We were out of our room by dawn in order to get to Hayden Valley for one more opportunity for animal spotting. It was another chilly morning with the popular location (1.5 miles north of Trout Creek) already full of spotting scopes and binoculars when we arrived. Only a few minutes passed before someone spotted a wolf coming out of the tree line in the distance. Over a mile away, we strained our eyes through our binoculars and cameras trying to catch a glimpse of the wolf (click the picture to enlarge and look for the small dark spot on right half staring at the bison on the left half...just trust us, it's a wolf).
Typically one or two of the individuals with scopes at this location are volunteers who track the pack, documenting when they are spotted, how many were out, and if they are known to have made a kill. They were friendly and willing to share information as well as occasional peeks through the scope. It was amazing how powerful their scopes were, getting close enough to see the wolves wagging their tails, digging, and just having fun playing amongst themselves. We would definitely consider renting or buying a scope for future trips and would recommend the same to others who are interested in observing animals in the valley.
There was growing excitement when several other members of this pack also came out from the shadows. At one point, there were six adults (or juveniles) pacing, playing, and laying near the tree line. Unfortunately for us, we never saw the pups, though we heard they had been seen for a short period of time. Reaching the limit of our camera and lens zoom capabilities, we were able to catch a few of the larger wolves (above and to the left of the buffalo below). After playing for nearly an hour the wolves disappeared back into the trees.
With the wolves out of sight, we hopped back into the car but didn't get very far. It wasn't our first buffalo jam, but it was one that we got a photo of because this large male stood in the middle of the road staring down trucks and vans for a good five minutes before finally crossing to the other side.
There were several other males nearby who were also contemplating whether to stop traffic for a few minutes. Seeing them this close provided an appreciation for just how large 2000 pounds of muscle and horns really is.
With the road now clear we continued our drive to Dunraven Pass for the start of our hike up Mt. Washburn. There are two different up and back trails to the top of Mt. Washburn with the Dunraven Pass trail being an old (and wide) fire road with grand expansive views to the south. It's also well known for big horn sheep near the summit, as well as for heavy grizzly activity towards the end of summer when they forage for pine nuts.
The hike is a near constant but low grade incline for the 3+ miles to the fire tower that sits atop Mt. Washburn. Once the switchbacks begin, there are frequent views over Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and the Tetons far in the distance. If you are lucky, you may even spot this marmot basking on a boulder perched near the edge of a drop off along the trail. This little guy was a character who seemed to enjoy the attention as we framed several shots of him and the valley.
It wasn't much further until we caught our first glimpse of the fire tower - it's always nice when your goal/destination is in sight. As we continued our climb closer we spotted the first of several big horn sheep feeding on the grassy hillside below us. It wasn't long before they started to cross the trail directly ahead of us and descend down the other side of the ridge.
We cautiously approached the edge of the trail where the sheep had passed and peered over. Below us were ten more big horn sheep hidden among the rocks. It wasn't until one stood up and walked a few feet that we realized a lamb was in this group. It quickly stood and hugged its mother's shadow while we watched from above. Ashley especially enjoyed watching the lamb hop along the rocks as it chased its mother down the slope.
After the sheep and lamb disappeared from view, we continued along the trail to the not too distant fire tower. Once we reached the top of the trail, we climbed to the second story of the fire tower and were soon staring out at the below view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (left side), Yellowstone Lake (center top), and Hayden Valley off to the right. The portion of the trail where we spotted the Big Horn sheep is also visible in the center.
The fire tower is manned 24 X 7 during the summer by a lone ranger who sleeps, eats, and keeps watch over the surrounding forests. It must be a lonely but beautiful way to spend a summer.
Opposite the fire tower is a sign indicating the elevation at the top. More importantly, there were north facing views to new ridges and valleys, including Lamar, that we hadn't yet explored. Several logs (benches) on this side provided an excellent spot for a picnic and we joined a few other couples who were already enjoying lunch with a view.
It was a much easier and faster hike down, which was good because we were racing incoming rain clouds the whole way. We made it to our car just in time to avoid a quick, but cold shower. After a short drive from Dunraven Pass, we arrived at our new home, Roosevelt Lodge Cabins. From reading reviews, we were aware that this would be a rustic experience with minimal amenities in the room and public campground-esque showers. With that said, it was a comfortable but quaint cabin with an excellent location just minutes from Lamar Valley. Just don't be fooled into thinking it's "glamping."
After check-in, we headed straight to Lamar Valley. We didn't have much time due to evening plans, so we were mainly looking to get a feel for the place and hoping to see some wildlife. It wasn't long before we reached a pulloff to turn around. As we pulled in we noticed a number of bison and calves were laying in the sage brush. We had unknowingly pulled into a bison nursery.
This of course meant we stayed a few minutes as we watched the calves eat and play near the herd.
Though cute, we couldn't stay long because we had booked a Cowboy Cookout for the evening. It was a thirty minute ride in covered wagons through a secluded valley before reaching the cowboy campsite. Rain clouds were rolling in, but we darted from the wagons to the covered dining area before the rain started falling. As our hosts prepared the meal, the lead cowboy entertained us with cowboy poetry and campfire songs. He even encouraged us to sing along (not that Ashley requires encouragement) to the Rawhide theme song - you know you know it: "Rollin, rollin, rollin, keep them doggies rollin...move 'em up, head 'em out, Rawhide!" It's stuck in your head now isn't it? Welcome to our evening.
Soon, the dinner bell rang (literally) and we headed to the all-you-can-eat steak buffet while still humming Rawhide to ourselves. After dinner (and seconds), we walked over to the campfire for some "cowboy coffee," which had been brewing for hours. It was so thick we could practically still filter it through our teeth, but it warmed us up as the rain continued to fall.
As dusk fell, we reboarded the horse-drawn wagons and headed back towards Roosevelt Lodge in a caravan. Despite the uncooperative weather, we really enjoyed the Cowboy Cookout experience and imagine it'd be thrilling for children.
Although we already had a jam-packed day, we weren't quite done. We had scheduled a full day photography excursion for the next day with a local pro, Cindy Goeddel. She had requested to meet wutg us to talk about our knowledge and experience as well as our objectives for tomorrow. This would save time when we did meet up the morning of, allowing more time in the field photographing wildlife.
It just so happened that on our way to Mammoth to meet with Cindy, two cinnamon black bears ran across the road and then foraged in the brush. This was a good sign for things to come tomorrow..
We got back to our room fairly late and had an early morning promised by Cindy. We did not notice any lack of amenities and quickly fell asleep.
Cindy met us at the Lodge at 5:30 the next morning to begin our photography adventure. Since Ashley mentioned a desire to photograph otters, Cindy took us to the trail to Trout Lake, which is a well known otter hangout. The trail was rather steep but we felt silly slowing down as Cindy plowed ahead while carrying her 500 mm lens and tripod. We'll just blame it on our sea-level lungs...
Prior to the hike, Cindy warned us that wildlife photography was about patience. So we were prepare to wait for the otters to appear. However, almost immediately upon reaching the lake, we heard a splash and turned around to see an otter sitting on a log staring at us. "This was way easier than Cindy implied..." we thought to ourselves...we spoke too soon. Before we could even take off a lens cap, the otter disappeared beneath the surface. Since we missed that opportunity, Cindy took us to the shallow creek that housed spawning cutthroat trout. The trout serve as a summertime buffet for the otters so we hoped they would go fishing while we were in prime position.
Cindy again preached patience so we waited another
Now mid-morning, we crossed through Lamar Valley in hopes of spotting bears, antelope, or other wildlife. The valley is renowned for the large concentration of buffalo herds. We pulled off near a small herd standing near a creek. Cindy suggested they may cross the river, which could provide for some cool shots. However, they just stared at the water instead of crossing it. Luck didn't seem to be on our side.
When asked what animals we still hadn't seen on our trip, badgers seemed to be the largest remaining mammal (besides mountain lions). Cindy had shown us some sample photos of the creatures who did not appear to be even the least bit camera shy, so we set off on a badger hunt. They remained elusive despite several known dens so we did not get to check them off our list. However, during our quest, we did spy an antelope couple who stuck close to each others side as we approached - how romantical.
By now, most animals were likely avoiding the midday sun so we stopped for a picnic lunch. After lunch, we drove towards Blacktail Plateau Drive. While at a stop sign, Ashley caught this Flicker peering out of a signpost.
Blacktail Plateau Drive is a one-way, gravel road between Mammoth and Tower-Roosevelt. Not long into our drive up the gravel path, we noticed a few cars pulling over. It seems our wildlife luck finally turned around today. Two cinnamon black bears frolicked in a small wildflower meadow less than 100 feet from the road. Staying near the car, we grabbed our tripods and quickly started snapping away.
As we watched (and snapped), the bears dug up roots, scratched their bellies and backs, and rolled in the grass. The belly scratches really drew a laugh from the crowd.
The scratching and eating must have been exhausting because they also took brief rests in the shade of nearby trees.
The cinnamon bears provided a great example of the wide color variety of "black" bears - they're not all black so don't rely on the color to differentiate between a grizzly and black bear.
A park ranger arrived to supervise as the crowd grew. The bears gradually moved away and ran off into the woods. They ran surprisingly fast for such large creatures - they'd definitely beat us in a foot race, but hope to never find out for sure. It was thrilling to have such a lengthy and safe experience observing these two cinnamon black bears; it was certainly the highlight of our day.
Next, we drove towards the Petrified Tree. The parking lot was jam packed and rangers had shut down a portion of the driveway. Cindy assured us there must be wildlife because the petrified tree wasn't really all that interesting. Sure enough, other visitors let us know another pair of black bears were just up the trail.
As Nate and Cindy set up tripods and waited for the bears to reemerge from the trees, we heard a commotion and shouting further up the trail. Of course, Ashley went to investigate. A small light brown-colored bear was off in the distance - people insisted it was a baby grizzly. Ashley suspected it might be a black bear and felt pretty confident in her guess after the bear quickly climbed up a pine tree at least 200 yards away from the crowd. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting hiker strolled down a path between the treed bear and the onlooking crowd. With the bear in the tree and well over a hundred yards from the hiker, it was extremely unlikely the hiker was in any sort of danger. Yet, someone in the crowd began shouting "GRIZZLY!" and pointing towards the hiker. Scared witless, the hiker immediately removed the safety from his bear spray and began turning in circles looking for the predator and likely expecting to be mauled in front of a crowd of strangers. It was quite the site to behold and this story probably fails to do it justice. Still chuckling to herself, Ashley walked back down the trail and relayed the story of the
With our bear count now at eight (crazy!) for the day, we took one more pass through Lamar Valley (slightly greedy). One last badger hunt turned up empty, which left a little bit of time for some landscape photography before calling it a day.
For us, Lamar Valley lived up to its reputation as a cradle of Yellowstone's famous wildlife. It's worth "roughing it" at Roosevelt Lodge in order to be so close to the Valley - we easily accessed Lamar at the prime wildlife spotting times of dawn and dusk from Roosevelt.
Spending the day with Cindy provided us with local advice as to animal behavior and locations. Additionally, as a professional photographer, she gave valuable insight into the technical aspects of wildlife photography. Overall, the day gave us a greater appreciation for the patience and time that photographers spend in the field to get that one perfect shot we often see in nature magazines, Frontier airplanes, and other commercial ventures.
One Last Peek at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Rising early (i.e. before the restaurant opened), we grabbed some snack bars and hopped in the car to begin the long trip to our next destination - Glacier National Park. But before heading to Glacier National Park, we had to exchange our rental car back at the Jackson Airport (frugal traveling to reduce one way mileage charges). The main benefit of driving several hours in the "wrong" direction was that we got to drive through both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks one more time.
We found ourselves passing through Hayden Valley in the early morning light one last time. Trying to put the previous day's wildlife photography lesson to use, we hoped to capture some "catch light" in the bison's eyes. Fortunately, the buffalo cooperated and stood alongside the road during our drive.
Even the larger herds seemed to come say goodbye.
What is Yellowstone without one last buffalo jam? At least they walk on the right side of the road.
Since the airport is located in Grand Teton National Park, we took advantage of the clear, blue skies (finally!) to capture the still water reflecting the peaks at Oxbow Bend.
After swapping cars, we grabbed a quick breakfast to-go in Jackson since we had a long eight hour drive through Idaho and Montana ahead of us.
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