2018 Yellowstone & Tetons National Parks

AMAZING AUTUMN ADVENTURES September 14 through September 26, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE PLAN ...................................................................................................... 1 TO BEGIN - LAS VEGAS ................................................................................ 2 FOLLOWED BY - ROAD TRIP! ....................................................................... 3 AND THEN - TETON AND YELLOWSTONE SAFARI ...................................... 8 SUNRISE SURPRISES ........................................................................................... 9 OLD FAITHFUL & GRIZZLY # 399 ..................................................................... 17 UPPER GEYER BASIN - OLD FAITHFUL ................................................................ 20 UPPER GEYER BASIN –GRAND GEYSER............................................................... 21 GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING & MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS ..................................... 22 MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS ................................................................................ 26 LAMAR VALLEY ................................................................................................ 28 FROM HUGE WOLVES TO TINY PIKA .................................................................. 29 YELLOWSTONE HOTEL AND IT’S STILL HAILING ON US .......................................... 37 MUD VOLCANO .............................................................................................. 39 "SHANE, COME BACK" & SASQUATCH ................................................................ 41 TETON RAPTOR REFUGE ............................................................................ 48

THE PLAN We started the visit with a first stop in Las Vegas to see my favorite popular singer in his new role as front man for the reborn iconic English rock band Queen — Adam Lambert! The band was doing a 10-day residency at the Park Theater and the September 15th concert fit our schedule perfectly. Even better, two of our favorite friends elected to join us for the concert; we flew in on the 14th and they drove up from Phoenix on the same day. Since this journal is going to center on the NatHab adventure, suffice it to say that the concert was completely over the top and totally enjoyable as was our chance for the friends’ short get together.

Road Trip We planned a self-drive trip from Vegas to Jackson Hole to meet the other travelers on the NatHab “Hidden Yellowstone” expedition. That drive took us through Nevada, a tiny corner of Arizona, and all of Utah to be seen on the interstate we chose, and into Wyoming, where for some inexplicable reason we found that renowned Jackson Hole had truncated its name to just Jackson. Its original name was much more evocative.

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Big Bad Wolves?

And finally – It’s off to see the wolves. We were so excited at the chance of viewing wolves in Yellowstone because such a sighting would be the first for us.

Our last visit there had been before the reintroduction of the former apex predator in the area. All these plans kept us on high anticipation mode from start to finish of the trip.

TO BEGIN - LAS VEGAS We had not been in the gaming capital of the world in several years, so many things astounded us. The city has grown exponentially; many of the famous casinos on the Strip had disappeared and/or morphed into something bigger and glitzier. For instance, our home for 2 nights was the Park MGM hotel which was the former Monte Carlo casino: completely renovated and enlarged under the MGM brand.

Happily for us, the Park Theater is in this hotel so we did not have to endure a repeat of the second surprise (heavy traffic) to get to the performance.

The traffic in Las Vegas has become a totally frustrating endurance experience. The streets are clogged with barely moving cars, taxis, delivery trucks, and masses of pedestrians who are blithely oblivious to the crawling machines bearing down on them with great weight if not much speed. Deciding to walk from place to place is no real improvement because the sidewalks are also filled with human obstacles to any forward motion. Everything is just happening in the slowest motion imaginable—sloths could move faster on their slowest day.

Another unwelcome shock was a disappearance: gone are the cheap but fairly good buffets in the casinos. Now every meal seemed to be priced so high that only successful gamblers could enjoy their dining spots. Instead of those bargain 2

buffets, every casino sported high-end restaurants charging “mafia extortion” prices. Admittedly the food was better than earlier meals, but when the bill came, there were some signs of indigestion!

However, the concert and the friends’ meet up was worth all the aggravation and now we won’t be tempted to return to Las Vegas any time soon UNLESS Adam and Queen appear there again. The band is now known as “Queen & Adam Lambert” (QAL for short). They are terrific; go on YouTube and ask for a familiar song, like “We are the Champions” or “We Will Rock You” or better yet, “Who Wants to Live Forever,” and you will see what we mean.

FOLLOWED BY - ROAD TRIP! “The Long and Winding Road that Leads” to the GYE—Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Apologies to the Beatles for this nervy misappropriation of their lyric, but the line does fit very well with our journey from Vegas to Jackson. Though the interstates were long and circuitous, the scenery and sights more than compensated. There were aspens in the full glory of their fall colorations—reds, golds, yellows, salmon, brown, even some leftover greens on some leaves. These trees stand tall on their white trunks, daring the craggy mountains behind them to challenge their temporary glory. The dark green lodge pole pines and the spruce trees provide a helpful background to the aspens as the contrast of the colors makes the turning leaves shine out even more vividly.

Here and there along the route were sparkling rivers, creeks, streams and waterfalls that reflected the splendor of the changing fall colorations. Even lowly bushes and vines added to nature’s palette. We decided that Utah had nothing to blush for when compared to New England’s fine fall shows! Along scenic byways in Utah, we saw two really entertaining events!

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The first was a cattle drive just off the highway. The cattle were mumbling and grumbling audibly as they moved from one pasturage to another. They kicked up a lot of dust and just kept plodding along. They were very well-behaved in that not a one of them ventured out on the highway.

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Later we saw something even more unusual—a sheep drive. These creatures were constantly bleating and calling back and forth. There were at least 1000 of them.

There were 3 cowboys on horseback - or should they be called “sheepboys” directing these animals from lower pastures up onto the hillsides by the road. But the riders had considerable help from 3 border collies who kept the sheep moving and from wandering away from the path they were to follow.

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Even more fascinating were the 6 Anatolian Sheep Dogs (much bigger and stronger than border collies) who accompanied the huge herd and live with them all the time. They protect the sheep from any would-be predators like mountain lions or coyotes.

We enjoyed stops in some small towns for meals or for a night’s lodging. They were so small they barely rated a mention in our AAA State Guidebook but their western character was inviting. There were some special attractions near these towns, such as Fossil Butte National Monument once we reached southern Wyoming at Kemmerer. This site was given Congressional protection in l972.

The entire area was once the bottom of an ancient lake, 52,000,000 years ago, and as it gradually dried up, millions of creatures at various periods were fossilized in its 6

sediments. Today it is a treasure trove for paleontologists and biologists studying the evolution of life on our planet over the millennia. The area is now a desert with very few trees and scant rainfall, but once it was a tropical environment with palm trees, willows, beech trees, oaks, maples and ferns. As scientists dig into the many separate layers, fossils of water life abound: gars, stingrays, paddlefish, bowfins, herring and perch along with some extinct creatures. Deeper layers reveal primordial life specimens like ammonites and trilobites and diatoms. Early mammal species that lived around the warm waters include tiny horses, bats, & primates.

Crocodilians also swam in the waters.

We learned so much from the wonderful displays and demonstrations of how these fossils are recovered from the sediments. We watched a technician work on an extracted stony layer carefully revealing a fossil fish as he released it from its encasing of rock. It was truly amazing.

The butte above the dried lake bed holds millions more fossils which have yet to be unearthed. It is a great gift that Congress bestowed on all of us when Fossil Butte was officially protected.

We stopped at many beautiful overlooks along our scenic routes, but kept ever in our minds that we had to reach Jackson Hole Airport by 3 p.m. on September 19th 7

to return our rental car in order to avoid paying a penalty of a full extra day’s charges. Despite all our wandering, stopping and marveling, we got to the Hertz Rental car podium with 30 minutes to spare. Then we were picked up by Drew Hamilton of NatHab and taken to the Lexington Hotel in Jackson where the real adventure was beginning! NatHab is so customer-oriented; we shouldn’t have been surprised that they arranged for us to be picked up at the airport even though that was not really part of the service contracted for.

AND THEN - TETON AND YELLOWSTONE SAFARI The NatHab Adventure called “Hidden Yellowstone Photo Safari” (9-19 to 9-26) To participate in this trip was our real reason for “going west” this year. The aforementioned delights in Vegas & Utah were the wondrous gifts but not our true motivation. We wanted to see wolves in their natural habitat and we knew that NatHab would give us the best chance of fulfilling that dream. Most of our many travels are been centered on seeing and photographing wild animals in the place Nature put them. Though we had already been in the GYE (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) many times in all seasons, we had not been there since the reintroduction of the species to its former home. And we knew that NatHab guides had good connections with the rangers and watchers of the Yellowstone packs.

So in very optimistic spirits, we met our fellow participants along with Drew Hamilton, Kurt Johnson, and Sean Eggleston, our very skilled and eager guides. It was clear during that introductory dinner in Jackson that we were with the right crowd and being led by the best guides possible. Everyone was focused on viewing and “shooting” all the amazing scenery and as many animals as we could fit into the time allotted.

Drew, our bear expert, started us off with a few basic rules and the first one was appreciated by all of us: no talking politics at any time. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief when he spoke that rule first. Other instructions covered courtesy to everyone by always being on time for excursions, a reminder that to see sunrises and early morning animals we would be rising early almost every day, and a request to ask all the questions of our guides that we were interested in.

So far, so terrific. And the restaurant in Jackson was really good too! A very promising start!

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SUNRISE SURPRISES The first glorious day found us around 6 a.m. (before sunrise) expectantly lined up in front of the Grand Tetons with multiple cameras and binoculars focused on the shadowy and craggy faces of those iconic mountains. It was quite cold and, besides sharp reflections from the lenses, we also could see the breathy steam issuing from everyone! The sky was gray & cloud-filled with some curtains reaching down on the Tetons! Ah, but when the sun began to rise above the mountains, the scene became magical as the clouds were replaced with colors as pink as alpenglow turning to orange and violet and growing brighter and brighter. The fingers of the sun streaks picked out the details in the complex rocks composing the mountains.

The scene more than satisfied the photographers and the binocular users! Our three guides wandered among us and very unobtrusively offered camera hints and tips for better shots.

Here was the proof that we should get up well before dawn to be at this overlook just as the sun rose.

For, in less than 15 minutes, the intense “alpine glow” was vanishing.

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Other highlights of this amazing first day included many animal sightings which called for more photographing. Cameras were clicking and snapping all day. Among the animals we watched was a beautiful black bear youngster (but on his/her own) eating chokeberries right at the roadside. Interestingly enough, the color of this bear was a lustrous cinnamon. The generous creature stayed with us quite a long time, munching and pawing through the shrubs for ever more berries. Drew, our bear maven, told us that this is perfect bear behavior at this time of year as they 10

should be packing on the pounds in anticipation of the winter. Many chokeberries must be consumed since each berry is worth only about one calorie. No wonder our beautiful bear paid more attention to the bushes than to us. It did oblige us by standing on two legs a few times so we could measure its full height. Once, almost smiling, it charged towards us a few steps but quickly returned to eating. But that did produce a bit of consternation among all of us.

The bison rutting season was almost over by the time of our visit, but we saw a few bulls who weren’t convinced of that timing. We watched some pushing and shoving between a couple of really big bulls and three males relentlessly chasing a lone female who apparently believed that the rut was over. She showed no interest whatever in any of the would be swains!

Another wonderful sighting was a small herd of pronghorn antelopes which was racing across open grasslands. Kurt told us that even though they are the fastest land animal in North America (and maybe the world), we were not observing their third & speediest gear! Their fastest recorded speed is 61 miles an hour and, even more important, they can keep running at 30 mph for an incredible 20 miles.

Though cheetahs are faster in the short run, they are capable of maintaining high speeds for only 700 yards.

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He also reminded us that pronghorns are very interesting in that they are not an antelope at all; nor are they related to antelopes in Africa. They are alone in their own species family. The last fun fact he told us: unlike other animals that grow horns that stay on their bodies for life, Pronghorns shed their horns, like antlered animals, every year. A singular creature is the wonderful pronghorn.

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As if these sightings were not enough, we also passed a pasture full of domestic horses with birds riding on their backs. We had never seen anything like that except in Africa where the Oxpeckers ride many mammals like rhinos, elephants, zebras, giraffes, even hippos to rid them of ticks and other pests—but we have never seen one on a lion. The horses did not seem to mind the birds on their backs. A few had 20 or more birds hitching rides along their spines. Kurt told us these were European Starlings and this relationship between birds and horses is not unknown in these parts. What a surprise!

A new adventure that awaited us as a break in the day of watching, climbing in and out of the vans, eating our box lunches as we rode, was an exhilarating raft trip on the Snake River. We floated along on a calm stretch of water for about two hours and it was fabulously beautiful. Mountains above us, clear green waters below us, common mergansers floating along with us, a female moose curled in sleep tucked under brush along the route. A bald eagle appeared to greet us as well.

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And the rafts were actually incredibly comfortable — even carpeted on the bottom.

And this team had made the boarding and disembarking the raft so supremely easy. No trying to get your rear and legs up high enough to scramble up and over the raft’s sides. (You can tell I am a short person since I so appreciated this feature.)

We just walked up a ramp and stepped down into the raft and sat on the side. At the end of the float, we simply reversed the process. No wet feet, no embarrassing struggles, just easy-peasy!

But our busy first day was not over yet! We next visited the Chapel of the Transfiguration, an Episcopal log church built in l925. It still offers mass twice on Sundays and is open for special events as well, such as weddings.

It is located in a particularly picturesque site, surrounded as it is by Tetons and set in a lovely valley in the little settlement of Moose. Photographers, regardless of religious persuasion, flock to get pictures of the Cathedral Peaks framed in the large window behind the altar.

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But Drew had a different idea for us: he suggested we go behind the chapel and take the picture of that same window with the Cathedral Peaks reflected in it so that the picture would also include the log construction. Great idea and the picture is more evocative than the one inside (as far as we are concerned anyway).

Our last activity was a scouting trip for tomorrow’s sunrise. Drew and Kurt had selected an oxbow of the Snake River but they wanted to be sure that it would offer advantageous views. Even in the fading afternoon, we could agree with their choice.

The river stretch would provide wonderful reflections of the descending dawn colors.

Last, but certainly not just an add-on, was our group dinner at Jackson Lake Lodge where we celebrated a fellow passenger’s birthday. He was completely taken aback and his delighted surprise was a warm way to end a really exciting day and provide more bonding among our group which was already coming together nicely. Desert was interrupted momentarily by the sunset!

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OLD FAITHFUL & GRIZZLY # 399 How could a second day begin to equal that terrific first day? Well, just read on and you will see! We left early again to begin the drive to Yellowstone, but with the significant stop at the Snake River oxbow.

There were clouds around the peaks which just enhances the drama of the oncoming dawn. There were Wigeons and Canada Geese swimming along creating long wake trail patterns on the water. To my eyes, not focused on a camera lens, those patterns made the scene more interesting.

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But by the time we were leaving, everyone had been satisfied by all elements of Mother Nature. The aspens here were not as brilliant as those we had seen in Utah, but the dawn did light them up to good advantage.

The drive from Grand Tetons into Yellowstone is fairly long and heavily tree-lined, so there were not many photo ops along the way. We did stop at Moose Falls for a short “shoot” and leg stretcher. It is a pretty plunge cascade falling from Crawfish Creek 30 feet above. Drew and Kurt mingled with the eager photographers, giving hints and ideas about different ways to depict the scene. I am not a photographer but I believe that the guides were very helpful and yet not intrusive. There were various levels of expertise among the group, so they were diplomatic in their approach to each person using a camera, cellphone or iPad.

399 WITH ONE OF HER SUCCESSFUL SETS OF TRIPLETS – PHOTO FROM WYOMING WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

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Kurt took this break to tell us the story of Grizzly Bear 399 (whom we never saw).

She is the female who changed most bear behavior in Teton NP. Until she ventured down from the high meadows and forests to exploit the human corridors, bears were very difficult to see in this park unless people were willing to do strenuous hikes up the hillsides. 399 observed human activity along the roadways and decided to bring her cubs down one season for easier foraging and safety from male bears that often killed cubs. She was not pillaging in garbage cans or seeking out dumps (those had already been closed). Instead, she wanted to feed on the many berry bushes that line the human areas. She was not aggressive towards humans, she was not begging at stopped cars, and she kept her distance. Soon other bears began venturing down closer to human areas. But there have been no bear/human confrontations or injuries.

She is now the most studied grizzly bear in the GYE and has had several generations of cubs which she successfully raised to adulthood. One of her female cubs, # 610, has remained close to her mother and this year even adopted one of her mother’s three cubs as if she knows 399 is needful of help with so many cubs.

399 was recently a star on a segment of “60 Minutes, so her fame increases and she is a great ambassador for the grizzlies of the GYE. Kurt and Drew together told us of the threats to grizzlies in the parks when the EPA recently took them off the endangered species list. Wyoming and Idaho immediately decided to permit a bear hunt. Thanks to a wonderful federal judge in Montana, that was stopped and the bears are still under federal protection.

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UPPER GEYER BASIN - OLD FAITHFUL

We drove on, seeing through the plentiful trees, the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake and even a good view of Lewis Lake.

Finally, we reached Upper Geyser Basin

where

Old

Faithful

regularly and predictably erupts with steam and then really hot water fountains rising ever higher until the show is over.

Amazingly, we arrived just in time to

see

a

really

impressive

eruption just as if it had been arranged for us.

Our al fresco lunch (provided and arranged by Jamison of NatHab) was served on the upper deck of Old Faithful Inn so we could eat great

finger

foods

while

we

watched and photographed the most famous geyser in the world.

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UPPER GEYER BASIN –GRAND GEYSER Talk about timing, just when we had finished all the food, someone noticed that Grand Geyser was beginning to rumble and steam. This geyser is not named incorrectly—it gives a terrific show—when it decides to erupt. But, unlike Old Faithful, it is unpredictable. So we were very lucky indeed. We all ran down the stairs, jumped on the boardwalk and sped to the sputtering thermal feature which was quite far from our starting point. It was “going off” great guns when we reached the site and Kay’s pictures will attest to the drama.

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On the way back, we stopped at some of the hot springs and other geysers we had hot-footed it past and enjoyed the colors and Kurt’s clever gadget that could give water temperatures from above the pools. We saw Castle Geyser and Beehive as well as Belgian and scalloped hot springs. Upper Geyser Basin is the location of all these and many other thermal features.

CASTLE GEYSER

We checked in at Snow Lodge where Drew offered a special discussion to all the photographers in the group, so Kay joined him after she and I took a turn around the really impressive, beautiful and educational Visitor Center.

GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING & MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS This morning found us on our way to Midway Geyser Basin in visit Grand Prismatic Spring, not as early as on some mornings because we needed sunlight to view the vivid and multiple colors in that special spring. The day started out somewhat overcast so we were all hoping that the sun would come up hot and bright to chase the foggy clouds away. In time, we got our wish.

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Looking in the shallower edges of the spring, we saw a wonderful assortment of “bugs” who can live in that hot water and others that ventured too close to the heat and perished. There was a dead dragonfly floating on the surface and ephydrid flies that were very much alive, carrying on their normal lives. Probably the poor dragonfly had been hoping to make a meal of some of them. There were tiny living spiders able to survive in the terrible heat. We could identify different algae by the colors their presence produced: red, brown, yellow, and ochre. And of course these creatures were also living well in their environment.

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When we left Midway Geyser Basin, we started towards Mammoth Hot Springs to view the travertine terraces. We stopped once at a “jam” caused by folks who had spotted three otters in the river. Everyone flew out of the vans and ran full tilt with all their camera equipment to catch the three otters as they swam and played. They appeared to be a mother and two youngsters and the river was carrying them away rapidly. Kay got excellent photos of them after her fast chase along the river. These creatures are always fun to watch because they are so playful and seem to enjoy life wholeheartedly.

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MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS The park installations at Mammoth are from the late 1880s when General Philip Sheridan (a Civil War Union officer) was sent to Yellowstone to manage it since the civilian control had been a total failure. He built Fort Yellowstone and other military style facilities to house his soldiers. The largest of those structures is now the main park hotel for visitors to this area. The Visitors Center has an excellent film describing the military management of Yellowstone National Park.

There was a long up and down boardwalk (almost two miles) to take visitors from the top level of terraces down to the bottom near Liberty Cap (a tall spiral cone left by an extinct geyser). We all explored every boardwalk overlook and took pictures of the terraces. The Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone is an extensive and complex group of hot springs that have been flowing for thousands of years and pouring calcium carbonate deposits settled out of the hot water creating stair steps down from their vents. The formations make a cakelike appearance with icicles of travertine (formed of calcium carbonate) hanging over the terraces. The terraces are impressive and demand photographs or, better yet, on site visits to view them with your own eyes.

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At the conclusion of our boardwalk viewing, we saw a bull elk and two females at the end of trail near the parking lot. He was sitting very calmly with one of the girls behind him and one on her feet grazing just a bit away. He looked quite comfortable and every once in a while, he would lift his magnificent head and antlers and bugle for us. We had never before heard elk bugling and were amazed to hear that it is high-pitched rather than the low baritone growly kind of sound we had expected. That was a real highlight of our visit to Mammoth Hot Springs.

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We sat outside the Visitors Center for a fast food lunch on the grounds while we observed the elk that were all around us—walking, resting, grazing, and tending to elk affairs. These creatures are present much of the year because of the warmth in this volcanic area and the protection of human beings. Wolves and bears don’t venture into an area so filled with human beings. Like Grizzly 399, the elk have learned that there is something positive in being around human beings. However, for photographers, snaring a picture of an elk sleeping on the ground next to a park building isn’t at all the same as catching a running elk in the forests or grazing on the open meadows of Hayden or Lamar Valley. I think we all enjoyed seeing the elks at ease and up close and personal—no need for long lenses or binoculars.

LAMAR VALLEY Lamar Valley was our next destination as we drove towards Cooke City, Montana, for our two night stay in search of wolves. The drive was dramatic and picturesque especially when we could see mountain sheep high up on the walls of the steep mountains above us. Though they were quite far away, everyone tried hard to see them and the photographers set up tripods in an effort to get a clear, if distant shot. On the grasslands of the Valley were hundreds of bison peacefully grazing under darker skies than we had enjoyed at Mammoth Hot Springs where the sun was shining merrily and warming us up kindly.

Our home in Cooke City was the Super Eight, for which the guides made a few apologies since it isn’t as elegant as the Lexington in Jackson or as storied as the park lodges. But actually, they didn’t need to apologize for the motel. It was comfortable and definitely convenient to our purposes and even had a self-service laundry which I certainly took advantage of. Its other plus was that it served breakfast and it was within easy walking distance of the restaurants where we took our evening meals. Our first night’s dinner was at the Bear Tooth Café where the food was tasty and the service was “super.”

Later that evening, we were reminded dramatically that we were at altitude and had also come farther north in reaching this quaint little town. How, you may ask?

Because it hailed on us. Tiny little bits of hail, more like beads than golf balls. But they made sufficient noise to call us to our windows to see what going on outside.

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Since I am from Florida, I really do not understand much about hail. Is it like snow where temps actually rise when snow can fall or does it signify that the temps are much lower? Guess I need to Google that weather phenomenon. Having checked hail out, I now know that the temps in the ambient air do not really have much to do with its formation. Rather it is the temperatures in the clouds. So that’s why we can see hail on a summer day. Nevertheless, the hail in Cooke City came down from a glowering sky and it was cold outside making us wonder what the next day would bring.

FROM HUGE WOLVES TO TINY PIKA It was chilly when we rose at 5:30 a.m. and left for our return to Lamar Valley at 6:30 – in search of wolves, our primary target for photo-shooting. After an 8-mile drive, we were rewarded with faraway tiny dark specks way off the road. The wolves were almost a mile in the distance. Our guides told us that we were looking at the wolf pack named Junction. With careful observation through spotting scopes and high powered binoculars, we began to make out the activities of the wolves in the growing light of dawn. The little dark spots became more gray than black, though it appeared that the Alpha male was black. We could see the pack getting reacquainted in a morning ritual, very like dogs.

IPhone Lens against Spotting Scope Eyepiece 29

There was much tail wagging, friendly wrestling, butt sniffing, running and chasing going on just beyond camera range. Except that Drew showed us how to take digivideos with smart phones through the spotting scope! That was really amazing and gave everyone a chance to get video footage to show friends and family that we really did see wolves in action. For most of our sojourn with the wolves we were alone on the road, but later more cars arrived. I don’t know if more cars were the reason, but very soon afterwards, the wolves began to wander off northwards in a long line. Not running, just leisurely striding along. It was difficult to get an accurate count because of the distance between us and the line. Some felt they had seen 14 and others saw only one or two. I counted 8 myself that I was sure were different animals.

As the wolves left the scene, we jumped into the vans and drove north ourselves hoping to find a spot where the wolves would come out from the trees and brush so we could see them again. When we stopped, we saw 3 wolves emerge from the foliage and run down a short hill only to disappear into a ravine filled with rabbit brush. No more wolves joined them and occasionally we saw heads appear over the tops of the bushes, but no full views and soon they obviously left that area and disappeared from view entirely.

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We moved a little further on down the road, stopping when we saw ravens & magpies gathering in an open place in the forest. The guides were sure that there was a carcass from an earlier kill in that area. We sat and watched (staying in the vans) and soon the black wolf appeared in the distance. With no hesitation, he moved quickly to the carcass and began eating. We were now within 150 yards of him.

The birds added to the show as they stealthily approached the carcass while watching the wolf intently. He appeared to show them no attention whatever, so one or two would become bolder and move a little closer. Like kittens at play, all the birds reacted to any moves the wolf made. If he lifted his head, they jumped back. If he turned his body, they sprang backwards. Then they would carefully sneak closer again. Finally, the bravest (or cheekiest) of the group actually reached the kill and quickly snatched a bite practically on the fly. Still the wolf did not appear to be disturbed, so the less courageous birds moved in too. The wolf did not feed long and soon wandered off and disappeared into the brush. Then all the birds fell upon the carcass. Though this scene was closer to us than our first sighting, no one, not even the guides, could determine what animal had been turned into the wolf & raven & magpie banquet.

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We were all exhilarated by this wolf encounter and most everyone was able to make satisfactory photographs—at least good enough to prove we had seen the wolves! And we were not alone.

Reluctantly, we drove off from the wolf scene and went down a gravel road to Slough Creek in hopes of spotting a grizzly or two. But again good luck was not with us; however, we did see an enormous bison herd with members of all ages, both males and females. There were fairly young calves standing close to their mothers, some of them nursing. It was still cold enough for us to see the breath floating out of the animals’ nostrils. It was a beautiful scene with the bison standing in golden pastures with rugged mountains behind them and gray storm clouds hanging over them.

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After a lunch of burritos and salad (good and much appreciated, we drove to the authentic wilderness log construction outdoorsman cabin of Dan and Cindy Hartman. Enormous piles of pine logs lined the driveway to their door. The cabin was cozy and an amazing mixture of nostalgia and modernity. Dan’s fantastic wildlife photos adorned the walls with old tools and needlework hanging among them. There were handmade quilts draped on beds and furniture and old pieces of crockery on kitchen counters and tables. In Dan’s very modern “office” space were all manner of computers, communication devices using the internet, and every sort of electronic gadgetry. Cindy offered us coffee or tea and some homemade cookies and then quietly disappeared.

Then Dan launched into his role as raconteur, wilderness explorer, conservationist and wildlife photographer extraordinaire. Though he admitted it was difficult for them at first to make a living in this small town, he and Cindy had persevered until now he is well-recognized for his skills as guide and photographer. Currently he makes a living with his own shots, but also acting as guide and expert for many documentarians, like David Attenborough, and magazines such as National Geographic and World Wildlife.

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He showed us some truly magnificent photos he has been preparing for a documentary on the Great Gray Owls. First, he has to track into the forests to find the nests and then he has to trek up there with all his photography equipment and practice enormous patience in waiting for owl action shots. It appeared to all of us that he is already creating a masterpiece for the show.

He also enjoyed thrilling us with stories of his many close, and very uncomfortable, encounters with unfriendly grizzly bears. Many of the stories made us all wonder how he was still alive and sitting here in his cabin regaling us with his frightening stories. He appeared to be in his 60s and none of these experiences has cooled his enthusiasm for wildlife photography and exploring the wild world around him. A true mountain man!

We were assured we would be in Dan’s company again later in the afternoon when he accompanied us up on the Bear Tooth Highway in search of wildlife, particularly the most adorable creature of the mountains—the pika. It was still a very overcast day with heavy thunderclouds overhead when we picked Dan up for the drive up to 11,000 ft on the Bear Tooth Highway which Charles Kuralt made famous by calling it the most beautiful drive in the USA. He certainly didn’t exaggerate either. Even under those heavy clouds, strong wind gusts, and chilly temperatures, the drive was magnificent. Of course, we had many stops at particularly advantageous overlooks but it would be hard to say which one was the most impressive. Red Tailed Hawks and a Bald Eagle appeared overhead.

Perhaps they were greeting their old friend, Dan. After some diligent and patient searching, Dan finally located the particular pile of boulders were he could show us the pika he knew were in the area. This tiny member of the rabbit family is probably the cutest creature Mother Nature ever created: small (just a few ounces), round body, short rounded ears, no visible tail, sweet little feet. No one could resist a pika once he actually saw one. Pikas hurt no other creature and live on vegetation (mainly grasses) which they collect all summer for winter food. Their food caches are known as hay piles. They live at high altitudes in North America, usually above 10,000 ft. They do not hibernate; they estivate which means they stay in their nests and/or burrows during winter, lower their metabolic rate, sleep often but eat throughout the winter. Extreme heat, just like cold, can cause pikas to estivate.

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Anyway, it took a considerable amount of time and patience to finally spot some of the charming little creatures scurrying around among the rocks and boulders, no doubt finishing up their “haying” activities before winter sets in hard. It was getting pretty dark by the time they emerged for their “close-ups” but that was not unusual since they are usually most active at dawn and dusk. Most of the photographers were happy with their “live captures” of these wonderful little creatures.

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The wind and cold were picking as we drove back down from the top elevation of 11,000 feet but we still stopped for the amazing and magnetic overlooks that the highway provides. When we returned to Cooke City and started out for supper, it hailed again upon us. The hailstones were still the tiny ones that looked smaller than BBs. We all exulted over our wonderful day with wolves and pikas and Dan Hartman! What more could any of us have asked

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YELLOWSTONE HOTEL AND IT’S STILL HAILING ON US We were up early again, to colder temps, and frost all over everything! As though to remind us we were near the end of fall, it was much darker in the morning than earlier in the trip. After breakfast at the Super 8, we headed back down through Lamar Valley with a stop again at Slough Creek for another chance at grizzlies—no luck again.

We saw bison, pronghorn and mule deer (3 females) on our way to Lake Yellowstone Hotel for lunch. As we walked to the entrance of this iconic GYE property, again we were hailed upon. Luckily, the stones were still very small, so no headaches resulted.

This grand old hotel is 125 years old this year and it underwent extensive renovations in 2014 to restore its original Colonial Revival appearance. It is very gracious and welcoming, even to travelers like us in our safari-like clothing. We sat in the elegant dining room with its clear views of Lake Yellowstone and enjoyed some delicious lunch foods. Again, we marveled over the fact that this meal was also included in our original trip cost.

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Our next scenic stop was at Upper Yellowstone Falls, a tumultuous cascade dropping 109 ft. into a deep canyon with sporadic trees coming from the walls. The scene is so grand it often appears to be a painting rather than something real.

We shared the viewpoint with several other

travelers

who

seemed

equally

enthralled with the beauty in front of them, trying for selfies with the falls behind them or setting up tripods to get steadier shots.

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MUD VOLCANO Mud Volcano was our next goal. This volcano was discovered & described back in1871 when it was said to be extremely active, flinging mud high in the sky and producing loud explosive sounds. It quieted very quickly afterwards and remained calm until some small earthquake tremors in 1979 when it reactivated and began bellowing and slinging mud all over the boardwalks from deep inside the 17 ft. crater. Today it has settled back down and just bubbles and churns, making little burping sounds as the mud & water stir about in the crater. There is also the hydrogen sulfide smell of “rotten eggs” all over the area: just another dramatic reminder of the fact that the GYE is inside a huge volcanic crater that has never been silent since its huge eruption thousands of years in the past. Who can say when it will decide to completely blow up again?

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As we drove back into the Jackson area, we were constantly on the look-out for Grizzly 399 but we never caught a glimpse. Kurt assured us that he has seen her this year on several occasions; Drew lamented that he has never yet seen her in the flesh even though he looks diligently every time he is in the Tetons.

Back to the Lexington just in time to get ready for a delicious supper at a new restaurant called the Trio. Jackson has a great restaurant scene compared with our last visit here many years ago. Drew & Kurt told us that we would be getting up early again tomorrow for another long day with lots of activities—but the morning would begin with another sunrise spot, so we needed to get our “beauty sleep” after today’s long drives.

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"SHANE, COME BACK" & SASQUATCH Our last trip day started off early again to try for another spectacular sunrise in a different spot. We were all hoping for a moose in the picture, but again we were thwarted. However, as usual, the sunrise was very worthy of our efforts.

We then drove across Antelope Flats towards the iconic old barn shot that everyone wants to improve upon. The somewhat derelict barn is located by itself in a field of hay with the Tetons looming in the background. Every angle and every camera setting must have been tried by the photographers who wanted to catch an original photo of the very familiar sight. We haven’t seen anyone else’s attempt, but Kay’s pictures resonated with us.

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Still unsatisfied by not yet having seen more moose (remember we did catch of passing glimpse of one on the shore of the Snake River as we floated past), we were directed to a site where moose had been reported earlier in the day. Maybe we should have gone there first instead of to another sunrise photo. Anyway, off we bounced along a gravel road until we reached the spot. Everyone poured out of the vans and we began to stroll the river bank looking for the elusive moose.

We were finally rewarded just a short walk from the vans where Mr. & Mrs. Moose were tucked in the tall grasses under some trees across the river from our vantage point. Again, they were not much impressed by our presence and barely flicked an ear.

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The bull’s rack was very impressive and I am sure most of the photo bugs were happy to capture that necessary shot. The female was even more placid and shy so she kept her sweet ugly face down most of the time. But even so, we did not have to go back home “mooseless”. We did see more pronghorn and several female mule deer along the way as well. There was never a moment without some sort of wildlife observation.

Next destination was the site of several scenes in the old western movie (1953) “Shane.” The cabin where Joey cried out, “Shane, Come Back!” still exists but it is “porchless”. The cabin and the barn behind it are pretty sad looking in their fallendown condition but the scene is just reeking with western romanticism because of the valley and the mountains and our memories of the movie. Everyone enjoyed trying to get a new angle on the scene including members of a painting club from Jackson.

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It was here that Drew, Kurt and Sean pulled the joke on us that they had been hinting at through the whole trip. Kurt called all of us over to teach us something about shooting for depth of field. Suddenly we heard branches breaking and heavy footsteps and there just behind a thin wall of trees was Sasquatch as big as life.

Everyone with any form of camera was madly taking pictures as the creature continued his mad dash through the brush.

We were all half laughing and half wondering what was going on. Then Sasquatch jumped the fence and stood among us. Some had their pictures taken with him & finally Sean could not stand the heat inside the costume and pulled off the head piece of the costume and opened the front so he could cool off. Now we understood all the many references and jokes that had been mentioned off and on during the whole trip. Playing Sasquatch is apparently a job for the guide in training. But Sean was an excellent sport and gave a convincing performance.

Our next meal (doesn’t this sound like a gastronomical safari as well as a photographic one?) was lunch in the Founders Room at the very impressive National Museum of Wildlife Art just outside Jackson right across from the National Elk Winter Refuge.

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Though the meal was somewhat prolonged, it was very good. We then had time to browse around the very well thought out museum and enjoy the pictures and the sculptures of the animals of Wyoming. The surprise was that there were many pictures and statues of animals from other continents, like Africa and Asia. We are not sure why they are included but there they were! The best painting was not surprising—it was of a bison bull in snow painted and presented to the Museum by the great Robert Bateman, a very renowned Canadian wildlife painter. The bison’s eyes were in the center of the painting and they appeared to be looking right into the viewer’s!

TETON RAPTOR REFUGE Our next scheduled event was a 4 o’clock visit to the Teton Raptor Refuge—a really neat place. A young lady named Jessie was our docent for the visit. She first explained the definition of a “raptor”—not necessarily synonymous with a bird of prey. For a bird to be labelled a raptor it must demonstrate the following characteristics: 1) strong feet with grasping talons, 2) hooked tearing beak, and 3) ultra-keen eye sight. This organization is based on education, rehabilitation and conservation. It is non-profit and non-breeding and relies on donations and volunteer workers.

Jessie’s teaching method was in the form of demonstration. She brought out 4 resident birds, one at the time, to discuss their lifestyles and to explain why they are in the refuge permanently. All had some sort of injury that prevented their living in the wild successfully ever again. Therefore, they are now ambassadors for raptors and their individual species.

The birds she introduced us to were a Great Gray Owl (the very bird that Dan Hartman is filming for a documentary), a Eurasian Eagle Owl, an American Kestrel, and a Peregrine falcon. Their ailments were one-eyed blindness, irreparable damage to wings causing inability to fly, and injured feet which can no longer grasp.

The birds were all beautiful and in very healthy condition. They were obviously seasoned performers who were not upset in front of crowds with cameras. They posed willingly (for food) which Jessie supplied generously. Nothing like a positive reward for good behavior.

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Great Grey Owl

Peregrine Falcon

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American Kestrel

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Our visit was a wonderful way to end our GYE adventures. Many of us left a donation to thank Jessie and support the excellent work of the Refuge.

Our farewell dinner was held at another really good Jackson restaurant called “The Local”—food was delicious and service once again was excellent. Our only complaint was that the building is incredibly loud, but it may be that boisterous farewells, thank yous, promises to keep in touch, and toasts to the marvelous 50

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the wonderful travel company, NatHab, that brought us to this wonderful place under the expert guidance of our three terrific naturalists, created most of the noise.

An unanticipated celebration was necessary because that very night we learned that a federal judge in Montana had banned the grizzly hunts in Wyoming and Idaho permanently and had put the bears back on the endangered species list. That legal action produced great joy in all three guides and we travelers were grateful as well!

PERFECT ENDING TO A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE!

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