Yellowstone, Day 4: The Whole Wolf Pack
Animal Tallies
| Animal | Today | Trip total |
|---|---|---|
| Wolves | 9 | 14 |
| Bears | 15 | 16 |
| Coyotes | 3 | 3 |
| Moose | 0 | 0 |
A 3:30 AM wake-up paid off. By 5:15 we were watching a grizzly mom with two cubs. We explored the northern range and Lamar Valley, with pronghorn, elk, and bison along the way: males, herds of moms, and orange babies.
Then we saw the entire Junction Butte wolf pack. Nine wolves! Black and gray, adults, a yearling, and two pups. Two chased elk. Another picked a fight with a bison, then backed down.
One wolf was chasing her own tail.
“She caught it!” I said.
“Ground squirrel?” asked our guide.
“Her tail!” said Ksenia.
The bears kept coming: a mom with three playful cubs, then another grizzly family with three cubs wrestling. We also saw a six-month-old grizzly that had been separated from its mother for about a week. A black bear mom and two year-old cubs created a “bear jam.”
We also saw four coyote pups. A grouse attacked a car and caused a traffic jam: grouse rage. A mountain goat was a little white spot even through the scope. We watched bison cross a river; one really struggled.
Pronghorn earned the nickname “speedy goats.” And rocks earned another useful name, courtesy of a fellow wolf enthusiast: “false bear.”
Lunch was food trucks: brisket and cheesy corn from Follow Yer’ Nose BBQ for me, a turkey and salami sandwich from Local Advice for Ksenia. Blue Goose Saloon let us bring food inside while buying drinks: $5 gin and tonics and $2.50 beers.
We walked around gift shops, then crashed at the hotel. Between the heat and that alarm, we were done.
Dinner at Wonderland Cafe was our best restaurant meal so far. I was still full, so I ordered the chili. Really good; I couldn’t finish it. Ksenia liked her Montana Burger with elk.
Part of our June 2024 Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip. Trip summary.
From the Notebook
