I come out to a crystal clear sky this morning, with the stars of Orion twinkling brightly. The temp is 32.

I stop at Dorothy’s to listen for howling but all I hear is a radio call from Slough that the Junctions are in view.

A few minutes later I am set up on Dave’s Hill. The wolves are in the same rendezvous spot, just left of and below the Marge tree.

I see all five pups plus eight others including the alpha male, dark gray, 1385F, 1386F, 1478F and 1479F.

For over two hours on this beautiful morning we are treated to wolves playing, rallying, goofing off, exploring and bedding. There is an extended howl session. Unfortunately, due to a large school group chattering away, we do not hear it.

There is a very amusing moment when several wolves are tussling over who can occupy 1479’s “excavation” hole.

Around 8AM about six wolves begin to move slowly through the thick sage behind Marge, heading towards Aspen Drainage. They stall out for a while and several bed on the low hills in good view.

Then, around 8:20 a black begins moving left with purpose. Others soon follow. I track them as long as I can until 5 blacks and 2 grays pass behind the southern Round Tree and disappear.

The rest of the wolves take up this route to the southwest. Dark gray reverses course and goes back to round up a few pups who weren’t paying attention.

He leads them along the southwest route. They go out of sight around 8:30. I join the mass exodus of cars from Slough, driving west.

Around 9AM the traveling pack is spotted by Celia and Ron B from Boulder Hill. I join them a bit too late to see the wolves.

She saw them as they came upslope from the river corridor, just east of the rocky outcrop on Mom’s Ridge. They were aiming for a bison herd. They initially surrounded a cow and calf but the herd was close allowing the cow and calf to reach its safety.

Ron tells me he saw 907 with this group.

Despite many eyes looking, we never find the pack again. We do see three elk, including an impressive-looking bull, and many small bison herds.

Around 10:30 I head back east to Silver Gate.

After a break I drive west, heading past Slough to Gardiner. This evening I am joining a few old friends from my Loon days for dinner.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day and although I see few animals, I enjoy the fall color through the Blacktail.

I meet Gary and Laurie and V at Wonderland. We have a good meal and a great time with each other. I spend the night at the Super 8.

Today I saw: bison, elk, pronghorn, 13 Junction wolves including 10 blacks and 3 grays (which includes all the pups) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.