They say that all good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that our group was ready to let our trip end without another 5 am Lamar Valley wildlife viewing.

The wildlife must have sensed our heavy hearts and greeted us in abundance, with the bison seemingly leading the parade. Our first sighting was a black bear within inches of our van eagerly looking for an early morning snack, and he opened the floodgates for the animals to come: a wolf pup, a cinnamon-colored black bear, cliff swallows looking curiously out of their nests, a mountain goat with her kid, a red-tailed hawk, a coyote jogging along, a bald eagle, and our very own mosquito party at the pit toilets.

We turned around and circled back for another look at an active wolf den and found a family of wolves with some playful pups. The two scopes came out and we decided that there was no better place to have our last breakfast picnic. With our impending departure on our minds, all rules for a proper breakfast flew out the window and the pringles and nutella came out earlier than usual, much to our delight.

Taking in the views at Slough Creek for the last time, it was a bit quieter than normal as we all took time to process what the last 10 days have meant to us.

Emerson Hough, an early journalist who reported on Yellowstone, wrote that, “It was a journey for a lifetime.” Upon leaving Yellowstone, we’d be inclined to say that anyone who has the opportunity to experience Yellowstone’s magic is destined to wholeheartedly agree.