Larry stopped in the store yesterday (Hi Larry!) and showed me some of his great photos. He is quite a good photographer and a self-proclaimed 'wolf magnet'. And from of the pictures that he has taken it appears he is quite right.

Taco Tuesday went great. I had one for lunch and it was delicious, probably the best I had ever had. Come on in to Yellowstone and try one.

Ice Box Canyon

The Dainty Coyote by Yellowstone Picnic Area

Fox by the Northeast Entrance

Wolf Print at Slough Creek

Wolf Prints at Blacktail

Two of the Three Wolves at the Blacktail

Wolf at Blacktail

Yesterday I decided to head to Lamar Valley. My day could not of started out better as when I was just east of Blacktail Ponds I noticed two wolves trotting along just off the road. I grabbed my camera and immediately realized that I had the wrong lens on. So between fumbling with a lens change, shifting the car into park and rolling down the window I managed to to develop a case of the shakes in fear of missing the opportunity to photograph wolves that close. That is when I noticed that there was a third wolf. Joy, oh, joy! I hadn't seen a wolf in a couple of months so this was quite a treat. I also found some wolf prints in a parking area nearby and was quite impressed with how huge they were.

I drove through Lamar Valley and decided to continue on further. I was impressed with the ice hanging in Ice Box Canyon and found the snow covered mountains inspiring. I continued all the way into Cooke City, though it was a rather slow day in the town as I only saw one other vehicle on the road there and it looked like it had been parked there for awhile. Coming back through the gate into the Park a beautiful red fox appeared and wandered back and forth across the road while I pulled over to watch.

Once again I spent some time watching a mousing coyote by the Yellowstone picnic area. She was quite a dainty thing and wasn't having much luck catching anything she pounced toward. She would very femininely pick up her feet and slowly and deliberately step over long blades of grass laying over the ground. I hope she learns to toughen up.

I also found some more wolf prints in the Slough Creek parking area and had a good time following them around the area taking pictures of them. I saw another coyote wandering away from me in Lamar (still not tired of seeing them though) and got into a mini bison jam by Soda Butte (which is were my new header picture was taken). With about 150 pictures to sort through I decided to I better head back, sort through them, and share them on my blog. And now I head off to rest up for tomorrow, the first day of "Taco Tuesday Winter 2009". Yup, it's that big of a deal around here.

Mammoth Store

Yellowstone General Store in Mammoth

Not much to report from Yellowstone. The weather has been perfect this past week, it even got into the 60's here in Mammoth. However, the wind blows here on a regular basis and it is a strong wind that shakes the place that I live. The elk have been wandering Mammoth and I even came across them as they crossed the road in the dark after work. I've even seen the occasional rabbit hopping around.

The Fountain in the store is gearing up to start serving food. I'm looking forward to that as well as the numerous park employees looking for a hot lunch. I have been meeting some great people. I met the person in charge of the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley who invited me down to take a tour of the place. I have never been there and I'm looking forward to doing that.

My only days to do wildlife watching will be Sundays and Mondays. It is too dark after work to see anything but I do get the chance throughout the day to watch the elk and look at the terraces from the store window.

Single File

This photo shows how the elk crossed the valley in single file while a bison looks on.

I've decided that driving through Yellowstone now is like taking a trip through time. Maybe not a time frame of a few thousand or million years but of the past few months. I find that as I pass certain areas of the Park I am remembering what I had seen in those areas. "I remember the time I saw a grizzly bear here." or "I remember when I saw a baby black bear cub hanging from a limb here." And yes, I have the occasional "I remember when that idiot stopped right in the middle of the road and ran over the hill with his camera here." Right now I know I will someday be driving along and then recall how I watched the elk crossing over the valley in single file.

Destination Lamar

I saw this little fella this morning and this picture just goes to show that littering is very bad. I hope he didn't end up with a belly full of plastic.

This is just a few of at least 100 bulls and cows that I saw walking across the valley in single file this morning as I headed to Lamar Valley. I enjoyed this sight the most because of the herd of bison walking across the mountain in the background.

This is the partner to the plastic water bottle carrying coyote. I had to add this caption to the picture because for a time he seemed completely oblivious to the herd of bison coming his way.



Yesterday and today are my days off and I spent most of the day curled up in my recliner. I was feeling a bit under the weather and decided to relax. In the afternoon I got to see Barney, a co-worker from Canyon, when he came back to help Connie (co-worker from Canyon and also a co-worker at Mammoth this winter) move her trailer from Canyon to Mammoth. I hadn't seen Barney is about six weeks and it was great to see him again. His wife Becky is a regional auditor and I've been seeing her a few times a week since coming to Mammoth but now they both will be gone for the rest of the winter.

With what appeared to be another beautiful day brewing (in the 50's yesterday) I decided to head to Lamar Valley this morning. All the other roads in Yellowstone were scheduled to be closed as 8:00 am so I knew that today was the day that I would start my next 6 months worth of treks to Lamar.

Rounding a corner about a mile west of Hellroaring I came across two coyotes meandering in the road. Just past them was a herd of bison walking down the road toward me. I took a few pictures of them through my windshield (the pictures came complete with some glare - darn) but when the coyotes came by the side of my car I got some out of my open window. I had noticed that one was carrying something and eventually realized it was a plastic water bottle carelessly discarded by someone. Following the buffalo chips on the road I could tell that the herd had spent some time on the road and had originated by Floating Island Lake where there was another herd. I watched them for awhile before continuing on.

I eventually came to quite a sight before heading into Lamar. It was a herd of about 100 elk walking in single file and crossing the road. Some would get spooked by something and trot back until a bull elk would make them turn around and go back. There were bulls of all ages and sizes, some very large and some just yearlings and there were a few bugling to each other across the road. It was a great sight and one that I hadn't seen of this proportion.

When I finally got in Lamar Valley I found that I was going to experience quite a treat. From the time I entered the valley, drove to the far end, and drove back out I had seen approximately 10 cars! Unbelievable. It was just me, 4 coyotes hopping and jumping by the Lamar River and those 10 vehicles. I'm sure if I would have spoken I would of heard my echo. There were not any bison in Lamar that I could see, and even though I scanned the entire valley I saw no wolves.

Slow but Surely

With my time at work and the dark coming quicker in the evenings I haven't had much time to go and see the sights. It has been snowy/rainy/windy lately and the elk herd that is usually in Mammoth are hiding in the hills during the day. I see them on occassion as I come into work and they usually make their appearance in Mammoth after dark.

The store has been a bit slow lately but that is to be expected. The Mammoth Hotel is closed until the week of Christmas so there are not as many people staying in the Park. There are the few that come to spend the day here so most of our guests in the store work in the Park. We are getting ready to open the fountain area of the store in a week. Right now we only serve coffee, caps, and hot chocolate but we will be opening it up for hamburgers, hot dogs, paninis and the ever beloved Taco Tuesdays!! I can't wait.

Coyote in Hayden Valley

I just wanted to share this picture of a little beauty that I saw in Hayden Valley last week. The coyotes are numerous and I always take the time to admire them and their antics.

Heat (or the lack of)

Robyn in Hayden with Washburn Range

With the day off today I drove up to Hayden Valley. Dunraven Pass is closed for the season now and this picture shows how much snow is up in the Washburn Range. The only bison I saw in Hayden was one that I watched swim the Yellowstone River and then run off nearly at full speed. It was a grand feeling to practically have Hayden Valley all to myself (I only saw three other cars in the valley).

Bull Elk at Lower Terrace

Swans on the Yellowstone River by Hayden Valley

Bob the Bison

I found Bob the bison walking the road between Canyon and Norris this morning. It was a good day for bison spotting as I also saw the Magnificent One on a hill across from Roaring Mountain and also saw Dorm Bison's #2 and #3 by Canyon.

Elk at the Store

This mama elk was standing outside the store yesterday and took some time from grazing to look up at me as I opened the door. I'm sure by the end of my time in Mammoth I will have a few thousand pictures of elk by the store. It's quite amazing to see them right outside the windows.

Two weeks ago a man fishing by Cooke City was mauled by a grizzly bear. He was with a companion (it was told to me that they both were rangers) who had to shoot and kill the bear to prevent it from injuring or killing his friend. My co-workers, Jerry and Carol, saw a wolf between Gardiner and Mammoth yesterday morning and a guest reported to seeing a mountain lion somewhere between Sheepeater's Cliff and Obsidian. Laura from the Adventure Store saw a mountain lion in June by Mud Volcano and there was also one spotted repeatedly last year between Gardiner and Mammoth. I do hope to see one someday but I know the odds are against it.

Two nights ago I got back from work to find that the furnace had gone out. It was getting cold in there and I was preparing to settle in with a few blankets for a chilly evening. Luckily for me one of my neighbors decided to knock on my door to invite me to a campfire in the YACC Camp (where I now live). I took the opportunity to see if he knew anything about furnaces. Another neighbor stopped in to help and when it was decided that a part was broken he made a phone call (which ended up being numerous calls between me and the comm. center and DNC maintenance). In the end an Amerigas employee gave up his Saturday night and in the end I had a fixed furnace, heat, and an opportunity to meet some of my neighbors. Everyone was so nice to help me. And that's the way people are in Yellowstone: Nice!

The Store

This a view of the Lower Terraces and Liberty Cap from across the road from the store. You can see the large bull elk laying down. He is the one that sometimes prevents us from leaving or entering the store from the front doors. He is one of the bulls that I have been seeing all summer by Lava Creek, and also possibly the one in the picture that I posted of the man taking his picture from a close distance.

Yellowstone General Store in Mammoth

The store was originally called Ash & Henderson Store and was built in the 1890's.

The Ghosts of Mammoth

I've been introduced to all of those in the Mammoth store.....except for two. Those two would be Ted and a little girl. Both are ghosts. Yup, the store here is supposed to be haunted. Ted is a former manager who left here in the 60's and is the one responsible for the scattering items across the floor, the shutting off of lights, the opening of windows, and other strange occurances. The little girl is to inhabit the upstairs and can be heard walking the floor and the sounds of her petticoat rustling. Its actually exciting to think that they are here for they must of loved Yellowstone very much to want to remain.

The third non-employee that I have been introduced to is Bob. 2 years ago a customer brought up a cedar box to purchase. She had found it on the shelf with the other cedar boxes but it also did not have the design of the others and this one had been locked. After searching for a price the customer opted not to purchase it. The box was brought to the back and opened (it had the same type of lock as the newer boxes). Inside was cremains! There was also the name 'Bob' on it with some numbers. Someone left Bob's cremains in the cedar box and placed it on the shelf with the others. Obviously Bob's family members also knew that he loved Yellowstone very much and thought this would be the place he should be. Bob is treated very respectfully and is actually considered a friend of the store. He remains here in Mammoth.

I am enjoying my time here. What a great place! Its fun to have a job where you can stop for a moment and watch the elk butt heads right out in front of the store. I even was unable to leave after work my first evening as there was a huge bull elk blocking my way. What a life!

View of Elk Herd From My Kitchen Window

Mousing Coyote by Canyon Junction

Grizzly Bear by Mud Volcano

Coyotes, Bison & Bears

After my last post I headed down to Hayden Valley. Right before Alum Creek I stopped to watch a couple of coyotes. One was right by the road but then wandered a little bit off and layed down for a while. Coyotes are great fun to watch. I headed further down the road and just past Mud Volcano I saw what is quite possibly the largest grizzly bear I have ever seen. He was inky black and had just crossed the road and was heading toward the Yellowstone River. It was just me and two other cars watching him. It was incredible.

I headed further south and ended up where the Arnica Fire had crossed the road a couple of weeks ago. It was near the location that I had taken the picture of Jackie, Dave and myself. I then came back north and headed over Dunraven Pass, which had just opened the previous night. At the summit I came across three bison heading down the middle of the road over the pass to the north.

Sunday I went to Lamar Valley for the first time in a couple months. I watched a pack of 5 coyotes wandering by the river and the bison that were spread across the road.

Yesterday I went back down to Hayden Valley but had to stop and watch a couple of coyotes mousing in the field to the west of Canyon Junction. I got a couple of great shots of them leaping into the air as they pounced on their dinner. The bison herd in Hayden were all laying around by Alum Creek. It rained here last night, heavy at times. And the tops of the mountains are powdered with snow. An elk herd can be seen from my kitchen window and I can hear them bugle all day long.

Today was my first day working in Mammoth. I'm getting used to where everything is. There is slight variations in what is sold between stores so I'm seeing product that is new to me. I am also meeting people that I will be working with all winter and some that I will only work with for 10 more days (their contract ends Nov. 1). A large bull elk likes to hang out by the door that I use when I come to work so I've been shown an alternate door to use when that happens.

The past few days of seeing and listening to the wildlife it occured to me that I don't need to watch the Discovery Channel.......I live the Discovery Channel.

I'm Baaaack

I finally made it back to YNP after a 15 hour drive. Postings will be sporatic at best until I get settled in and start work. My greeting when I first pulled in was some bugling elk right across from my new place. I stepped out of my car and I didn't even get my door closed before they started. I guess it was my welcome home bugles. An hour later I heard a pack of coyotes singing.

Yesterday I headed into Bozeman for some grocery shopping and stopped to watch a couple coyotes wandering around north of Gardiner. When I got back I unpacked some more and started to make my new place more homey.

This morning I started toward Canyon to stop in the Adventure Store and say hi to my some of my summer co-workers who will be working there until Nov. 1. In a lake at Swan Lake Flats I watched about 25 swans swim. Great image with the snowy mountain as the background. Farther on I saw the Magnificent One and his friend standing in the sun off the side of the road. It's great to see old friends.........beast and human. My next stop will be Hayden Valley.

It feels great to be back!

While I'm in Minnesota.....

My pre-Yellowstone life involved me with lots of animals. I raised miniature donkeys and llamas but also had pot-bellied pigs, sheep, goats, horses, ponies, chickens, geese, ducks, dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, etc. Organizations would come and have farm tours and I supplied animals for local live nativities at Christmas. I also was brought orphaned fawns by the game warden. I would raise them and release them. Lots of fun and a LOT of work. I also returned to college as an adult with a major in archaeology. I had hopes of being a national park ranger. Someday.

My love of animals rubbed off on my daughter who now has her own herd of horses. She is a barrel racer and has won numerous titles, trophies, belt buckles, ribbons, awards and money. She is especially proud of being a qualified to attend the National Barrel Horse World Competitions these past two years. She breaks and trains all her own horses and even has a pony that she has trained to pull a cart (in the winter it is a sled) and do tricks. She lives and breaths horses and has hopes of being a licensed equine chiropractor and massage therapist, trainer and farrier.

My middle child, a son, is a very social and outgoing young man. He has played the violin for 12 years and spent one week during his summers playing in the Youth Symphony at the International Peace Gardens at the International Music Camp. He recently discovered his love for theater and has been involved in numerous productions (one in which his cast was invited to perform at an art festival in Scotland ~ too expensive to go) This past summer he had a part in The Fiddler on the Roof with the Northern Lite Opera Company. His future goal is to be a neurology surgeon and spent time last summer at Georgetown University in a student medical program.

My oldest son and his girlfriend are expecting a child in December. He is a very proud-to-be papa. He is very sport orientated and loves football (Go Vikings!). He works full-time at a family business but his off time is spent playing or watching sports and spending time with his girlfriend and also preparing for the new arrival. I will be the designated grandma who will teach my granddaughter to love the national parks (especially Yellowstone), animals and wildlife.

Minnesota is known for lakes (over 10,000) but it also has quite the assortment of wildlife. We are the home to over 2,000 wolves. I have heard them howling in the evenings and have seen evidence of them. But with all those wolves in the area I have actually only seen one Minnesota wolf. There is even a couple herds of elk in Minnesota, and there is a small hunting season for them. I saw a herd of elk once. There is plenty of moose and I've had one trot out in front of my car once and proceed walking down the middle of the road with no way around it. There is also a few local mountain lions (which I've never seen) but I have seen lynx and bobcat. And there is a lot of bears here.

The other night as I drove after dark down a back dirt road my car headlights hit a black creature lumbering down the side of the road and then leap off into a river with tall reeds. I asked my daughter if she saw the big black dog. Her reply was: "Ummm, mom that was a bear. And exactly who spent the entire summer in Yellowstone?" Obviously I was not in wildlife mode and I had a bit of difficulty with species identification.

The Adventure Continues

This is my 170th post and I've seen the end of the season at Canyon Village. But the adventure continues as I will be starting my new position at Yellowstone General Store at Mammoth in YNP on October 20! I will be spending the winter in the wonderland that is Yellowstone National Park. I am currently in Minnesota spending time with my children (I have 3: 2 boys & 1 girl) and I will be attending a baby shower for my first grandchild (a girl due December 22).

In my last couple days in Canyon I saw snow that closed Dunraven Pass for a couple days, saw the opening of the road to Grant and said goodbye to some great friends. I spent 2 days working in the Adventure Store (also known as the Outdoor Store and Sporting Goods Store) helping with the overflow of hungry people who went there when the Fountain closed on Wednesday. The Adventure Store is also owned by Delaware North who owns the General Stores in YNP. I did make it back to the General Store in time last Friday at noon to witness the official 'locking of the doors' for the season.

I left YNP last Saturday at 4:40 am for my 14 hour drive back to Minnesota. On my way out of the village the moon was very full and I could see a herd of elk laying in the field with the bull elk standing amongst them. Goodbye noisy bull elk. I looked for Bob as I crossed over to Norris (I saw him earlier in the week). Goodbye Bob. I drove carefully from Norris to Mammoth and kept my eyes open for the Magnificent One and the army of bison that was amassing with him (a small army of about 6). Goodbye Magnificent One. I drove through the north arch at 6:00. Goodbye Yellowstone National Park. Maybe instead of goodbye more appropriate words would be "I'll see you again."

Driving across Montana a joke occurred to me:

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: To prove to the Montana deer it could be done.

Goodness, there are a lot of dead deer on the highway in Montana!

One of the first things I had to accomplish in Minnesota was to find a reliable vehicle capable of handling snowy, windy and steep roads. I was driving a Chrysler 300 this summer, which rides low and does not have front wheel drive. Yesterday I bought myself a 2005 Chevy Equinox. I feel safer now. It should do just fine when I cruise on over to a wintry Lamar Valley to watch the wolves.

Canyon 2009 has come to an end. Mammoth in Winter will start in a few days. And Canyon 2010 is just a few short months around the corner. I'm looking forward to continuing working and living in the worlds first national park. And I am excited about continuing my blog and updating everyone on what is happening in the YNP and with myself. I'll include my happiness, frustrations, whining, the mundane and the sheer enjoyment and excitement of life in Yellowstone. Thanks for reading!!!!! Oh, and everyone from Canyon this summer: I miss you and I hope we'll meet again next year. It's not 'goodbye' it's 'I'll see you again."