The Park is making astonishing progress on the “new” road between Gardiner and Mammoth. Sometime in late June if was decided that they would not even try to repair the six missing sections of the Gardiner Canyon Road, due to the extremely high cost and the likelihood of the next flood.

Instead, crews are using brains and braun to convert the old road to a modern, permanent replacement. There is also a separate crew now working to repair the 3 sections of damaged/washed away Northeast road, from Lamar Canyon to Lower Baronette.

Meanwhile, the Park now feels confident it can handle summer visitors with existing personnel, and recently decided to open another section of un-damaged road from Tower to Slough Creek. Visitors must use an on-line reservation system to schedule a visit of up to 8 hours for an admin fee of $2. Passes are issued online a week in advance.

I need little encouragement to visit an area of the Park I have been missing, especially since it offers a chance to see wolves, either the Junctions or the Rescue Creek pack, whose habits I know pretty well.

One drawback is securing a last-minute overnight reservation; the other is timing – the earliest reservation you can get is for 8AM. That’s pretty late in the day, which lowers my chances to see wolves.

Nevertheless, I am relieved to get a camping reservation at Canyon, and an 8AM pass for two days in a row.

My chances of seeing Wapitis in Hayden has diminished – people walked out to their rendezvous area two days in a row and disturbed them, so they don’t hang out there anymore.

I am very eager to see Little America again and to try my wolf luck on more familiar ground.