June 27, 2024: Morning
https://youtu.be/2F6JB-qWqsw?si=6DrAIebaxEb9O3Hn
https://youtu.be/2F6JB-qWqsw?si=6DrAIebaxEb9O3Hn
We slept hard Wednesday night, despite the loudest thunderstorm either one of us has ever experienced. Rain accompanied the storm, so we woke to wet pavement and cloudy skies with half a moon in the darkness.
With another early departure from Gardiner, we tried a different parking lot at Slough, the last before the campground. The view was closer but also lower, so we could not see the base of the right-most tree where we saw most of the action yesterday. It was cold and windy, so we took turns scoping and sitting in the car from 5:00 to 7:00 with no wolves sighted. Finally, at 7:00, John saw the alpha male head up the sage hill at the right-most tree where he moved up the hill to the right.
At 7:30 the pups came out for a wonderful showing, with both climbing onto a rock and looking down toward Slough Creek. They played together in the sage briefly and then headed out of sight at the right-most tree.
We heard on radio that 907F and 1479F were spotted in the Lamar, and since it was a rather talkative group more focused on the coyote pack nearby, we left.
At 9:15, we found 1479F bedded north of the river in the Lamar Valley from Coyote pullout. I left to go to the bathroom, the sacrifice, when John saw 907F feeding on a fresh carcass and then heading up Jasper Bench. It was as close a sighting as he's ever had. Upon my return, we then spotted her briefly heading along the bench and she dipped down the back side. We moved to Fisherman and hoped to see her cross the river nearby but did not.
On the way out, we encountered the annoying slow traffic, stopped in the road for a black bear walking in our lane, and then a pair of coyotes crossing. There was also a big scene just west of Slough at the bridge over the river, as well as park rangers with sirens and an ambulance headed east. Perhaps the wolf report will illuminate the stories.
Evening
We once again made our way to Slough and chose the first parking lot down hill. After a little over an hour, I spotted the black pup and then John found the alpha male. The sightings were brief and difficult to make out due to the glare and the angle of the sun. Still, it delighted other first-time wolf viewers.
With the view being so pour, we headed for the Lamar Valley with the help of wolf watcher 168. We went to Coyote pull out. Others who followed us there saw 1479F almost immediately—with binoculars. With their persistent help and the help of 168, we finally found her and got some great video.
168 (Kriztina) said she had 907F from Fisherman, so we headed there. Alas, some people decided to hike down to the river and scared her away. We did not see her or 1479F the rest of the night, though we did hear howling from the Secret Passage. 168 reported a great viewing of 1479 from the Institute, but it was already after 9:00 and getting dark, so we called it.
On the way home, we got stuck in a brief bison jam and got some lovely footage with John's phone.
Day 2 was another success!
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