I head back to the Park from Bozeman at 2:30.

It’s much warmer here; 79! The landscape along my route has greened up considerably during the last week and looks wonderful.

I’m back in the Park after an uneventful drive. Along the Blacktail it feels a bit cooler. At Geode two bull elk in velvet cause a jam. But I go slowly and weave my way safely through it.

At Floating Island lake I find a black bear jam; in fact, there are two bears: one dark, one cinnamon.

And I see a third black bear north of the Tower Ranger Station.

When I get to Slough, I drive down to the gravel lot, where I see Dale & Fay just returning from a short hike. We scope the den area together and find two adults; a black and a gray. Alas, we don’t see them clearly enough for an ID.

They tell me they had good puppy action this morning with the usual attendees. Sorry I missed it but it sounds like a typical morning.

I bid them goodbye and continue east.

At Footbridge I join a crowd watching a gorgeous grizzly sow with two yearling cubs on the lower part of Dead Puppy Hill.

At Baronnette one of the local foxes is patrolling the road and I see mule deer grazing in the Owl meadow.

When I get back to Silver Gate, I present my gift of Gardiner Market ribs to Maureen and Rick. Yum!

Today I saw: 3 black bears, 3 grizzly bears (including two cubs), bison (and calves), mule deer, elk, a fox, pronghorn, 2 Junction wolves and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.