5 AM came quickly! We grabbed our bags and hit the road, leaving Mammoth behind. Eagle eyes were definitely needed today at our first adventure to spot the wolves with Jack the wolf Biologist near Lamar Valley. We climbed Cardiac Hill which makes your heart beat so loud, you had to stop so you could hear the ravens chatting. Jack zoned in on 8 wolves of Junction Butte mingling on Jasper Bench amongst the bison and shared fascinating videos of trail cams so we could see the cougars too. 

Our Bald and Golden Eagle expert represented her creatures well as she spotted a mama bear and her cubs chillin under a tree. Watching the cubs climb to safety as mama chased off a coyote stopped traffic for miles. We tried to pretend we were just eating our lunch but the secret was out.  Pro tip: if you see folks on a hill and pointing – stop the car and grab your binoculars so you don’t miss something amazing! Remember – ALL 4 tires off the road!

Melissa treated us to a short talk with Rick McIntyre, one of the legends for the Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone. Those of us that didn’t finish American Wolf now have a calm voice in our head and a vivid scene in our mind when we return to finish the tales of the O.G. wolves. Many of us cried as he recalled the love and legacy of 21 and 42, the alpha male and female wolves that have given rise to the current day packs.

We have now relocated to Roosevelt Lodge for a couple of nights (no cell service for most and no WiFi) After a quick dinner at the Lodge, we went out for a bird sighting and were not disappointed. A few ducks, a red tail hawk nest, goldeneyes, one coyote, and a bison jam to boot brought our day to a close. See ya tomorrow!