I have a single bright star in the sky this morning to light my way.

My first wildlife sighting is at Warm Creek where I see a fox. I’d like to start that way every day!

I stop at Picnic to check the rendezvous, thinking the hunting party might be coming back. But I find nothing moving so I continue to Slough.

The first wolf I see is a black yearling coming down through the lion meadow. I track him a while until he gets too low. About 10 minutes later, this yearling pops up in the meadow right across the road, maybe half a football field away!

He stares at us and attracts the attention of several photographers who have driven down to see him. The wolf steps onto the campground road and follows it away from us for a while. The photogs follow the wolf in their cars.

At the next pullout, the wolf stops, sniffing here and there. He spends a while at an orange cone and sniffs the wooden stake of a sign down. He continues east into the sage. I see him again as he is climbing the steep hill behind us, the one that eventually becomes Dave’s Hill.

He turns, though and heads up higher into the rocks, disappearing into Secret Passage. I think he’s headed to Lamar.

I never see the wolf approach any of the car or any of the people (who deliberately got closer than they should have). I was concerned all of that would happen but it didn’t. Later I relay all this to Jeremy, since he needs to know whether or not to take adverse conditioning action.

About an hour later I hear this wolf was seen to the north from Fisherman’s.

Meanwhile, I turn my attention back to the morning puppy show.

At 7AM we have a marvelous group howl. It is thrilling to hear, especially since so many voices are high pitched, wobbly puppy howls.

Someone spots a gray up above the den cliff, investigating some bighorn sheep up there. A black joins the gray and they continue to check out the sheep. The sheep change position a few times but nothing more develops.

A black yearling rises from its bedding spot in the spring meadow and heads up to the eastern trees.

Laurie & Dan arrive. They stopped at Picnic, too, about a half hour later. That timing worked for them because they spotted several Junction adults. There was a chase and one of the Junctions got a pronghorn fawn. She says they are likely still there, but were out of sight in the treeline.

Dan finds a pair of courting grizzlies up high above the horizontal forest. Nice!

The lot fills up with the “regular” crowd: Robin & Steve, Chloe & Becky, Larry and Linda, Rick and Kathie. This is my last morning so I’m glad we are all together. We are all careful to keep 6 feet between us, which means conversation works only with the two people on either side. This is unfortunate but I think we are all getting used to the new way of scoping.

One of the babysitter wolves here today looks just like the cocoa yearling that was chased by the coyote yesterday.

A bull bison arrives in the area, passing the western trees. It angles up the slope, behind the eastern trees, aiming to cross the yellow grass meadow where the pups hang out.

Before the bison gets too far, though, the four adults on duty rally the troops. Out they come out from the flower meadow, in front of the eastern trees. You can see them ushering the pups along. They use the trunks as refuge and let the bison continue on its way. And I thank the bison because this disturbance allows me to count 16 pups, including 7 gray.

I note with surprise that while the bison is back there, it disappears completely for a few moments. This just proves how deep and wide the yellow grass meadow is, if it can “hide” a full grown bison bull. No wonder we lose sight of the wolves back there!

The bison re-emerges at the eastern end of the meadow by the crescent rock. We all breathe a sigh of relief and we imagine the babysitters feel the same way. Once the bull is gone, they all relax and lead their charges right back into the meadow.

Surprisingly it feels chilly this morning. We stay bundled in our warmies for a good three hours.

After the bison disturbance, a black adult walks east the way the bison went, as if checking to make sure the bison is not coming back.

Around 9:30, there is a lull in the action and I take the opportunity to say my goodbyes. It’s back to Bozeman for me – alas, I need to attend to my company, my clients and my employees. I see the writing on the wall. Despite the emergency loan, I know our days are numbered.

Everyone wishes me well and hopes for the best. It hurts to not be able to accept hugs from my dear friends. I could sure use the comfort. I head west and stop at Blacktail when I see Susan and Reve. They have no wolves but we chat and I let them know what’s going on at Slough.

I say thanks and goodbye to them, too.

As if to underline the melancholy, as I approach Mammoth it starts to rain.

I bid adieu to Allison and Richard, and head back to Bozeman.

Today I saw: 2 grizzlies, bison, elk, a fox, pronghorn, 21 Junction wolves including the gray male, the cocoa yearling, 3 more yearlings, 16 pups (9/7) and the spirits of Allison and Richard.