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Day 6

Friday, May 23, 2025

            We headed south today, but not before passing the four young bull moose grazing on the hills above Round Prairie.  Lamar Valley was quiet aside from people viewing a grizzly sow with two coy on the slopes above Amethyst Bench.  Even in the scope the bears were tiny, but it was obvious the sow was nursing her cubs.  We expected the Junction Butte adults would be in view as they made their way back to the den, but we never saw them and didn’t hear anything on the radio.  Slough Creek Road was jammed with vehicles; people wanting to see the puppies.  We drove down to the gravel parking lot, setting up the scope just in time to see a black wolf walking from the western trees toward the den opening followed by five puppies.  There may have been more puppies, but five is what we counted.  The puppies are quite active now, exploring the grass and sage around the den.  When the puppies disappeared from view, and 1479F went into the den, we continued south. 

            Dunraven Pass opened today.  Snowbanks lined the road, but the road was dry and safe.  Because of slow traffic the trip took 30 minutes to Canyon; we made a quick stop and continued to Hayden Valley.  People were parked at the long pullout, but we went on to Grizzly Overlook, climbing the hill on the opposite side of the road to look down on the Wapiti Lake Pack’s den site.  It was hard to see, but Tim spotted some dark shapes like lines in a snow patch.  We wanted to believe they were wolves, but it wasn’t until one wolf rose and walked across the snow that we could confirm it.  The wolves just lay there in the snow, sleeping.  The temperature was about 46º, and the snow must have felt good to a wolf with its thick coat.  There was no action near the den itself. 

            After watching the wolves for a while, we headed down the road where a large crowd watched another grizzly sow and her two coy on a snow patch on the hills above the road.  We didn’t stop, hoping to find bears at Mary and Sedge Bays.  We were sadly disappointed; on this beautiful day there were no bears near Lake Yellowstone.  The weather is warmer now, and that may have something to do with it.  We drove as far as Gulf Point and Bridge Bay and turned around.  The grizzly and her two coy were still out playing together on a snow patch.  The cubs wrestled each other and slid down the snow bank.  They chased each other while their mother rolled on her back in the snow, her feet in the air.  The bears were having so much fun and it was so entertaining, we could have watched for hours.    

            On our way to Canyon, we stopped to check on the Wapitis one more time, not expecting to see much.  The wolves had moved to a grassy corner above the snow patch, just resting there.  After a while one wolf got up and walked toward the den, followed by the others.  It looked like seven were there, one black wolf staying behind on another snow patch.  Heat waves distorted our view, but it was still good viewing and we were again happy to finally see this pack again after so many years. 

            The road from Canyon to West Yellowstone passes through forest along the Gibbon and Madison rivers.  Forests hit hard by the 1988 fires are growing and looking vibrant.  The Madison River winds quietly through new forest sheltered by tall, rocky, mountains.  A pair of cow elk lounged peacefully on a small island in the middle of the Madison River.  Strange that we have hardly seen any elk although it’s spring and perfect habitat.  The rest of this weekend we’ll explore the area around West Yellowstone and Hebgen Lake where we’re hoping to spend more time here in the future – it’s just the beginning of a new adventure.

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