We awoke this morning with high hopes of a wolf sighting (or at least a howl or two). We set out and met Kira Cassidy who is a wolf biologist with the Yellowstone Wolf Project. She was our guide and led us all around the park as she tracked wolves that had been fitted with radio collars. We bounced from spot to spot trying to get just the right angle where we could catch a glimpse.  All the while, Kira gave us insights into all of the knowledge she has gained on the wolves of Yellowstone over her 11 years in this position. While we were bouncing from spot to spot, we even ran into the author of the famed book, wolf “American Wolf,” Rick McIntyre.

Kira Cassidy and Rick McIntyre

Unfortunately, we struck out on seeing or hearing a wolf, but we hit the jackpot on a wealth of knowledge about the wolf population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The entire group was grateful that Kira was able to share her time and passion about this topic with us.

Next stop was a quick check in with the only aquatic songbird in North America, the American Dipper! Cathy gave us the lowdown on this amazing creature. Including the fact that they nest in rock walls near water, which we saw shortly after on our snowshoe hike.

American dipper nest

Speaking of the snowshoe hike, that was AWESOME! We started snowshoeing down a nondescript path along Pebble Creek for a short distance only to make a turn and see this!!!

Snowshoe hike

It was a truly awe-inspiring experience.

While we were on the hike, Amanda stayed behind and saw two bull moose!

We ended our day with hundreds of bison crossing the road in front of us in the dark, many of them running as if in a stampede. It gave us just a glimpse of what it must have been like when over ten million bison roamed this country. We turned in with tired bodies and full hearts.

We got to sleep in! We were able to sleep in until 7:00 am, so we could be on the road by 8:00 am. Our day started with a trip through the park, where we saw a herd of bighorn sheep. Then it was off to the house of Dan & Cindy Hartman in Silver Gate, located just outside the park. We were immediately greeted by a plethora of birds that included the Canada jay and the vibrantly blue colored Steller’s jay.

Once inside, Dan regaled the group with tales of his time filming the wildlife, discussing the importance of conservation while showing one of his films. This visit was a highlight for the group because of Dan’s passion and dedication to his craft. It was intoxicating and contagious. The group left with a renewed sense of life and how everything in nature is interconnected, including human beings.

After leaving the Hartman’s we were very fortunate that one of our members excitedly started yelling “Bird! Bird!” when Dustin (impressively) spotted a ruffed grouse from the very back seat in the trees along the road. We excitedly turned the cars around on the icy road to get up close & personal with the bird (from the car), who didn’t seem to notice our presence. After getting our fill of photographs, we were on our way. We hadn’t gone very far when we saw a massive bull elk using its front legs to “snowplow” for the rich grasses below the fresh snowfall. We watched him in awe and then loaded the vehicles to head out of park & back to the lodge. It was an amazing day for all!

Day two did not disappoint! We began our early morning with a fine breakfast and got off to a fast start. We arrived in Mammoth Hot Springs at 0715 and loaded into the snowcoach. We then took a very scenic ride on closed (but groomed) Yellowstone National Park roads.

Our first stop was at Roaring Mountain. We all stood very still and used our “deer ears” to hear the mountain speaking to us. Venturing further into the heart of Yellowstone we visited Nymph Lake and observed common goldeneye and ring-necked ducks as well as trumpeter swans. Further in our travels we visited the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where we observed frozen waterfalls and tens of feet of ice buildup at the base of the falls. The largest, at 308 feet tall, was the Lower Falls, where Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson once painted and photographed the magnificent scenery. Their art helped convince Congress to preserve Yellowstone as our first national park.

Nymph Lake

Group photo at the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

Next, we traveled to the Mud Volcano and Dragons Mouth Spring. Here we used our senses to appreciate our surroundings, including the feel of warm steam, the smell of sulfur, and the deep bass sound and feel of steam explosions. The steam explosions of Dragons Mouth sounded like waves crashing into rocks, and Mud Volcano sounded like bubbling grits. Lakeshore Geyser, Black Pool, and Abyss Pool – three of the thermal features in West Thumb Geyser Basin – were amazing to witness. As we traveled on toward Old Faithful, we were able to lay eyes on the Grand Tetons from approximately 30 miles away. This evening, we’re enjoying our stay in the grandeur of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge!

Andy takes the temperature of Abyss Spring at West Thumb Geyser Basin

Up before daylight and heading to Yellowstone after a long day of travel, we were all a little bleary-eyed, but soon we sprang to life!!! The first bison of the day was sighted shortly after Roosevelt’s welcome to the park (the famed arch at Yellowstone’s north entrance). The herd was closer and larger than we could have imagined, we could even hear them chewing (safely, from the car)! This was a great start to accomplishing our goal of an octo-ungulate day. As we continued our journey, we were able to rack up six more hooved-mammals (elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, Rocky Mountain goat, and moose) leaving us missing the ever-elusive white-tailed deer.

While viewing the moose, much to our surprise and delight, a subnivean creature popped into view. Mayhem ensued as we scrambled to see the even more elusive ermine. It was hopping over and traversing through the snow drifts at lightning speed, finally crossing the road in front of us. Excitement continued as we tried to capture the perfect picture to share. This was a favorite of the 19 species we spotted today for many people in the group.

We wrapped up our day with a snowshoe hike to a lovely view of the Yellowstone River. This was a challenging first for many of us in the group and we are proud to say, we all made it to the top and back down. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds for us.

Dustin, Julie, and Tonya

The adventure is less than a week away and I can hardly contain my excitement. Getting ready for an adventure like this is what I live for. Give me a packing list and an agenda of what is ahead and I hit the ground running — or should I say organizing, ordering, packing, and making plans for all that will be left behind (including my teaching partner/pup, Andi)! The packing list is long and the weather is unpredictable, but I am determined to be as prepared as I can be. I even got some new boots to upgrade my favorite L.L. Bean boots from 7th grade; it probably was time! Weather conditions look to be favorable and hopefully not quite as chilly as it could be, but best to be prepared. I’ve started watching snippets of Yellowstone 150 on Netflix and reading the book American Wolf. I hope we’ll get the chance to see a wolf pack during our observations of the Lamar Valley. I can’t wait to travel in a snow coach to Old Faithful. My students are getting excited, too, and have begun asking questions. I am thrilled to be able to share this adventure with them and hope that it will inspire them to reach out and explore the world around us. I am ready; bring on the snow and cold!

by Tonya Dobson