I find about 2-3 inches on the car when I go out this morning. It’s very powdery and easy to brush off.

I lock the door and head out at 6:45. It’s a tad warmer this morning at 25 degrees.

I listen for howling at Trash Can and Dorothy’s but I’m met with beautiful silence.

At Lamar Canyon West I scan the rendezvous but find nothing in view in the Marge flats.

As I drive to Slough I radio Jeff. He’s at Hellroaring with nothing in view, so I drive down the campground road to Doug’s lot for a closer look at the flats and points north that I can’t see from Canyon West.

Lots of beauty but only bison to watch.

Then Jeff calls to report howling from the Hellroaring Creek drainage. At least 3 voices. I hop back in the car and head west.

When I arrive at mini-North Butte I discover that the small group up here is watching the bear family. No wolves have been seen.

Hmmm.

In addition to the three grizzlies, there are four coyotes anxiously circling the carcass, looking for an opportunity to sneak some food.

It looks like the Rescues may have moved on.

We suspect that people may have spooked the wolves trying to get a closer look. I start scanning the area, trying to find where the Rescues went. They are such a big pack now, with lots of blacks. I figure they might stand out against the freshly fallen snow.

I find a deer on a hill way across the Yellowstone to the north. Then I see three more. I am trying to figure out if they are blacktails or whitetails when Jeff calls out

“I have a wolf!”

He is also looking across the Yellowstone, but further east of my deer. It takes a while to find where he’s looking but finally, I do.

I see a bedded black in a small yellow-grass meadow, streaked with fresh snow. Then I see several more to the right: two bedded blacks, a bedded gray and a black standing broadside further east of the others.

Are these Rescues or Junctions? Or even 8 Miles?

They are much too far away for us to ID any of them – they are nearly as small as the “ant wolves” Stacy found on Specimen from Elk Creek a few days ago.

But I thank Jeff over and over for finding wolves to watch.

Jeff thinks the area where they are is considered part of the Cottonwood drainage. I am especially happy to learn another location to check in future searches for wolves.

After a few more minutes watching these far-away wolves, Jeff suggests we check on his early-morning howlers again from Hellroaring.

I’m up for that, too!

When I get to my car, Krisztina pulls in, so we talk a bit and I show her the distant wolves that Jeff found.

We then gather at Hellroaring where we scope for a good half hour, finding elk and bison. I locate the Cottonwood drainage meadow from here but the wolves aren’t there anymore.

Krisztina and I move east to Lower Hellroaring. We find the Cottonwood meadow from here as well, which adds to my overall understanding of the landscape. We find small herds of bull elk, including a pair of them sparring.

But we hear no howling nor get any visuals.

Well, it’s still been a good morning overall.

Around 11 I say my goodbyes and head back.

The drive through the Park is easy and beautiful. When I get west of the High Bridge I find the roads completely dry.

I have my visit with Allison and Chloe, thanking them for aiding me in seeing wolves every day.

I am safely home at 1:30

Today I saw: 3 grizzly bears (including two cubs), bison, 4 coyotes, elk, pronghorn, 6 wolves (probably Rescue, possibly Junction; five blacks and one gray and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.