I find a thin coating of frost on the car this morning. On the winding drive I enjoy a nice full moon, followed by a lovely sunrise.

As I’m about to join the cars at Nature Trail I hear a voice on the radio saying “yes, you can see them from either Upper or Lower”. That means wolves are in view so I keep going.

Again, we have Michael to thank.

I join the throng at Upper Hellroaring. My first wolf is a single black bedded near the Tornado drainage. This animal soon gets up and jogs east. Then I see two other wolves above this one. They are nosing around in the flat area just above the horizontal line of the creek. I recognize the Junction alpha male among them. He and another wolf are trending west.

The wolves are kind of all over the place rather than an orderly line, so it's hard to keep track of them at first. From other people’s comments, I believe all the wolves in view are Junctions.

I don’t see any sign of 1386F nor her beau. >

Due to the foreground trees in this lot, and the fact that the pack is taking a fairly low route, it is very difficult to follow their progress. Scopers change positions frequently, trying to keep them in view.

They cross Hellroaring creek at the sharp turn and come out below the basalt cliff, bedding on a snowy knob. This finally gives me an unobstructed view and I’m able to count six; 2 gray and 4 black, which includes the alpha pair, 1385F, 1479F, an uncollared black and an uncollared gray.

They remain bedded for about an hour, howling off and on and sometimes changing position. Then suddenly they all get up and stand broadside, staring to the north. There must be a wolf there, perhaps 1392M?

They set off in that direction.

There are numerous small bison herds on either side of the Tornado drainage and more on the hills above it. The uncollared gray (a big, dark gray male) amuses himself by stalking the ones on the hill, only to get charged for his efforts.

He gives up and comes back down.

Then suddenly he and the alpha male take off running with high tails towards the southwest. I catch a glimpse of a running black wolf on the rocky slope above them. Others confirm this is Rescue 1392M.

The chasers charge up the hill and disappear. The other wolves follow at a slower pace and soon I lose them all.

Calvin and Lynette radio from Lower Hellroaring that they still have wolves in view. By the time I join them, though, I’m too late.

We chat a bit and review the day. We hear chatter from a group of people at the west end of the lot – talking about three bedded blacks still in view to the north.

We look where they look but none of us can find any wolves. If neither Calvin nor Lynette can see a wolf, then there is no wolf to see!

Eventually I walk over and look through the guide’s scope. I see three wolf shapes, but they are way too big and are actually three bedded bison. It’s and amazing optical illusion, due to the unique way the bison are positioned among the light and shadows. They really do look exactly like bedded wolves, except for their size…and their horns.

I thank the person whose scope I used and give no sign that I disbelieve her. This is a guide with about a dozen clients who all think they are seeing wolves. It would simply be too rude of me to say otherwise.

I go back and explain to Calvin and Lynette. They agree; it is a very convincing illusion. Sometimes it’s just better to keep y our mouth shut.

Around 11:30 the plentiful sunshine has warmed the day to 40 degrees. I bid farewell to my friends and go back to the Super 8, do my stretches and have a shower.

Laurie and Dan are arriving in Silver Gate today and I am eager to join them.

I am packed and ready to head east at 4PM. People in Gardiner are walking around in T-shirts, enjoying the “summer” day.

Both Upper and Lower Hellroaring pullouts are deserted now, so I don’t stop.

I have an uneventful drive through Little America and Lamar but I’m rapidly losing the light. So, when I see a few people at Hitching Post and Footbridge with scopes pointed north I assume they’re looking at sheep or goats and I don’t stop.

Little did I know, they had a mountain lion on a carcass up there! Oh, how I wish I had stopped!

I reach Laurie’s at 5:30 and unload. We have a pleasant evening catching up.

Today I saw: bison, coyote, elk, pronghorn, 7 wolves, including 6 Junction (alpha pair, pup, big gray, 1385F and uncollared black (tucked tail?) and 1392M Rescue) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff, and Chloe.