A Close(r) Sighting of 907F, the Most Famous Wolf in the World (at This Time)

July 3, 2024: Morning

We left at the usual hour and got up to Slough at 5:39am. It was chilly in the 30s and cloudy but dry at least.

I dropped John at the middle lot with Debbie and headed up to Dave's Hill. At 6:00am, there wasn't much going on until 7:00 when suddenly Jason, who was down with John, spotted 907F coming in from the Secret Passage. She was quite close and John got some nice footage of her, having to quickly turn his camera and find her. 

From my vantage, she was nowhere near as close, but I got to see her cross the river. Those down below cannot see the river. She waded about half way across and then moved into the current. It eventually swept her downriver, but she timed it perfectly so that she reached the other bank in a wide spot where she could hug the bank as it jutted back into a calm area. She climbed out, shook herself, and then began her slow ascent. 

We both had memorable sightings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH_egbmuqOY

She made her way up the hill to the den area where she eventually regurgitated for the pups. I could see them licking her face multiple times. I continually narrated the wolves' whereabouts to John via walkie talkie and John continually relayed that he was letting others use the scope for first-time wolf sightings. The Indian family who was there late yesterday morning came back this morning at 6:00. Thankfully, they got to see the pack this time. John and Debbie made memories for many young families.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXZ9xfoyBTg

After the feeding, she bedded down behind the hill in the trees, and the pups disappeared, too. We did not see them again.

We headed back to Gardiner at 10:00am.

Evening

After a couple hours of much needed sleep, we had appetizers, and then I made mushroom tacos to take to Floating Island Lake. Unfortunately, there was a grizzly jam there so we decided to move on to the Lamar Valley. We ate there and scoped the valley, seeing plenty of bison and pronghorn. The radio chatter was quiet, so we went to Slough. There, the light was terrible and it was extremely windy. I gave up because my eyes were watering and my scope shaking. John eventually did, too, and we headed home at 8:30.