They are true to their promise, and we leave Mammoth at 6:15.

It’s chilly out and Laine wears both her fleece jacket and a hat! (Laine does NOT like hats, so that tells you how chilly it is)

Our early departure pays off right away as we arrive at Blacktail ponds. The grizzly family is here, having a bloated-bison breakfast. They are great looking bears and David gets excellent photos. We also see a juvenile bald eagle and more yellow-headed blackbirds.

Elated by our success, we continue east. Below the Elk Creek lot we see a moose in the deadfall meadow. David gets more good photos.

We stop at Slough so I can hopefully show them wolves. I drive down the campground road and pull in at lower Bob’s, where I find Celia, Paul & Bobby. I introduce them to my family. There were wolves in sight earlier, but nothing right now, but they DO have a dark grizzly roaming in the Lion Meadow, so I get my scope on him.

Then, Hallelujah! The alpha male appears in the spring meadow. He’s aiming for the sage den, bringing food to 907. She comes out and rushes to him. He lowers his head and feeds her. I am elated. Both Laine and David see the alpha male through the scope, while Laine sees 907, too.

Two more wolves pop up from their hiding spots in the tall grass; a gray and a black. I see them both but they disappear too quickly for my family. As you know, it takes a while to get oriented to the distance and the terrain.

More grizzlies appear in the yellow grass meadow. It’s the mom with three yearlings. I get my scope on them, and everyone gets a look. David says it’s too far for photos.

Laine is especially thrilled, since we’ve never had good luck seeing wolves before.

To me, the temperature is perfect but it’s still cold to them, so I bid goodbye to my buds and we get back in the car. Onward to the east we go. I go slowly through the Canyon so they can see the roaring water.

I stop at Dorothy to check the coyote den. This time some pups are visible. Laine and I see one adult and three pups. David sees the pups, running and playing. Too far for photos, but he tries anyway.

I drive further east and park at Trout Lake. I take them on a short hike across the road to the south where I show them the huge, petrified log, that appeared after the repaired road re-opened. I still don’t know if it was unearthed by the flood itself or by the subsequent re-construction of the road, but it is a beautiful specimen.

We climb a bit further up the hill to see the violently scoured banks and re-routing of the creek. I explain how the Soda Butte Creek is usually such a sweet mountain creek but that day it roared and ripped up its own banks and ate the road.

Our last stop is at Soda Butte picnic to view the aftermath still visible there. I also scope for goats but don’t find them.

Now heading back west, we stop in Lamar Canyon to see the osprey nest. We’re in luck as both adults are present. One is sitting on the nest and the other is perfectly perched on a nearby branch.

We stop again at Long pullout where there are lots and lots of bison cows, each with a new calf. There is activity on both sides of the road, with calves nursing, bouncing and napping.

David gets lots of photos.

Just beyond Curve pullout, a small herd of bighorn sheep graze very close to the road. David always likes it when the animas are close!

Surprisingly we see no black bears at all during our return trip through the Blacktail. At the Ponds we see only birds on the carcass.

We have lunch in Mammoth again, then set off for Lake. We find more and more snow as we travel south.

At Norris, we learn we just missed seeing a bull moose.

As we come down Blanding hill, Laine spots a coyote running across the snowy field to the north. It crosses the road ahead of us and keeps running to the south.

There is even more snow in Hayden Valley. It’s been a long time since I was in this area so early in the year. There are plenty of geese and Laine spots a few elk across the Yellowstone.

I am not surprised when we find only a few bison here, because the green has not yet arrived. We stop near Trout Creek and David gets a few shots of the “weird” eroded landscapes that Laine likes.

As we pass the Nez Perce Ford area, we see signs of a recent wind event. Lots and lots of trees have been toppled and partially cleared to keep the road open.

We arrive at Lake at 3:30, finding the water still frozen! Laine and Dave like Lake Hotel very much and the staff is really terrific, especially since they only opened on Friday.

We test the beds by napping, then re-convene at 5:30 in the elegant bay-window room to admire the scenery and have a cocktail before dinner. The service at the Lake Dining room is really good, as is the food.

It’s much colder here, and snow is expected tomorrow. We decide to not set an alarm tomorrow. I’m in bed by 8:30, which works for me!

Today I saw: 8 grizzly bears (including 5 cubs), bison (and calves), yellow-headed blackbirds, 5 coyotes (including three pups), a bald eagle, elk, geese, a moose, 2 osprey, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, 4 Junction wolves (including alpha male, 907, a black and a gray) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff, and Chloe.