In the middle of the night, Laurie took a tumble down the stairs. Dan and I both helped her get back up. She seems ok (which is really lucky!) but I’m a little worried.

This morning they both assure me it’s ok for me to head out as usual. They will come along a bit later.

I drive through a snow squall around Baronette, but it stops by the time I get to Round Prairie.

My first stop is at Dorothy’s. The brown-pants bear is on the Mollie’s bison carcass, keeping dozens of birds away. Dear old 1048 is in his “easy chair” about a hundred feet away.

Next stop is my usual roadside spot at Slough. But I find a surprise this morning. There are wolves in view on both sides of the road!

Several Junction wolves are bedded as usual in the traditional den area, including, to my relief, 1479F. She is back home safe and sound!

The less usual sighting is to the south, where nine Mollies are bedded high on northern divide ridge.

Bill also finds a grizzly grazing in the Slough Bowl.

I enjoy swinging my scope from north to south several times, keeping track of both packs.

Around 7:30, Laurie and Dan pull in. They have decided to go to Bozeman just to make sure Laurie didn’t break anything last night. I’m relieved to hear this and offer to return to Bozeman with them, but they say “stay”. Dan assures me they will stay over at my place if it becomes necessary.

Laurie says they stopped at Dorothy’s and took a peek at 1048 from there. This makes me smile. I bid them good luck and return to my scope.

Four Mollies, including 1090F remain bedded while the other five meander about. Soon they all begin to move uphill, following a zig-zag trail up to the skyline. I count all nine, six grays and three blacks.

Once they go over, I return to watching Junctions.

1479F is bedded on the lip of the gully near the alpha pair. They all seem calm but I know they must be aware that the Mollies are so close.

Around 8:30 we follow a collared black (1385F) as she travels up to the natal den. She stands at the entrance a while, then goes in. She quickly comes back out and beds off to the side. Another black emerges from the natal den. Both blacks remain in view there for a short while, but I’m not able to ID the second black.

I see Jeremy nearby and have a brief chat about 1479F interacting with the Mollies in Lamar last evening. I describe the behavior I saw and ask if he can speculate why she was safe with them, and not attacked. He confirms two factors: because she is young (and thus not a threat) and because so many of the Mollies are former Junctions.

Around 9AM I head back to Lamar, passing a few mule deer in Lamar Canyon. I join Bill and his bear crew at Coyote pullout, watching a grizzly sow with two three-year-old cubs digging diligently up high on the north side. They are a nice-looking family.

The Mollie’s bison carcass is visible from here, so I check that, too. The “brown pants” bear has finally had his fill. He ambles up the slope just east of Jasper bench, allowing patient 1048 to step up and take his turn.

I am surprised that the Mollies were not noticed when they went over the skyline earlier this morning. Perhaps they know a secret route or are just bedded out of sight somewhere up there.

I scope the Split Rock area and see a single coyote trot by. Two more wait impatiently near the carcass for 1048 to finish.

The day had been nice and sunny but now the wind picks up. It looks like rain (or snow) is on the way.

I head back east for my mid-day break.

I get news from Laurie and Dan: Laurie has 3 broken ribs! We are all relived that it’s not worse. But there is no reason to stay in Bozeman, so they are already on their way back.

They arrive around 5PM. Her doc says there is nothing to do other than remain as active as she can. It may take 6-8 weeks to heal.

Dan and I do our best to make Laurie comfortable this evening. Laurie herself is actually in very good spirits, and knows she is very lucky.

Today I saw: 5 grizzly bears (including 2 cubs), bison, coyotes, mule deer, elk, a fox, a grouse, pronghorn, 15 wolves: 5 Junctions (AM, 907F, 1385F, 1479F and another black) plus 10 Mollies (1048M, 1090F, and 8 others) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.