After driving all day from Glacier National Park, I finally reach the Gardiner gate at Yellowstone and head into the park. My goal is to get to the Lamar Valley before dark. Lamar Valley is the place in Yellowstone where animals are known to roam. I’m talking wolves, coyotes and grizzly bears. It is my first time to Lamar and I do not know what to expect. The drive is beautiful as I pass the white travertine formations of Mammoth Hot Springs, rolling golden hills and vast expanses of wilderness. I pass the Lamar Valley sign and drive down a semi quiet two lane road. Ahead about half a mile, I can see many cars and motor homes parked around the road. As I drive closer I see there are dozens of people with binoculars and huge telephoto lenses out of their vehicles and pointing off into the distance. I pull over to check it out, excited and curious.
People are down the hill a bit so I make my trek down quickly and quietly walking amongst the photographers and animal lovers as they were staring out into the vast wilderness, some huddling together and talking. I did not have any binoculars so I simply scanned the distant terrain looking for whatever they were seeing, trying to fit in. Then all of a sudden I see movement and strain my eyes. Wolves!! Many wolves trotting this way. Is this what everyone is looking at? I walk over to the nearest person and asked “What are you looking at?” “The grizzly” he said. I was surprised and had not seen a giant bear and say “Oh, where? I was looking at the wolves” “Where are the wolves?” he said and grabbed his binoculars. Ha!
Ok I see how this works. Everyone may be looking at something different or nothing at all. Eventually I find out what the narrative is and here’s the tea: wolves had hunted and taken down a small pronghorn (an elegant looking antelope with a black nose and white cheeks) and a grizzly shows up and took it from the overmatched wolves, the wolves then left to get reinforcements and when I pulled up the pack of wolves were on the way back to claim their prey. The best soap opera ever. This is the excitement of the wild kingdom. Not for the faint of heart as I was able to see the bear in a ravine with the coveted meal nearby. The bear was apparently in no mood for a confrontation and wandered down the ravine leaving behind dinner for the wolf pack. Animal stories like this must play out hundreds of times a day and it was more exciting, interesting and entertaining as watching a documentary. What a privilege to witness this in person. This is what I came here for and as the sun started going down, I realized I had to find someplace to sleep and had to leave this story for another day.
Driving down the road at dusk is peaceful and I pulled into a busy camp ground – there was one parking spot by the primitive camp area so i pulled in and went to sleep completely relaxed and happy. In the morning I woke up early to begin my drive, with the morning sun rising above the mountains I saw something i have never seen – a horizontal strip of candy color blocks in the sky – a strange rainbow that was so mesmerizing i had to pull over. Turns out this phenomenon is a circumhorizontal arc—a rare optical phenomenon created when sunlight refracts through ice crystals in high cirrus clouds. A surreal sign for the morning ahead.
the Untamed Valley: searching for the wild side of yellowstone
I am all about the wildlife. Where else do you have the chance to spot moose, elk, deer, big horn sheep, mountain goats, eagles, brown and black bears, bison, wolf, coyote, fox, pronghorn etc. in their natural habitat. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest concentration of free-roaming wildlife in the contiguous United States and has over 1,000 grizzly bears and 5,000 bison! Although many (maybe most) visitors to the park are more into the gorgeous landscapes, flowing rivers, thermal activity and geysers there are also many wildlife lovers and photographers. I am definitely in that category and will travel for wildlife adventures including diving and exploring the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, searching for Gorillas in Uganda, and visiting Elephant Nature Park in Indonesia (Stories and photos coming soon). I grew up watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and National Geographic shows on TV. There are no guarantees that you will spot wildlife but that is part of the journey – scouting, looking, observing, adventuring!
While I was looking at the wolf pack and the grizzly thief someone told me about a bear kill at another part of the park. An estimated 600-700 pound grizzly bear had stalked and taken down a large 400 pound bull Elk in the water and had been sitting on the catch for a week stuffing himself and getting ready for winter. This sad but incredible natural event was captured by dozens of photographers (check out youtube). That gave me another chance to see a grizzly, so the next morning I drove over there. There were so many cars and people but when I got to the scene I was told that the bear had finally given up on the elk that morning and left. Then a photographer I was speaking to told me about a fantastic female grizzly named 399 that I should try to see. At that time, she was busy raising four cubs and is known for being a successful bear mom by keeping her cubs safe and fed. She had figured out that to survive and avoid the boar grizzlies she hangs out around the tourist spots and roads towards Grand Teton. I wish. I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled but know that the odds of a sighting are a long shot. Want to know what happened? Click below for my Top 10 Adventures…As I left the area to head back to my car I took a walk along the river just enjoying the beauty of that spot. Then I see across the water two bison. As I watched them wade into the water the most unexpected thing happened. Can you guess?
the biggest of them all: bison
When you pull up to a herd pay attention. I saw this big guy and a female in the road together and watched them as they walked into to the field where her calf was waiting. The male was following her around, she did not seem to mind. Then close to me there was another male who did not like what he was seeing so he walked all the way over to tell that male to get out of dodge. In fact as soon as Romeo noticed the other male heading his way he slowly and nonchalantly turned and tip toed across the street. This photo is the male yearning to be back with the group but not yet daring to confront the leader of the pack.
The Lamar and Hayden valleys are literally where the buffalo roam. The buffalo or American Bison are large and in charge and meander across the roads, in the middle of the roads, around the roads. There is a low rumbling growl and sounds of heavy breathing that you can hear when these huge animals wander next to your open window. Bison are very active, they graze yes but the chase, they play, they butt horns, they dominate others. They are fascinating. More animal stories will play out before your eyes, you just have to pay attention.
Check out this guide from the National Park Website on bison. In a nutshell bison have lived in Yellowstone since prehistoric times. They are large weighing up to 2000 lbs. They can run up to 35 mph and jump 5 feet in the air. The are strong swimmers (see my video here) and have excellent hearing, vision, and sense of smell. This is why you do not want to get out of your car and take pictures. Just recently a man was chased down and thrown 5 feet in the air. You will not win that race, duh.
Fun Fact: Bison babes are called red dogs due to their bright rust colored fur. You may be able to spot a few in my videos. Adorable!!
The Living Earth: Mind-Blowing Natural Wonders of yellowstone
Did you know that in 1872 Yellowstone was established to protect geothermal areas that contain half the worlds active geysers? Many visitors to the park are more into the gorgeous landscapes, flowing rivers, thermal activity and geysers then the wildlife. In Yellowstone, one can hike, camp, cycle, fish, horseback ride and explore.
I finally arrived at the Northern entrance to Yellowstone and drove through Gardiner gate. This entrance is near Livingston, Montana and the only entrance to Yellowstone open year round. Yellowstone has 5 gates, 3 in Montana and 2 in Wyoming.
Having visited Yellowstone before, I’d already checked off the classic tourist rites of passage—gazing at Old Faithful and driving the main loops. This time, I was skipping the standard tourist stops and heading straight for where the real drama unfolds: Lamar Valley. When I say real drama I am talking about animal stories!
As a solo road tripper It is advantageous to both stay alert checking out the scene, absorbing the surroundings and to be flexible. So as I entered Lamar Valley there were a dozen or more people staring out into the wide open wilderness, cameras and binoculars in hand, as they do. So being ready for anything I pull over. Turns out, I had walked right into a nature documentary unfolding in real time. Be curious. Do not let these moments pass you by. Click below to read my Wait, What? post on these unforgettable animal stories both in Yellowstone and in my next stop Grand Teton National Park.
So far so good. I have seen bears (both black and brown), bison, a large snake, antelope, elk and deer, a few marmots, and squirrels and birds including eagles and hawks. What is amazing is that I am alone but surrounded by nature. I never feel alone in these situations. Sometimes I wish my adult kids could be with me to witness mother nature in all her glory. Busy as they are, I have great stories to relay.
It is helpful to be flexible and talk to people if you can. There is a lot to learn and see. I have been lucky but also create opportunities for myself. My curiosity on this trip brought me 399 and her 4 cubs, the infamous bear kill, a hidden hot springs and the soap opera with the wolves and grizzly bear, one amazing off-grid hike in the Grand Tetons and a new friend. These are some of the joys of solo travel.
My road trip through Montana has been a discovery of small western towns, learning a bit of history of native people, visiting friends and exploring one of the most impressive national parks I have seen in the United States: Glacier National Park. Now I wind my way back down through Montana to head into Yellowstone National Park.
Next stop: Grand Teton National Park
