TIME-TEMPERATURE- WEATHER:

Early AM (first light-9AM): I leave a little later than usual due to packing up and do not record the temp, but I’ll guess it was around 40

Water/Ice Level (ponds and rivers): The Lamar water level seems to have dropped from its high point around 5/26-29. Water is lower now at the indicator rock.

CROWD: Lots of people, lots of bison jams, lots of slo-goes.

SUMMARY FOR THE DAY: A sweet final morning for me, with 5 Mollies in good view on Mt. Norris from Geriatric. There were also a couple of nice sightings that I missed. 1545M was seen on and below Jasper Bench. Later, 1478F was seen taking a walkabout down to the flats from the western end of Jasper and back as seen from Dorothys. I’m always glad to know wolves are being seen, even if I miss them myself.

And I saw 10 grizzlies before heading to Bozeman.

WOLF SIGHTINGS (total, pack; individuals, pullout, time of day): 5 wolves total, all Molllies

5 Mollies (including 1090F, 1339M, 1411F, 1483M, and an uncollared gray) on Mt. Norris western skyline in the AM from Geriatric.

NON-WOLF SIGHTINGS (what & where)

Grizzly: 10 bears today! All from the Ranch with Bill (north and south) around 9:30AM. Two grizzly families, each a sow with two yearlings, are grazing on either side of the same hillside above Jasper Bench. One is the Specimen Ridge sow and the other is the Middle Ridge sow. In addition, a third grizzly family, the Institute sow with her three 2-year-old cubs, is visible on the north side of the road.

Bison: various, Confluence, Lamar, Little America, and on the road

Coyote: one crosses the road from north to south around 12:30 between Fisherman’s and Lamar Canyon.

Sandhill crane: in the old Druid rendezvous from Geriatric late morning.

Mule deer: There are several close to the road west of Warm Creek in the early AM

Elk: Several wandering in the confluence area seen from Geriatric late morning. Later, around 10:45 I see an elk with a newborn calf in the willows to the north of Round Prairie.

Geese: Confluence from Geriatric

Kestrel: seen below Geriatric in the Confluence area, late morning.

Pronghorn: Lamar and Little America, on the OGR

Ravens: two ravens in the nest along the Lamar seen from Geriatric late morning.

EARLY MORNING HIGHLIGHTS (first light till 9AM) This morning I hike up Geriatric to join Frank. He’s just spotted the Mollies on the western skyline of Mt. Norris.

It’s the last day for a while for both Frank and me, so we are especially thrilled to have Mollies wolves in view.

He heard them howl and found them in a rally on the ridge just right of where we suspect their den is. Then he followed them as they climbed up to where they are now. Most of them are bedded or sitting. 1411F is going from one to the other, trying to get them to get up.

They finally follow her a bit to the right, just below skyline now. This is good, because now they are in much better view.

My count is 5 (2B/3G). I realize I’m looking at 1090F. Two of the grays are collared: Franks thinks they are 1339M and 1483M (I don’t know how he tells 83 and 85 apart!). He says he had two more grays initially, but they moved somewhere out of sight.

The wolves have another enthusiastic rally, body slamming and wagging tails and lots of howling. They top out and I think we’ve lost them but then a gray head re-appears. Just this one remains in partial view for quite a while. The others may be bedded nearby and just out of sight.

A little later, two more gray heads appear, so I think my hunch is right. (I should have checked the view from Exclosure or Trash Can)

We hear a report from the Ranch. People are seeing a single collared black on Amethyst bench. I am conflicted as to whether to stay or go. But then we hear an update that the wolf has come down to the river.

So, I bid farewell to Frank and drive to the Ranch. On the way, a radio report says the single black is GPS black 1545M.

But I get stuck in a bison jam so when I get to the Ranch, 1545M is no longer in view, having climbed back up on Jasper. He was last seen moving towards the back of the bench.

Bill is here, so I check in with him. He has bears for me. In fact, he has a triple bear family sighting.

To the south, two grizzly families, each comprised of a sow with two yearlings, are grazing on either side of the same hillside above Jasper Bench. One is the Specimen Ridge sow and the other is the Middle Ridge sow. To the north, the Institute sow with three 2-year-old cubs, is in view.

I see them all, thanks to Bill.

LATE MORNING HIGHLIGHTS (9AM-12 noon) Around 9AM I return to Geriatric, following Kathie, Robin and Steve who are all eager to see the Molllies. Luckily, we find two grays still bedded in the same general area.

I enjoy visiting with my wolf-watcher bud while we have the Mollies in view. But I need to pack and clean, so around 10:30 I head back to SG to do that.

Around 1PM I set off once again to the west. I see Celia at Dorothy’s so I stop to say goodbye. Then I head to Bozeman.

SPECIAL NOTE: I’m leaving today because I have jury duty on Monday. I plan to return when it's over.

WHAT I MISSED: Junction 1545M was seen around 7:30AM on Amethyst bench. He went down to the river, then back up to Jasper, disappearing towards the back of the bench.

Later, around 10AM, Krisztina climbed up Cardiac Hill and found 1478F towards the back of the bench. While I was in Silver Gate, she notified Celia (scoping from the lot) that 1478F was about to move into view from the roadside.

Then Celia and many happy visitors had an hour-long sighting of 1478F exploring the western end of the bench. She then travelled down towards the river, flushing a couple of coyotes along the way. She reaches the flats where a very large bison herd is grazing. She tiptoes past them, as several wary cows give her the stink eye.

One bison chases her a short distance, forcing her east along the river for a bit. Then she heads uphill diagonally to the top of the bench. After this she heads west again towards the back of the bench and out of sight.

I am so glad my friends got a good look at this well-loved wolf. And I hope the rest of the Junction pack will continue feeding her and whatever pups she has.

TODAY I SAW: 10 grizzly bears (including 7 cubs) from the same pullout, bison (and calves), coyotes, sandhill cranes, mule deer, elk (and 1 calf), a kestrel, pronghorn, ravens (with a nest), 5 Mollies wolves (1090F, 1339M, 1411F, 1483M, and two uncollared grays) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

DF: Diagonal Forest (a feature east of the Slough den)

DPH: Dead Puppy Hill, the partly treed hill below the crest of Mt. Norris immediately south of Footbridge pullout. Named by coyote researchers before the 1995 wolf reintroduction. The hill has been a popular area with local wolf packs since wolves were reintroduced. It has held several coyote dens over the years, but to my knowledge, this year is the first time a wolf pack has denned on it. The Mollies chose an area on the western slope above the new growth forest, and produced at least two pups, one black and one gray, which were seen infrequently during June.

HF: Horizontal Forest (another feather east of the Slough den

HR: Hellroaring (large overlook pullout on the Blacktail)

LCW: Lamar Canyon West (pullout on the western side of Lamar Canyon) that overlooks a lot of, but not all of, the area wolves use at Slough.

MST: Marge Simpson Tree (distinctive tree in Slough Flats) In 2024, the Junctions used the meadows below and left of Marge as their August-October rendezvous.

OGR: The OGR Old Gardiner Road (current name for the new road hastily constructed after the 2022 flood on top of the former gravel road between Mammoth and Gardiner)

RP: Round Prairie (big meadow south of Pebble Creek campground)

SB: Soda Butte (or SBV Soda Butte Valley) where Soda Butte Creek flows between Round Prairie and its Confluence with the Lamar River)

SG: Silver Gate (small town just outside the northeast Park entrance)

SRT: Southern Round Tree (distinctive tree south of the Marge Simpson Tree)

UCG: Un-collared gray (Junction 2 yr-old bouncy male). Born to the Rescue Creek Pack, he joined the Junction Pack sometime in February 2025.

YGM: Yellow Grass Meadow (a feature east of and upslope of the Horizontal forest at Slough)