Wednesday, 2/19/20: A Day with the Mystery Group

We managed to embark before 6:30 in the dark, -10 degrees F. We followed a snowplow into the park. Our first stop was Midway pullout, which is half way along the Lamar Valley. We wanted to see if we could view the mystery pack of five from yesterday.

At first, it was just Kathy, Rick McIntyre, and us, but soon Jeremy from YNP's Wolf Project arrived and began directing the parking to fit as many as possible in the pullout. When things settled down a little, we were able to get Rick to sign his book, "The Rise of Wolf 8," for us.

The five primarily young wolves had a fairly fresh kill of a bull elk and were feeding when we arrived. We couldn't see the carcass from Midway, but we could see the wolves as they finished eating and bedded down nearby. One brought a little meaty snack with it that it shared with its packmates. Shortly after, they zigzagged up the steep slope to bed down for hours half way up Amethyst Mountain.

The gray to the right of the log snacks on some elk meat. (Click on any photo to enlarge)

Two black wolves (circled) switchback their way up the slope.

Their nap location proved to be just over a hill so we could only see one gray wolf. Around 10:30, we drove to the next pullout, Y.E.S., where we hoped to see more. We couldn't but we had a closer view and we could see the carcass, so we decided to stay there. Around 11:00, I walked about a half mile to the Buffalo Ranch, nicknamed "the barn," to see if they could see more of the wolves. There, I encountered Kathy again. She let me look through her scope and I was able to see a second wolf. However, they were farther from the wolves, so we decided we should stay put at Y.E.S.

The blue cloth on the scope is for wiping the viewfinder, which constantly ices over from our breath. The radio is clipped to my arm pocket.

John takes a nap in the warm car, which was at least 70 degrees without any heat but sunshine!

And stay put we did. We watched while as many as five coyotes fed on the carcass, and as soon as they left, a bald eagle swooped in, only to be usurped by a golden eagle. Meanwhile, the wolves rose, heading farther up the mountain one by one. They eventually came to rest on a sunny slope where they napped until around 3:30.

Four of the five rise from their long, sunny nap a mile and a half away. The ever wary bison watches from the right.

Cropped so you can see the five wolves--a black on the far left; a gray, a black, and a gray to the right; the final black above the three.

The zoomed out version of the same photo. They are circled and in the center of the image. (Again, click to zoom)

Rested and well fueled, they were playful and ran along following the older black male, who was slightly lighter gray (likely due to age) and had a pale blaze on his chest and light muzzle. One of the blacks was a male pup with a bright blaze on his chest. One of the grays I think was a female because she urinated by squatting, but low ranking males will also do that.

The green line runs next to the black wolf's path. The black wolf is at the top; the other four are at the bottom of the green line.

Nearby, an unsuspecting coyote was walking west. The wolves saw him and gave chase. John saw the scuffle and they disappeared behind a hill. The coyote did not reappear, so we assume they killed him. Wolves and coyotes are competitors, as are other wolf packs, not friends.

Four of the five on the ridge line, framed by the late sun after chasing down the coyote.

After a brief rest along a ridge line, silhouetted by the sun, the black male led the way directly down the slope. We watched as they plummeted down, eventually disappearing in the forest. We trained our scope on the carcass a mile away, hoping they would feed before it got too dark to see. At about 6:00, they surprised us by coming to the carcass from west near the cottonwood line near the Lamar River. They ran to the carcass and began tugging off pieces of meat. With the sun gone, it was now 0 degrees, and I was too cold. I watched them for a few minutes, tried running up and down the road to warm up, but finally succumbed to the cold. I sat in the running car while John scoped and took photos and video for another half hour.

The black leading wolf rushes in for an evening meal.

John scopes in 0 degree F.

In all, we spent 12 and a half hours with the mystery pack. We'll go back to Y.E.S. pullout tomorrow to watch them again.

Tuesday, 2/18/20: A Wow Kind of Day

Today was the most prolific wolf watching we've ever had with sightings of four different groups of wolves!

Our day began on time as we made our way out of Cooke City in -8 degree F weather, sandwiched by two other wolf watcher vehicles. As they pulled off at Hitching Post pullout, we continued on to West Aspen pullout since the Junction Butte pack had been seen from there the afternoon before. We heard howling and scoped for a bit until someone spotted an unknown, uncollared gray male with another black wolf coming down the slope. We watched them until they disappeared into the Slough Creek ravine.

A wolf researcher, Maddie, was also there above the pullout listening for wolves with telemetry. She heard 1228 and 1229, pups of the Junction Butte pack, but didn't see them and couldn't find their signals again. She was not sure who these two wolves were. Her theories were that they could be the two chased out of the 8-Mile pack (a gray and a black), Junction yearlings, or the unknown gray that has been sighted lately who perhaps found a mate. The gray was confident with tail up, beautiful, and large.

Kathy (#22), a wolf watcher also there, and I chatted about being yearbook advisers (she was an adviser for 31 years at Los Gatos High School in California). We must have chatted for an hour! It was fun making that connection. We were warm and comfortable in the sunshine by then, a balmy 0 degrees F. A truck slowed as he passed and the driver asked about wolf tours. He was from National Geographic. I gave him some information as to who to talk to and he moved on to parts unknown.

We moved on to Slough Creek, where we heard radio chatter that five Junctions were visible from West Lamar pullout. It was full, so we chose to go back to Slough Creek and climb the Rocky Knob. We had to get high enough to see the carcass the Junctions had above Slough Creek, so we trekked up hill with snowshoes. It was exhausting as elevation is around 6,000 feet and the snow was deep. We were rewarded with three black wolves and two grays, one of them being 1228, a female pup John likes to call ADD for obvious reasons. I was excited to see her, as John saw her in September and has followed her on the wolf  reports. We also saw three coyotes and a fox. We spoke on radio for the first time, confirming our sighting with #77's sighting and showing two ladies from Oregon their first wolves.

We also pointed our cameras south, since radio chatter told us there were adult Junctions visible on Specimen Ridge skyline. We located them but they were very far away (3.3 miles), so we decided to head east to see if we could spot them above the Lamar Valley. On our way to Dorothy's pullout in the the Lamar, we saw a fox napping in a little ball on a hill right next to the road.

At Dorothy, we had a real treat--nine of the Junctions bedded on top of the ridge ("skyline"), including 1109 and 907 (two females who had pups last spring though 907's were killed by 969, the female we saw last April who actually died from a leg injury in September). I got to see 907 pin 1109, who is always getting picked on. John also saw the same assertive behavior, as well as a male mounting a black female, likely the new, young alpha.

After several hours there, sharing our scope view with many first-time wolf viewers and seeing an acquaintance from a previous trip, Jose, we heard of five unknown wolves spotted in the Lamar Valley across from the Institute. We could actually see them from Dorothy's but decided to try for a better view farther east. We had a great view of all five, three blacks and two grays, from Trash Can pullout. Several other viewers were so helpful, directing us so we could find one or the other in our scope. Retired wolf researcher Rick McIntyre stopped to question people on the sightings, and confirmed with us the sighting of the collared wolf at Slough. We again shared our view with newcomers, including the National Geographic guy. He spent his entire day photographing a fox, with which he was quite pleased. But when I offered him a view of the wolves through the scope, he was so excited to see his first wolf. "This is my first wolf! Wow, it's beautiful," he exclaimed. It's really cool showing someone their first wolf.

All five of the unknown wolves (there are actually three on the left but the second from the left is laying just in front of the other).

Unknown black wolf in the Lamar Valley, 1 mile away

Unkown gray wolf in the Lamar Valley

A black and two grays as they cross the valley, circled in blue

Rick McIntyre, who had long since moved on, asked on radio if anyone was still on the five in the Lamar, so we radioed back that they were still visible and moving west at a pretty good pace. He said he was heading our way and thanked us for the info, and we were pleased to be of help.

Since the five unknown wolves were heading west, we decided to as well, but Old Picnic pullout was full. Since it was already 5:30 and dusk was coming on, we chose to head home for the day. Along the way, we saw a moose at the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek who was quite close to the road. The day closed out at 16 degrees F.

It was great to get home and have homemade split pea soup and fresh-baked bread. The 12-hour day gave us five different sightings!

February Visit to Yellowstone Days 5 & 6

We began Thursday alongside the road in the Lamar Valley, stopping to scope and photograph three coyote and two bald eagles. The eagles were sitting in the treetops about 100 yards from the road. They were facing away from us, most likely watching for mice in the snowy field in front of them, but every now and then they turned their heads toward us and we were able to get some shots. It was amazing to be able to see their eyes! John chatted with Jort, who showed him a video of 1118F feeding at the Hellroaring carcass at 6:30 that morning.

Three coyote trot away in the Lamar Valley. Jort thought that they migt have had a small carcass out there, like a bird, indicated by the ravens also present.

Bald eagle #1

Bald eagle #2

We stopped shortly after at a pullout where we saw Pepe, whose name turned out to be Jose! We wanted to catch him somewhere because the recording we made of him spelling out his email for us didn't work (so we could send him a link to the video of the wolves attacking the bison). 

We then went to Slough Creek to check in on the Junction Butte Pack. They were sleeping in the sun at least a mile away on the hillside. We could spot six of them and suspected the rest were below and behind them. The snow flattens out your perspective of the landscape, so even though there didn't appear to be a downslope behind them, there must have been. We waited for them to get up and move, this being day three and likely the last at the carcass, hoping they would rally together with a howl so we could record it. Just as we packed up, a couple of them howled in response to a distant cry of either coyote or wolf (too far away for us to tell). We quickly set up our microphone and managed to catch one brief howl and then they stopped. It wasn't the chorus of 11 we'd hoped for.

A hungry fox came right up to the car parked behind us. It was Kirsty's car and she was having a bagel and some soup. Her husband chased it away, much to others' dismay. It was good she did that, as we don't want the fox to be habituated.

Ellen sets up to shoot on Bob's Knob at Slough Creek.

Because they are a mile away, it's hard to see five of the Junction Butte Pack members napping. There are four blacks and one gray. One of the blacks was laying behind another, so it's even hard to see.

We finished out the day at the Hellroaring carcass where we finally saw Rick and Nancy Edwards, whom we had met when we were in Yellowstone last December. We also met their friend, Amy. We chatted about heated vests, rechargeable hand warmers, heated boots, poachers, 1118F, and how to obtain closer shots of the wolves. It was a very enjoyable conversation with varied topics. Rick and Nancy are professional photographers and have a business out of Livingston, MT. Rick explained that he gets very few of his shots from the side of the road. When he sees people gathered at a pullout, he looks for how their scopes are pointed; if they are up, that means the animal is too far away to be photographed and he moves on. If they are pointed down, then he stops. Most of his photographs come from hiking out into the terrain, which results in an encounter 20 to 25% of the time. We also asked them whether April was a good time to visit, as we were considering returning in six weeks for Ellen's spring break. They said May was better because you can see the pups, but if April is when we can come, then we should come! Nancy wished us well, and they shared their website and Facebook site with us.

Incidentally, 1118F was there at Hellroaring laying at quite a distance. Rick McIntyre and his assistant (?), Jeremy, were also there checking in on her. They moved on, which we later discovered, to a pullout across from Junction Pass. We stopped because we were planning to go to Slough Creek to check in on the Junctions again, but thought they might be on the move. Sure enough, they had the Junctions at a great distance up near the pass in their scopes, and the pack was making its way westward. Ellen listened quietly to Rick and Jeremy for a while, and John photographed some aspen trees in the low light of early evening.

Evening light on Aspen with Junction Pass in the background

Ellen listens as Rick McIntyre and Jeremy spot the Junction Butte Pack in their scopes as they move west near Junction Pass.

We stopped to take a few shots of the Lamar Valley at sunset on the drive back to Cooke City. The light had left the valley and the mountains in the distance were lit up pink. We were home again after 8:00 for a late dinner.

Ellen is bundled up in the Lamar Valley around 6:00 pm.

Looking north in the Lamar Valley

Sunset in the Lamar Valley

Our fifth and final day of wolf watching began with an early rise of 4:30. We quickly packed up the car, showered, and ate, but didn't manage to get out the door until 5:50, 20 minutes later than we planned. Our destination was the Hellroaring carcass, hoping to catch 1118F having her morning meal. The morning's low was a shocking -22 degrees F.

It was an eerily beautiful drive through the Lamar Valley as the light began to grow in the east. The sky was a bright aqua, which was reflected on the snow. Crests of hills and snow on the rocks were lit up aqua, almost as if from a light beneath the snow. It was really unique, and we've never seen anything quite like it.

The scene at Hellroaring Friday morning around 6:50 am.

It's worth noting that the fur collar on Ellen's scarf is dark brown, not white. Her hat, scarf, and balaclava are covered in frost. The temperature was -22 degrees Farenheit.

John's breath froze on the scope!

We arrived at Hellroaring about 20 minutes after 1118F was done feeding, but we did manage to capture a fairly close shot of her as she walked away. Ellen talked briefly to Jeremy, who let her look at 1118F through his scope; she was laying flat out on the ground and very hard to see. She got up and then disappeared into a swale so we considered heading home (to Duvall). Ellen decided to walk up the hill on the road a bit to see if she could find her. About a quarter mile away from the road, she spotted an animal standing on a hill, and as the creature turned a circle to lie down in the snow, she saw that it was indeed 1118F indicated by her injured right front leg. She set up her camera and John joined her with the scope. With the scope, we were able to confirm that it was her because we could see her tracking collar. She was in the shade, but we knew the sun would soon reach her.

1118F finshes a meal at the carcass at Hellroaring.

1118F walks away from the carcasss after feeding.

We watched as she sunned herself for three hours. She rolled onto her back and stuck her feet in the air, and laid that way for some time. Occasionally, she put her head up and looked to the left, and then toward us. The light lit up her golden eyes and Ellen took many, many photos. She was too far away, but she was so beautiful, it was hard not to.

1118F looks content as she warms herself in the morning sun. It was -22 degrees Farenheit that morning before dawn.

Jort, Rick M. and Jeremy headed east on the road with binoculars, looking for the Junction Buttes. When they returned, Ellen asked Jort if they had found them, considering going to them if so. They had not. Rick took a quick look through our scope to confirm that it was 1118F, and in his matter-of-fact way, turned in seconds, saying, "Yep, it's her," and walked away. They all left, and Ellen made sure to say goodbye to Jort and thank him for his help once again. He took a moment to walk up the road to John to say goodbye to him as well, which was nice.

A nice unknown person, Amy, Jort and Jeremy spot 1118F in their scopes. They watched her feed on the carcass at about 6:30 am.

John approached and questioned a man who turned out to be Bob Landis, whose work we both admire. He was videoing the activity of coyote and ravens on the carcass. Any footage you have seen of the Yellowstone wolves on National Geographic was likely his. John drew him out in conversation, and was really inspired by meeting such an accomplished wildlife cinematographer. Ellen made sure to meet him as well on the return to the car. Back in the car, we started it up and checked the temperature; it was nearly 10:00 AM, and it was still -3 degrees F. It was our coldest but best day of the trip.

Bob Landis, a well-known cinematographer, takes footage of the coyote feeding at the bison carcass. John was really inspired to meet him.

In our three hours watching her, which we both agreed was our favorite part of the trip, we shared the experience with many others. As other tourists came through, we offered them as many looks through the scope as they would like and told them 1118F's story. Many people were seeing a wolf for the first time, and some were moved to tears. Ellen helped a retired couple from Sandy, UT, find her in their scope, and she talked to another couple about where they might see the Junction Buttes. It was really rewarding to finally be knowledgeable enough to help others just as we were once helped by Jort, Rick and Nancy, and Jeremy. We left 1118F to her own world, in total relaxation likely for the rest of the day.

We spent the next several hours talking about the success of our trip as we drove to Livingston, then Bozeman, Missoula, and finally Coeur D'Alene for the night. Ellen made plans for researching binoculars for quick sighting, and John vowed to make the scope work for photography--all for our next trip to Yellowstone this April!

February Visit to Yellowstone Day 4

Since it snowed Tuesday afternoon and last night, we left around 9:00 am for the park on Wednesday to give the plows time to clear the roads. Visibility was poor, so we opted not to stop at Slough Creek and instead went to Tower Junction to cross country ski to Tower Fall. On the way there, we saw a fox inside a bison carcass in the Lamar Valley. Every now and then, it would poke its head out to chase away the magpies.

The fox looks up the hill to the right. There must have been something above it, because it did this frequently while I was there.

The magpies wanted a tidbit from the carcass, too. It was my luck, because just as I got there, others left because the fox was pretty much inside the ribcage of the carcass and only its back was visible. The magpies arrived, and they drew the fox out for photographs.

The fox glares at the magpies.

The ski to Tower Fall was good exercise and rather scenic. We climbed for just over a mile and a half, and then descended another mile to the fall. After a short break, we headed back, not wanting to get chilled in the 8 degree F weather. On the ski, we saw a coyote in the road ahead of us, and also two elk cows on a hill near the waterfall viewpoint.

Ellen removes a layer before heading back up the hill on the return ski.

The waterfall at Tower was frozen. Amazing!

John takes a quick break from skiing at Tower Fall.

We then drove to the Hellroaring Overlook and drank our hot chocolate. Then, John used the scope to spot two coyote and Ellen found an elk cow. While there, a young couple from Germany stopped to view through the scope with us and we gave them some ideas about where they should go next. We recommended the bison carcass at Lower Hellroaring, as well as the ski and snowshoe trips we'd done, and finally Slough Creek. A young family also stopped to look.

John uses the spotting scope and finds a coyote to the northeast about two miles away.

John looks out over Hellroaring with the north-northwest view behind him.

We encountered the couple and family again at Slough Creek next, where we also talked to the renowned Rick McIntyre. Rick worked as an instrumental wolf researcher for the park since their first release in 1995 and only just retired. He was there recording research notes as he watched the Junction Butte Pack interact. He knew them all by number and was recording their actions in great detail. He was helpful, and made sure I and Pepe, the photographer next to me, had the wolves in our view. Shortly, a tour bus arrived as well as the couple and the family. John was gracious and allowed anyone who wanted to look through the scope. Everyone really enjoyed the late afternoon there.

Three black wolves hang out around the carcass of the bison they killed yesterday at Slough Creek. I believe the rightmost wolf is the alpha male.The wolves are about a mile away.

The female gray (who I think is the alpha female) shows dominance by standing over one of the black pups.

Two gray females and a black male head toward the carcass to feed again.

February is mating season, the female's readiness indicated by her averted tail.

Two black pups play at dusk while another black adult rests in the foreground.

Our goal was to record the wolves howling with the microphone we bought for the trip. We stayed out after sunset, about 6:45, before giving up on that hope. Another man stayed almost as long, and Pepe left just before we did. Maybe tomorrow.

In talking to Pepe and the other man, we learned that 1118F was spotted at the carcass at Hellroaring today. We were happy to hear that!

The day ended with a hike in the dark back to the parking lot, and then a 45-minute drive back to Cooke City where black bean and winter squash chili awaited us in the crockpot.