North and then West

I've been in Seattle a little over a week now.

It's currently an overcast day in the mid 50s, slightly breezy, and I love it.

I left Estes Park with bittersweet thoughts on my mind.  I was excited to meet up with my brother and start this next season in a new city, but it's always a little saddening to leave such a beautiful place you've called home and the dear friends you've made there.  Having a great selection of tunes for the road trip really helps.

From Estes I headed north then west, spending time in Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.  I saw deer beyond count, bison, bighorns, pronghorns, mountain goats, grizzly bears, coyotes, and even wolves.

Experiencing the wolves in the wild was the highlight of my entire trip.

On my last morning in Yellowstone, I woke up early and headed for the Lamar Valley, an area in Northern Yellowstone that supposedly had a lot of wolf and grizzly activity.  I parked my car in a pullout next to a river overlooking the valley and waited in the early morning darkness.

I waited.

And waited.

Listening.  Scanning the horizon.  Straining my eyes and ears for any signs of wolves.

Nothing.

Then I heard a loud grunt from behind my car.

I turn around and see an entire bison herd slowly approaching me.  As the sun continues to rise I see more and more of them on either side of my car, surrounding me as they graze in the frigid morning.  The frost sparkles on their woolly coats and their breath crystallizes as they grunt just beyond reach of my vehicle.

I sit in wonder from the inside of my vehicle.  Windows down.  Frigid cold.  The sun finally peeks over the mountain ridge and spills its light into the Lamar Valley.

No wolves, but I am content with this bison herd.  Pretty amazing stuff.

I start my engine and head back the way I came.

A few minutes into my drive I see a wildlife jam of some kind up ahead, but instead of animals on the roadside, I see people with telescopes and binoculars aimed at the distant hills.  YES.

I pull over and saunter over to the crowd.

"What are you guys lookin' at?"

"There are two grizzlies feeding on a carcass with a wolf pack nearby."

WHAT?!  And almost on cue, a chorus of wolves echoes towards us from the distance.

Several of the wolf spotters graciously let me peer through their spotting scopes and binoculars.  I was able to see one wolf and the two grizzlies feeding on the carcass.  I gotta say, it was one of the neatest things I've witnessed in a National Park.  After about an hour of hanging around and listening... I continued on.

I'm thankful for safe travels and the wonder of creation I was able to experience on this trip.