Bears, Bison, Snow and Wind

The busiest spring ever in the Park has included lots of Bison roving the roads, daily bear sightings and  the road jams they cause, a winter snow storm on Tues. , June 13 and a severe wind storm on the Lake resulting in the drowning of a kayak tour guide.

 This year our work includes one day a week helping with traffic jams, accidents and animal management.  Terry has become an expert bison herder in the YNP Dodge Ram Dakota.

We still enjoy seeing more of the backroads of Montana on our days off.

We got a short hike in to a small thermal hillside called Artists' Paint Pots.  The colors are super there!

We've had a great visit from my friend's Senith and Barbara.  Company always helps us see more of the Park's wildness, like our first Bighorn Sheep- 6 females and one very lazy male sleeping under a tree.

I didn't get a picture of the young Grizzly we saw or the 2 Black Bear Cubs eating dandelions, since I was driving and stopped in the middle of the road for them to cross.  But we did see Mountain Goats on the flat ridges of Baronette Mountain near the many waterfalls.

A stop at Black Sand Basin a thermal area near Old Faithful was especially bold and showy!!  Check out this orange bacteria mat growing in the hot water.

We had another great visit from our Oregon friends, Carlie and Craig, as they celebrated their first anniversary.  We attended their wedding a year ago.  We had the pleasure of  sharing geyser basin rambles, the Old Faithful Inn, a wet and snowy morning and finally a relaxing campfire and supper when the weather cleared the next day.  They let us discover the joys of a 75 pound lap sit too!

We adore their Ruger, a handsome loving Spring-ador, part Springer Spaniel and part Lab.  

More snow flurries are predicted for tomorrow,  so I might not make the Ranger led hike to Mystic Falls, but the end of the week might be in the mid-60's.  Yay!