Pronghorn Fawn: Cuteness Rating 10

Biology has no “cuteness” rating, but even with my science education I keep reverting to using the term to describe the assortment of wildlife babies I’m encountering in Yellowstone.

To my utter delight, today I witnessed a pronghorn and her fawn dashing across a meadow near Blacktail Deer Plateau—and cute really is the only word that does the fawn justice.

As you may recall from a prior entry, I reported that pronghorns are North America’s fastest land mammal, clocking in speeds of up to 45-50 miles an hour. Because of their quickness, once they reach adulthood predators have a difficult time catching them. Predation of young pronghorns, however, is common. Even so, nature affords some protection to the fawns—just two or three days after birth they can run at speeds of 10-20 miles per hour.

Canada Goose & Goslings

Is it Canadian Goose, Canadian Geese, or Canada Goose? Birding friends—please help! And the rest of you please excuse my incorrect usage until I obtain guidance from my trusty, freaky birder-friend experts.

Whatever the proper nomenclature, every day on my drive to and from work, I pass a goose family strolling happily along the banks of the Gardiner River.

Hayden Valley

Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite remains my favorite place on earth, but Hayden Valley in Yellowstone definitely ranks a close second. Imagine Tuolumne cubed, and you’ll be able to visualize the scale of Hayden Valley. My one complaint about Hayden is I won’t be able to wander aimlessly (vigilantly, yes, aimlessly, no) through its soft green meadows and hillsides—not with grizzly bears around! Yet its peaceful, pastoral landscape literally brought tears to my eyes.

During my brief walk in Hayden, I observed a grizzly far off on a snow-covered hillside digging intently; a herd of bison munching on the spring grass; and, a white pelican paddling in the Yellowstone River.

According to Lee Whittlesey’s excellent book Yellowstone Place Names, the valley’s namesake, Ferdinand V. Hayden, was “as much as any other individual…responsible for the creation of Yellowstone.” A medical doctor who later became a geologist, Hayden conducted three government surveys of the Yellowstone area in the late 1870s and has “at least 44 genera and species of various organisms ‘from a living moth to a fossil dinosaur’ named for him.”

15 minutes, 1 Black Bear, 1 Grizzly Bear, 2 Wolves

I think I might have set a new record for rapid wildlife sightings in Yellowstone. On my drive back to Mammoth from the Grand Tetons, I encountered what can only be described as a “wildlife hotspot.” I pulled my car over to watch a black bear amble on a hillside and took some photos of it through the snow flakes. I had not even traveled a quarter of a mile up the road when I sighted a grizzly bear in the surrounding forest. But wait, there’s more! A half a mile up the road, I observed a bunch of cars on the shoulder, a sure sign of wildlife activity. I quickly saw the reason for the crowd--two beautiful wolves were crossing the Gardiner River.

Here’s a photo collage of my wolf and bear sightings. I am still recovering from the euphoria that accompanies a wildlife overdose!

Transportation Conference in the Grand Tetons

The last two days I’ve been attending a conference on transportation strategies for the Greater Yellowstone area at the Grand Teton Lodge, sponsored by the Yellowstone Business Partnership. The keynote speaker, Todd Litman, provided some inspirational and thought provoking ideas about our perceptions of transportation—he is the founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. I attended other interesting sessions on transportation in national parks, “smart streets,” and regional trail networks.

The Grand Tetons lent the conference a spectacular setting. The main room at the Grand Teton Lodge has a breathtaking view of Mount Moran in its enormous floor-to-ceiling window. Moose and grizzly bears often wander on the property. Last night I stood outside of my room and watched the first thunderstorm I have seen since leaving California. Lightning danced on the high peaks and the downdraft from the energetic clouds felt wonderful (and not chilly!) on my face.

Mount Moran, pictured at right, stands 12,605 feet high and was named for the famed landscape artist Thomas Moran.

The Three Bears

On my drive to Grand Teton National Park, a grizzly bear and her two cubs were wandering on the side of the road near West Thumb in Yellowstone.

And here's a view of Lake Yellowstone, still frozen.

Bison Jam

A great photo of a typical bison jam in Yellowstone--gridlock bison style!

And I couldn't resist sharing some more cute bison calf photographs.

Bears Gone Wild

For my family’s two-day trip to the Old Faithful area, we (along with numerous other tourists) received a stark reminder of the survival of the fittest principle in action. A large grizzly bear took down one of those adorable bison calves in plain sight of unsuspecting park visitors who were leisurely strolling along the boardwalk surrounding Old Faithful.

My parents were ordered off the boardwalk by concerned park rangers as the bison herd fled at full speed across the geyser basin. A few bison followed the grizzly trying to retrieve the calf, but alas it was too late. As a biology major, I am well aware of nature’s food chain thing, and also that grizzly bears need to eat, but I truly don’t need to see a cuddly bison calf get torn apart by a grizzly bear. Can’t the bears stick to whitebark pine nuts?

The next morning, I was on a conference call in my room at the Old Faithful Inn when I heard sirens going off right outside my window. A large intrepid grizzly (possibly the same one who munched on the bison calf the day before) was walking into the hotel parking lot. The park rangers followed in their patrol cars, deploying the sirens to try and scare him away. After about fifteen minutes, he finally ambled off into the basin.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be living and working in a place where I witness magnificent wildlife daily. To be neighbors with grizzly bears is a privilege—as long as they focus on the veggie part of their omnivore diet!

The grisly predator-prey encounter did not seem to affect our appetites, as my family had a delicious dinner at Old Faithful Inn that evening. My dad even had the bison prime rib. My Uncle Jim and Aunt Denise were visiting from New Hampshire, and my parents and brother and his girlfriend made for a full Pratt evening.

On my drive back to Gardiner, I also sighted two coyotes feasting on a winterkill bison. Both looked unbelieving, as if they had hit the jackpot, as wolves or grizzly bears usually claim a fresh carcass.

Wildlife of Yellowstone's Northern Range

What do mountain goats, bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, bison and bison calves, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, sandhill cranes, red-tailed hawks, wolves and wolf pups, elk and mule deer all have in common? We observed all of these animals today in Yellowstone.

For my family’s visit to Yellowstone, I scheduled a custom wildlife tour of the northern part of the park through the wonderful non-profit the Yellowstone Association. Barbara and Ariana, our excellent and fun guides, greeted us at 6:00 am this morning with coffee and hot cocoa, and we boarded our own bus to head to Lamar Valley. Some highlights of our trip:

6:15 am: Grizzly bear traffic jam just fifteen minutes into our trip as we passed over the bridge spanning the Yellowstone river. We observed from the relative safety of our bus as the bear rambled along the road.

6:45 am: It’s never too early for a dose of cuteness. A large herd of bison with about five drowsy baby calves rested in a meadow near Roosevelt.

6:50 am: At Floating Island Lake, our guide shows us a nesting sandhill crane, which on my own I might have taken for a small rock. After a short time the feathered mass stands and through our binoculars we are able to see her eggs. Just for affect a red-tailed hawk soars overhead.

7:15 am: We arrive in Lamar Valley and quickly find the yellow X-terra of Rick McIntyre, the wolf guru of Yellowstone. Where his SUV is parked is a sure sign of wolf activity. We settle at Slough Creek Campground and focus our spotting scopes on a den site of the Slough Creek pack. We are rewarded with an appearance of a female and a pup—the cuteness quotient of our morning suddenly increases exponentially

9:00 am-11:00 am: Barbara, our guide, spots a lone collared black wolf sitting by the river, which is later identified as female 526. Rick, via the radio wolf network, credits the Yellowstone Association with the sighting, which is akin to being thanked by Audubon for a spotting a bird. Suddenly 526 dashes down the bank of the river, meets up with five other wolves, and after chasing a pregnant cow elk in the river, they take her down. After the hunt, one wolf trots off with her unborn fetus—a grisly reminder of the indifference of Mother Nature. While we watch the wolves, a coyote trots among us searching for food.

1:00 pm: Barbara scouts the snow-covered ridges of Barronette Peak, searching for mountain goats and within a few minutes has found some scurrying on the perilous cliffs. On an opposite facing ridge, we find four bighorn sheep.

1:30 pm: On our return drive through Lamar Valley, Ariana notices four red-tailed hawks soaring low over a meadow, and a herd of pronghorn dashing down from a ridge. We stop and spot a lone dark wolf and three coyotes giving chase to each other, a truly mesmerizing sight. Although the game could have deadly consequences, the two species appear at play, teasing each other with feints and charges. At one point they call a truce and rest, and one coyote gives a loud howl.

Grand Teton National Park & Jackson Hole

Last week, I had my first visit to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole (or Jackson as the locals refer to it). From Gardiner, we drove the entire length of Yellowstone, a 4 hour trip from the north to south entrance. For added excitement, the weather offered a constant snowstorm for our trip.

Although I wasn't in Jackson for the most exicting of reasons--I was attending a training on storage tank compliance--I enjoyed the trip. The Grand Tetons remind me of the Eastern Sierra landscape and Jackson has a little California flavor--with a western flair. I also had my first moose sighting out here as we passed through Grand Teton National Park.

No sign of Harrison Ford, but you can bet I kept my eyes open for a sighting. I'll be making a trip to Bozeman at the end of the month for the new Indiana Jones movie--can you believe it's been almost 30 years since the last one?

Bear Snack Time

Bears emerging from hibernation this spring have found the Yellowstone landscape full of snacks--tasty carcasses of bison and elk who did not survive the long, cold winter.

This bear (I think it's a grizzly although to my inexperienced eyes it's difficult to tell) munched away on what looked like elk remains for about fifteen minutes, then strolled back into the forest. I've been reading James Halfpenny's excellent book, "Yellowstone Bears in the Wild" and I learned the term "hyperphagia," which describes the intense food consumption that bears undertake in the fall prior to hibernation.

How Many Bison Calves Can You See?

An Endangered Species dark chocolate bar goes to the first person who emails me with the correct count of bison calves in this photo!

Other photos from today:

Never Cry Wolf

On my way home from Old Faithful this evening, I spotted a beautiful black wolf at the end of an expansive meadow. I gazed at him--and he at me---for at least fifteen minutes before he trotted into the woods. Here's my first official photo of a wolf in the wild--a very blurry shot as I don't have a big enough lens. Not exactly a prize-winning photo, but I like the mysterious, eerie cast of the out-of-focus wolf shape.

A "Bully" Day

I won’t be premature again in declaring the official arrival of spring in Yellowstone, but today’s weather definitely displayed characteristics of non-winter. I spent the day basking in the sunshine and viewing wildlife; to quote one of my favorite historical figures, Teddy Roosevelt, I had a “bully” day.

I hiked up to the top of a ridge along the Rescue Creek Trail and had a premium seat for wildlife watching. Herds of bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer all lingered in the basin, munching on the newly green grass. At times, hikers coming up the trail startled the animals and from my high perch I watched the ballet of these graceful creatures as they galloped across the basin. Seeing a pronghorn in a full run is simply breathtaking. Near my vantage point, a small uinta ground squirrel peered out of some sagebrush, probably having recently emerged from hibernation.

Speaking of hibernation, a much larger mammal has emerged from its winter slumbers as well—grizzly sightings in the park have been frequent. Although at first I was fearful about hiking alone in grizzly country, I’ve gotten accustomed to thinking of myself in the middle of the food chain. Not that I’m entirely comfortable, but at least I haven’t been forced to give up my cherished solitary wanderings (I realize the behavior is risky, but so is driving a car). We’ll see how I feel once I’ve had my first encounter with a 600 lbs bear. On a positive note, I’ve discovered that hiking in the vicinity of large predators has made me more observant—out of necessity—yet I see more of what nature has to offer with my heightened level of awareness.

So many good wildlife sightings today—here’s a collage.

Madison River

On my drive back from West Yellowstone this morning, I stopped frequently and explored the Madison River area in the western portion of the park. Although the sun was bright, snow had fallen in abundance over the past two days, and the park had closed the road to the public twice from Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris, only allowing administrative traffic with 4WD because of blizzard conditions.

My declarations of spring have definitely been premature--most of the park remains entrenched in winter. Some portions of the river remained under ice and snow, and elk and bison grazed in the small patches of uncovered ground.

The Madison River runs 183 miles through Montana and Wyoming and is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark named the river in 1805 for then US Secretary of State James Madison. I'm also told the river is paradise for fly-fisherman, especially in fall for rainbow and brown trout.

A small herd of bison crossed the river while I watched, and a small calf walked tiredly through the snow. A dozen elk also lingered in one of the areas left bare by snowmelt, and Canadian geese strolled along the banks of the river.

Further up the river, I discovered a less idyllic scene: ravens perched on the carcass of a bison. The long winter has taken its toll on the Yellowstone ungulate population, and winter kill has been high this year. I waited an hour to see if a wandering grizzly or a pack of wolves would come claim the kill, but the ravens had the feast to themselves.

Big Horn Bonanza

A small herd of bighorn sheep gathered near the side of the road during my morning commute, and I took a few minutes to observe them. Being late to work because of a wildlife encounter is an acceptable excuse in Yellowstone!

Wyoming Governor's Conference on Tourism

Attending the two Governor's conferences on tourism has been helpful since I'm new to the area. To reach the Wyoming event, we had to drive 6 1/2 hours across Montana and Wyoming--a good sampling of the landscape of both states. I traveled with my new boss, the general manager for Xanterra in Yellowstone, and the director of marketing. My boss already has figured out the key to managing me--we made stops at Dairy Queen both ways for chocolate blizzards. On the drive home listening to the Pennsylvania primary unfold kept us occupied.

My colleague at Grand Teton Lodge Company and I presented "Turning Green Into Greenbacks" at the conference, discussing the economic advantages of going green. We had a good session and participants had a number of suggestions and questions. I think I always learn more from these trainings than I contribute as the ideas really flow from the audience. As I have a training in Jackson Hole next month, my co-presenter has promised me a tour of the town. One of the great parts of this job is working with such talented peers and I learned much from her professional expertise as well.

The keynote speaker provided one of my personal highlights of the conference. Watts Wacker (yes, we had some fun with the name), a noted futurist, spoke about the brave new world we are entering and his engaging vision made for some provocative ideas. His claim that we've left the information age and entered the age of uncertainty and contradictions rang true to this generation X'er. I also liked his theory of home as being not a place anymore but a concept. Another highlight--my cute round bed at the conference hotel!

Into the Yellowstone Interior

For three months I've been living at the end of the road; now that the snowplows have opened up the Yellowstone interior, I've been having fun exploring Yellowstone's vast area. I am still trying to adjust to it being three times the size of Yosemite!

I had to drive to Old Faithful today to conduct an environmental training. Yellowstone has experienced record snowfall this winter and much of the landscape is still covered in snow.

But spring has gained the upper hand---the creeks and rivers are alive with rushing water, and newly green meadows have begun to peek out from beneath their white blanket. The steam from the geysers lend the land a mystical quality; I keep expecting a dragon or unicorn to emerge from the mist.

Bison Babies

On the way home from our conference, we stopped near the Madison River to watch newborn bison calves romp around. One calf even still had its umbilical cord. Although I love bison and think them beautiful animals, the word "cute" never came to mind in their presence--until now. Bison calves are pretty darn cute. A flock of Canadian geese lingered nearby and we also observed a bald eagle perched on a lodgepole pine near the river. For the next month or so, Yellowstone will be cuteness central as the resident animals give birth in spring. I am looking forward to seeing my first wolf pups soon!

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

While I stayed in West Yellowstone this week, I took an afternoon and explored the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a non-profit wildlife park dedicated to educating the public about the grizzly bear and the grey wolf.

The non-profit GWDC was formed in 1999 in order to purchase the center from a private company and to focus the center on education rather than entertainment; the site is now an Association of Zoos and Aquariums certified facility.

The bears and wolves at the center have been relocated from a variety of areas, most having been labeled "problems" and would probably have been killed otherwise. The exhibits tell each animals' story, and also provide a wealth of information about wild bears and wolves.

GWDC offers wonderful viewing opportunities of these magnificent animals, along with a number of excellent educational activities. I spent hours just watching the animals-- the wolves trotting friskily around the park, the grizzlies playfully wrestling. Sam and Illie are the bears pictured; the wolves are the Gallatin Pack. Sam and Illie wandered into an Alaskan fishing village in 1996 after their mother disappeared and were soon relocated to GWDC.