Two days ago, I got the news that three puppies (two blacks and a gray) have poked their heads above 907’s den. It’s time to return to the Park!

I leave Bozeman at 11AM on a beautiful early spring day. It’s 54 degrees under bright blue skies with high puffy clouds.

Trees and flowers have been blooming beautifully in Bozeman. Tulips and daffodils are in abundance.

I will join friends Maureen and Rick who are already in Silver Gate at Laurie’s. She is still dealing with pain from her various broken ribs, but she and Dan will be arriving soon as well.

My drive is very pretty but mostly uneventful. However, by the time I reach Gardiner, the skies have clouded over.

Just north of the Tower Ranger station, the young grizzly that I mistook for a black bear with my family a week ago, is still roaming about the flats, drawing large crowds. Today, he grazes amongst a bison herd.

When I reach Slough, I drive down the campground road and stop at Doug’s lot. I set up my scope and quickly find two bedded black adults by the eastern trees. I’m pretty sure one of them is the alpha male.

I always take it as a good sign when I see a wolf on my very first day.

As I pass through Lamar Canyon, I can see the water level has risen with the beginning of melting snow. But it’s still well below the top of the “indicator” rock.

I have a fox in the road at Pebble Creek, then a yearling moose runs recklessly across the road to the south. A second moose, the yearling’s mom, is visible on the north side. She attempts to follow her youngster but balks at the moving cars.

I pull into the lot at Thunderer and wait to see what she’ll do.

Mama moose stays north of the road, walking slowly further east. I can hear the two animals calling to each other. The yearling crosses back north to mom, then they both walk a bit east. Eventually they cross to the south just west of Ice Box Canyon.

While this drama plays out, a squall of corn snow begins to fall.

I see a second “road fox” between Lower & Upper Baronette and then a third just before the kiosk lot.

I reach Silver Gate around 2:30 and find an empty house. I spend an hour getting settled before Maureen and Rick return. They’ve been hiking. We have a nice reunion and talk about wolves.

Today I saw: a grizzly bear, bison, elk, 3 foxes, 2 moose, pronghorn, 2 Junction wolves (both black including the AM) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.