01 June 1998 - Monday

We got up and decided to go into Gardiner for breakfast. We visited several gift shops, to our children's delight, and had a fun time just doing a little exploring, and visiting with the friendly folks in Gardiner. There were some elk hanging around town, but not as many as in April.

Elk Cow & Calf by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

A few miles into the park, we saw a cow elk with a calf. The calf didn't look very old. We were surprised when the cow entered the rushing waters of Gardner River to cross to the other side. At first the tiny calf struggled to stay right by its mother, but the water was stronger than the little calf and it was pulled farther and farther downstream. We weren't the only ones stopped along the side the road to lend our support to the little guy. It finally made it to the shore where the mother nuzzled her baby and seemed glad to see that it had made it. We all took a deep breath, gave a heartfelt thanks and continued on our way.

We picked up Joseph and Rachel's Junior Ranger papers and they started working on them right then and there. I went and met with some friends who work for the Park Service and gathered some additional information for the page that I think will help visitors.

Steller's Jay by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

We then drove to Tower and did some looking around and heard there was a black bear at Roosevelt. We drove down to Roosevelt by the Ranger Station, but the bear had made a run for cover and was no where to be seen.

We saddled up and made our way to Cooke City stopping and watching along the way for bears and wolves and any other interesting wildlife. We saw buffalo and calves, elk and calves, antelope and other wildlife along the way, but no bears or wolves.

We had supper in Cooke City and then headed back to Wolf Central or Wolf City as it has come to be known. We stayed and watched and visited until it was too dark to see any more. There were elk and buffalo and antelope in view all along the valley but no bears or wolves to be seen. When it was to dark to see we headed to Mammoth and the cabin.

Chipmunk by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

Joseph and I were up at 4:00 am and on our way to Lamar. We arrived at the Trailhead turnout at about 5:30 am and setup our scopes and started glassing the hills and dales. At 5:50 am the wolves howled, a low erie howl. Then at 6:08 we spotted three wolves, two black and a gray, out in the valley south of us. They were making their way towards the Soda Butte Creek. They would walk for a while and then lay down and rest and then be back up, they didn't seem to be in a hurry. One black wolf walked to the creek and slowly put his front paws in the water and then withdrew them as if to say, "man that is cold." He then approached again and put his front paws in and then the rear paws followed. He stood there for a little while and then walked out into the creek and swam to the other side. He got out and shook and then walked behind a little hill and we lost track of him. The other two wolves just stayed in the valley near the creek bank and laid down.

A few minutes later we heard another howl right out in front of us and as we scanned the hillside another black wolf came racing out of the forest and headed towards the other two waiting wolves. We watched the waiting wolves howl as we had our spotting scopes trained on them. The waiting wolves stood up and got excited as the third wolf joined them and then back came the wolf who had crossed the creek with two other wolves - six wolves of the eight adult wolves to the pack were now in view in the valley.

The alpha male was one of the wolves coming across and all the other wolves lowered their ears and tucked their tails between their legs and came up to him and licked his face. At least four of the wolves did this and it was neat to see the pack relationships and recognition. Above a cut bank of the creek, one lone gray wolf (number 42) stayed where she was while the rest of the pack greeted the alpha. This gray wolf was the omega wolf (lowest ranking wolf of the pack). She stayed put while the rest of the pack greeted the alpha, she just laid down and kind of cowered there. All the wolves walked by her and just kind of looked at her except the last gray wolf. This wolf gave her a playful bite on the muzzle and the omega turned over on her back playfully and they pawed each other and then they were both up and following the rest of the pack up the hill towards the forest.

We looked back across the hillside on the north side of the road and there stood a black and gray wolf. We now had six adult wolves in the valley and two adult wolves not too far from the den area - all eight adult wolves of the Druid Peak Pack, five black and three grays. What a thrill to watch and see all this going on! We were excited and just drank it all in and savored it!

The six wolves made their way south up the hillside and into the forest and out of view. We watched until the last wolf disappeared. We then watched the other two disappear on the north side of the road probably going back to the den to watch the pups. The wolves were out in view from about 6:08 am until about 7:15 am. Wildlife watching at its finest - the great outdoors! This was what we all had been wishing and hoping and watching for with a little extra!

Yellow-bellied Marmot by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

A bear and cub came out in a clearing high up on the mountain and we all watched them until they disappeared. Some were saying it was a grizzly and a cub, but they were so far away, it was hard to determine for sure what they were. So for our count we chalked them up as black bears.

Joseph and I headed back to Mammoth to pickup Carlene and Rachel and tell them of our good fortune. They were excited and we were off to a good day. We had breakfast and walked around Mammoth for a while.

In the afternoon we drove to Norris Geyser Basin and then over to Canyon. We stopped at Cascade Picnic Grounds and took a break and a snack. We then headed over Dunraven and Mount Washburn. We did not see a lot of elk or buffalo on Washburn.

We saw a black bear at Tower, south of the falls and below the cliff. It was a small two year old. We then drove down to the Tower Ranger Station to see a black bear sow with this years cub. The cub climbed down out of a large tree and darted around the hillside close to mom. It was a thrill to watch the cub and the bears delighted all who were there. When the bears disappeared into the forest, we continue on our way.

Yellow-headed Blackbird
by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

As we were driving, we noticed two very large white birds and we pulled into a turnout. They turned out to be two Whooping Cranes that had been released into the park. They were fun to watch and very graceful as they walked along the rivers edge. We took some pictures and watched them through our binocs and spotting scopes.

Here is part of their story or as much as I could gather. The cranes were raised by hand or puppets. They were given to the fellow who had trained some geese to migrate with an ultra lite, you have probably seen or read about that story. It is not clear whether there were eight or five birds. The birds followed the ultra lite to New Mexico to the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The birds migrated north to an area that had a lot of power lines and they lost all but two. These two were sent to Yellowstone in hopes of trying to start a new flock of Whoopers that will come back to the park each year. As I get more info on the birds, I will post it on the page. It was exciting to see them and hopefully it will turn out for the best. Biologists are pessimistic about the outcome of the project. The Whooping Cranes were down to somewhere between 16 to 24 birds and now there are around 300 birds. They are still listed as critically endangered. We hope and pray for the best for these two birds and the project and the folks working with the Whooping Cranes in the U.S. and Canada.

We mounted up and headed east towards Lamar. We had fun visiting with friends at the turnout just west of Soda Butte. There were folks from all over just hoping to experience seeing the wolves. It started to rain and the wind was cold. We all headed to our vehicles looking for our high tech spotting scope covers, plastic shopping bags. We batten down the hatches and button up and covered up as well as possible as we continued to watch and share the experience. Dave Parker, his wife and son came along and setup their scope and we had a fun time together talking and watching. We were able see a rare Harlequin Duck on the Soda Butte Creek. Some folks packed it in and hoped for better days and weather, but there were a small group of us diehards that continued on until it was just about too dark to see.

Sticky Geranium
by John W. Uhler - June 1997 ©

We noticed a cow elk moving quite hurriedly across the valley, her little calf could not keep up and she would stop every so often and let the little one catch up and nurse a little. They were followed by another cow at a distance. We were watching this and trying to figure what was going on. We could not see anything chasing them but they were acting very skittish. As they neared the foothills, someone noticed a lone black wolf coming out the trees and it started chasing the elk. They went behind a large tree and we could not say what happened for sure from then on. Some said the wolf got the calf, others said they saw the calf running off.

The wolf came back into view and laid down in the open near some trees. One of the cows came back out to the wolf and made typical actions of an elk that had lost or was trying to distract a bear or wolf off its young. She came out and was very close to the wolf that was lying there in the grass. The wolf got up and gave chase to the elk and they again disappeared into the forest and that was the last we saw. It was dark and cold and still raining, and very hard to see. We waited a little while to see if anything else would develop but it did not, so we packed it in and headed back to Mammoth. The time in the outdoors with family and friends was awesome.

03 June 1998 - Wednesday

Yellow-bellied Marmot
by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

Woke to snow and cold weather. Spring in Yellowstone! We had breakfast in Gardiner. When we were driving back into the park from, we saw two foxes being chase by some antelope. The foxes must of been looking for an easy meal, but didn't find it as far as we could tell. We picked up a few items at the Albright Visitor Center and then drove to West Yellowstone for a meeting.

It was raining and snowing just about all day off and on. Nothing stayed on the roads except for the Beartooth which they closed. The Beartooth got about two feet of snow and that was pretty well published and expected.

We had supper in West Yellowstone and then headed back to Lamar and Soda Butte. We saw some beautiful Barrow's Goldeneyes on Soda Butte Creek. We had a fun time and saw one sow grizzly and three cubs while watching and visiting with friends. A great time was had by all. The evening was cool but not raining like the night before. When it was too dark to see any more, we visited for a while with friends and then headed back to the cabin.

04 June 1998 - Thursday

Lesser Scaups by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

We awoke again to snow and cold and had breakfast and got bundled up for another "Spring Day" in the park! We headed towards the Old Faithful area and had a nice drive. We arrived in time to see Old Faithful go off and visit with some friends in the visitor center of all places... ha! Riverside was scheduled to go off as well as Daisy and Castle. We decided to do some hiking and wait for Castle as we had never seen it erupt.

This will come as a surprise to some folks, but there are tons and I mean tons of other thermal features and geysers to see in the Old Faithful area. Most folks drive in, get out of their cars, trucks, RVs or buses and go watch and wait for Old Faithful to go off and then get back in their vehicle and take off. If folks would take a few more minutes and check at the visitors center, they may find that Beehive or Castle and others are ready to erupt and they are much more fascinating and have greater eruptions than Old Faithful. Please take some time and hike and enjoy the beautiful pools and thermal features and geysers in this fantastic area.

We walked up and around Geyser Hill and saw some great geyser features and hot pools that were absolutely beautiful. Giantess Geyser did not go off, but its features are beautiful none the less just to look at and enjoy. Just as we were finishing the route around the area, Castle started to erupt and it was fantastic to watch from a distance. We headed towards it so we could enjoy the display first hand. It had a long water phase and then an even longer steam phase. We had to use umbrellas to keep from getting drenched as we walked by on the path. Crested pool was also doing its best impression of a geyser and the ranger there said they are discussing whether it is a hot pool or a geyser. Sure looked more like a geyser to us and we enjoyed it. Part of the trail was closed due to a cow elk chasing folks off as she had a calf and was very protective. We were able to see Old Faithful go off the same time Castle was erupting. The massive feature of Castle, look just like a midevil castle and it was neat. It was the first time we had seen it up close and personal and in an eruption. It was well worth it. When you arrive at Old Faithful, please go into the visitor center and check the board for what geysers are scheduled to be erupting and when. It will make your visit much more enjoyable to see some fantastic hot water fireworks and blue emerald pools that almost take your breath away. Old Faithful is a great geyser, but only a minor part of this fantastic area. We enjoyed our stay, and did not see anywhere near all that was there, and we will be back many times to take it all in again and again.

Barrow's Goldeneye
by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

We had a late lunch and headed to the Mud Volcano area and Hayden Valley. The weather was still rain and snow mixed but not laying as we made our way to the area. We stopped and hiked and saw Dragon's Breath, Sulphur Caldron and Mud Volcano and other great sights.

As we drove through Hayden Valley we saw a black bear on the west side of the road just north of Sulphur Caldron. We saw some Canada Geese, mallards, Barrow's Goldeneye and some others we will have to identify when the photos come back. They looked like a Redhead, but we will see.

When we arrived at Canyon the road to Tower over Dunraver and Mount Washburn was closed. So we had to make the long drive around to Norris to Mammoth to Roosevelt and then out to Lamar Valley. We stopped at a turnout just past the Lamar Ranger Station and joined a group watching a large lone grizzly grubbing high up on the hillside. Very large, very impressive bear. We watched for a while and met with Mark Schwartz from Minnesota. Mark is a bear nut and we have spent the last three springs in Yellowstone together. He has a great sense of humor and is fun to be with. Mark had been in the park for two week when we arrived. He had taken a tracking class at the Institute and had some plaster casts of tracks of the wolves, coyotes and a badger. He had made an extra cast of wolf number 31's front paw. He was kind enough to give me the extra casting and we will treasure it. Male wolf 31 was the son of the alpha male number 38 of the Druid Peak Pack. They were both shot east of the park in the Sunlight Basin. Mark had seen five grizzlies and five black bears so far that day or at least by the end of the day.

We parted company as Mark headed west down Lamar and we headed east. We stopped at the trailhead turnout and setup the scopes and scanned the hillsides and listened for any howling. We watched buffalo and elk and antelope. On Monday evening, folks were watching a very pregnant antelope and it gave birth that evening. We had fun watching the two together. Most of the time the calf would be out of view hidden in the sage brush while the mother would be off feeding. She stayed in the same area all week, and off and on we would see the two together. It was fun to watch the little one dart around when mom was near, but that would not last long. The babe would nurse and then mom would be off feeding and keeping an eye on it and predators.

We visited with a couple we met on the net and last June in the park, Bill, Ann and Kate Riebsame and Bill's mother all from Colorado. It was good to see them again and to see that all is going well for them. Mark dropped by and it seemed that as he was watching for bears, the alpha male number 21 from the Druid Peak Pack made an appearance at the very west end of the valley. Mark was able to watch him make a kill on an elk calf and be pestered by a coyote that was able to sneak in and take a morsel of food. We all visited for a while and when the darkness gathered in about us, we parted company and headed to our places of abode.

05 June 1998 - Friday

Buffalo Calf by John W. Uhler - June 1998 ©

We were welcomed to a bright sunny day, quite a change from the past few days. We reluctancy packed our van and slowly drove towards the west entrance and West Yellowstone. We stopped along the way and took pictures and saw some sights we had never seen before. We watched a lone coyote mousing in a large meadow near the Madison River and Mount Haynes. It was fun to watch it sneak up, pause and then pounce. I think coyotes are as good at mousing as cats if not better. We also stopped and photo graphed two trumpeter swans on the Madison. They have been in the same area and nest for the past three years. One was sitting on the nest while the other floated nearby. The chicks should be out and about soon. We drove down Riverside Drive and said goodbye to the Canada Geese, mallards and other birds along the way. We had another great spring visit home. We had a fantastic time with family, old and new friends and new sights and wonders, what a thrill to be there.

After we were out of the park and in West Yellowstone, my family loosened the ropes so I could eat breakfast at the Silver Spur, but they only loosened one hand... ha! We then took a nice easy drive north of West Yellowstone to Hebgen Lake and Quake Lake and then back to Stateroad 20. We stopped at the Quake Lake Visitors Center and had a fun visit. Very beautiful area and nice drive.

We then drove to Ashton, Idaho and stopped at an old fashioned soda bar at the drug store. We had thick malts in the old fashioned crystal glasses. They left the metal shake containers and we had almost two full glasses... sure reminded me of the good old days. The folks were friendly and helpful on things to see in the area and it was nice to visit with them. We were full just trying to drink the malts. We then mounted up one last time and headed south towards our home away from home. What a great trip and a great way to end it... until next month, take care and see you in the park!

Grizzly by John W. Uhler - April 1998 ©

Wildlife Seen on This Trip

Antelope, a bald eagle, bears - six black and five grizzly, Barrow's goldeneyes, buffalo and calves, Canada geese, chipmunks, ducks, elk and a few calves, two foxes, a golden eagle, ground squirrels, some magpies, two moose, a mountain goat, mule deer, muskrats, the fun loving ever present ravens, red tail hawks, sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, two whooping cranes, wolves - the eight adult members of the Druid Peak Pack and a few yellow-bellied marmots.

Grizzly by John W. Uhler - April 1998 ©

See the May 1998 Trip Report for the beginning of the story.