - I'm beginning to worry that this trip will be another 300 photo trip. That's SLOW!!
There are Bison on both sides of the road at Blacktail Ponds and some of the babies are close enough for photos.
We check down the Hellroaring Hike road and find a Mule Deer.
In Little America we stop for some Pronghorn.
It's probably only been 10 minutes since we crossed the Yellowstone River Bridge but when we get back people are stopped for something. We jump out of the truck and down below the road we find a Black Bear and a cinnamon cub. Last year when we photographed her she had 2 little cubs so she's lost one over Winter.
They're down below the road and start down the hill but change their minds and come up to the road.
Taking the road they cross the river on the Yellowstone bridge.
They disappear over the edge on the left and decide to nap behind some trees so we head on over to walk UP the road from Roosevelt to Calcite. Surely after walking UPHILL - TWO WEEKS IN A ROW - we'll be rewarded with some Bear Sightings???
Nope.
Must be a dozen people that were thinking the same thing and some of them had been there about 5 hours!! We sat down for a bit and had a snack before we loaded back up and walked back down the hill - er - road.
We decide to check back thru Little America and the people are still waiting for the bears to wake up. Nothing else is going on so we turn around after looking out over Lamar Valley. The Yellowstone Picnic area is just up the road from the bears but we decide to go to a pull-out named Wrecker and eat there instead. From there we can see the bears from the back side. As we make our sandwiches they wake up and wander along the river and then disappear.
Don walks over and checks and then comes back and we finish eating. Just as we're putting things away a man comes by and says they've crossed the road so Don and I decide the Yellowstone Picnic area might be their destination and head over there.
Everyone else has the same idea - the Rangers too - who make us all wait near the tables. A good thing because here they come!!
WAIT!!!!!! Is he going to stand up????
HE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So glad we were in the right place for these shots!!
The bears keep wandering towards us and right next to us is a pond. Mama Bear gets in but the baby is keeping an eye on the crowd.
Finally - in he goes but they quickly exit on the other side of the pond.
And up the hill they go.
We follow for a bit altho' they're far from the road until they finally disappear over the top of the hill.
Time to head for home and we retrace our route from this morning. Nothing going on where they had been watching for the Grizzlies this morning. But down the road - just before Nymph Lake - people are watching a dark lump on the other side of a flooded - grassy area.
It's a sleeping Grizzly!!
Not much to look at. Mostly just a brown lump unless he moves and looks towards us.
Then he scratches.
And FINALLY - wakes up!!
He gets up and starts to wander south but we lose him because of the trees.
My last shot of him
The last we see of him he's walking along the far shore of Nymph Lake.
We stopped for a quick walk to look for Pika but can only find a Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel.
It was a great day and we're finally home about 8 pm. I took over 1200 photos today and go thru them enuf for a facebook post before heading to bed. Those hikes wear me out!!
We won't be making another trip next Sunday - on Wednesday - the 16th we do our vacation which I fondly call - 5 Days in Yellowstone. Yes - we'll be staying at Gardiner again and will call Yellowstone home from Wednesday morning thru Sunday evening.
I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for looking!!
Cindy
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