The Lamar Valley is famous worldwide as THE place to see wolves. You will most likely see wolves if you get up at 4:30 am to be in the Lamar by 6 am. But they still will be a mile or more away and you might get to see one for 3 minutes. But then there are days like today. We were the first persons at the Picnic pull out this morning. It was one of those mornings where having a 100mm aperture to gather light in dim conditions paid off. I found the first wolves in a minute or two after scanning the hillside. As they moved out of the forest into the open and moved downhill we discovered the entire...

Had to get some work done on the Suburban today, 110 miles away in Livingston, but on the return we were treated to these dancers of the rocks. We have been lucky enough to see the many variations of Bighorn Sheep. Dall sheep are very white and are found in Alaska. Stone Sheep are found in northern Canada and are like Bighorn with a dark gray dusting on their chests. Rocky Mountain Bighorn are tan/grey to light brown and Desert Bighorn are darker tan with patches of dark purple and brown. Next entry in diary

We headed to Slough Creek yesterday morning amidst heavy fog. We were hoping to see the Junction Pack wolves as they had been sited in the area in recent days. Alas, we saw no wolves but were rewarded for our early rising with foggy, misty scenes as the sun gradually appeared dimmed by clouds, smoke and fog. Smoke has been making for very hazy skies in the last week or so. We're not sure where the smoke is coming from, whether from a small fire in the northwest corner of Yellowstone, fires in Idaho, Glacier Nat'l Park, Canada, and California or all of the above. Next entry in diary

Many visitors to Yellowstone think Bison are like gentle, placid cows. Making that assumption is a big mistake. Large male bison can weigh up to a ton. From Wikipedia: "Bison temperament is often unpredictable. They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy, yet they may attack anything, often without warning or apparent reason. They can move at speeds up to 35 mph (56 km/h) and cover long distances at a lumbering gallop." During the rut, in July and August, the bulls are totally focused on the task at hand. They pick a female and guard her from all other takers. Unlike the hype of some...

Although Yellowstone National Park is loved nearly to death these days it is clear that people need the park. The excitement and enthusiasm at seeing wildlife is clear. Most visitors are not prepared to view wildlife in a wild environment where they are commonly located a mile away. Having the right optics to bring the animals closer into view is required for a good viewing experience. We have an adapter for our spotting scope that allows the cellphone to be attached and to view what the scope is seeing on the screen. This allows multiple people to "see through the scope" at the same time. Mountain...

The Elk population in Yellowstone was overgrazing the Park in the early 90s. With no predators, they were damaging the landscape. When wolves were introduced the elk numbers fell to a balance point that was sustainable and it gave the new wolves a boost. After the balance point was reached the wolf numbers fell also and an equilibrium was found. This handsome guy posed for me on the slopes of Mount Washburn. Next entry in diary

Mule Deer are found mostly in the Rocky Mountains. The blacktail deer is a sub-species of Mule Deer. Although capable of running, mule deer are often seen stotting (also called pronking), with all four feet coming down together. This doe and her fawns frequent the Colter Campground. Next entry in diary

Ten of the Junction Butte wolf pack were found lounging around Slough Creek. We were a little late and they were moving up into the rocks when we arrived but Barb followed them up into the rocks and noticed some Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep. Next entry in diary

Bison run. Not a herd mentality stampede. Purposeful running. Today we saw this herd with many groups where it was like a leader said "Ok today we are all running to the south pasture, stay with your sub-groups and you can stop for water at the pond but I want to see everyone running up the hill afterward." Seven groups came running in, separated by a few minutes each, some stopped for a drink of water and some just ran through. I wonder if it was for a trophy or cash prizes? Next entry in diary

The Bison rut is nearing in Yellowstone. The bulls are pairing up with females and protecting their choices, until another bull decides to challenge them. Next entry in diary