It’s 6:15 and a warmish 26 degrees.

I know where my day will start today – at Hellroaring, with the Junctions.

However, it’s quite windy and there are ground blizzards and numerous drifts through Gardiner Canyon and Mammoth. It’s snowing lightly as I head east.

I see Jeremy in a pullout near the High Bridge so I stop and check in with him. He says Wapitis might be visible on the Blacktail today, so we plan to stop at the Fire Trail to check that out.

However, fate intervenes. On my approach to the S Curves, I can see two cars are stopped where the drifting is usually the worst. A pick-up pointed east and a sedan pointed west. It looks like at least one of them is stuck.

I wait in the S Curve lot for a bit to determine what to do. Jeremy proceeds slowly and stops his car above the sedan. He gets out, puts on his vest and places a few cones in the roadway.

Jeremy waves me through so I go. The sedan that is stuck, off the road on the wrong side, in a thick drift. The pickup apparently stopped to help.

Three people are already shoveling. I park above Jeremy with my flashers on and walk back to see if I can help. Then a Ranger arrives and asks me to keep going instead. She says the plow is coming and it would be better for me to stay out of the way.

I accept her advice park at the Fire Trail lot. I get out my scope and start looking.

The wind is fierce but the light is decent. I bundle up and try my best. Several cars enter the lot, including Jeremy. As ask about Wapiti signals and he makes a face. They have dropped off. He recommends I go on to Hellroaring.

By the time I arrive, the lot is packed so it’s obvious there are wolves in view. Lucky for me Rick has taken charge of arranging parking. A tour bus wants to leave so suddenly there is plenty of room.

I find a spot to set up my scope. It’s 7:10 and we are in for a beautiful sunrise.

I had expected the Junctions to be bedded somewhere above the carcass but they are all around it in the willows, exactly where I left them last evening.

Over the next two hours, I watch the Junctions along with many happy visitors. What makes the sighting especially nice is the many sequences of delightful puppy play. There is the game of “who’s got the stick?” as well as “catch me if you can”. Another pup amuses us by chasing and leaping at the birds.

One pup balances at the edge of the creek, head down low, tugging on the carcass with its rear end and tail way up at a 90 degree angle.

Around 9:15, a rally begins but they end up settling down again. Maybe 20 minutes later, a few wolves begin to head uphill. The alpha female leads them to the west and the pack follows.

My high count is 26 but others may have had more. They take their usual route west, towards Tornado Drainage and eventually go out of sight. For a while a black and a gray remain on the carcass. Then the gray leaves, following the pack.

I notice a second black has joined the remaining black.

This second animal is collared and has some graying on the side. When both blacks leave, they scent trail the pack, passing the bottom of the tornado drainage, curves a bit south and disappearing out of view.

It’s 10:30 and I feel very satisfied with the quality of wolf sightings I’ve had on this short trip. I say my goodbyes and pack up to head back to Bozeman.

I have several bison jams on the way west but since I’m in no hurry, I enjoy them.

As I am passing Chinese Gardens, a golden eagle swoops down and grabs a duck in the Gardiner River. The day has warmed to 36 degrees! The wind remains fierce, though, blowing sticks and branches and loose snow across the road in spots.

Close to Trail Creek road I see a sweet little mule deer has come to the Yellowstone for a drink.

When I get to Livingston, I see the entrance ramp to the highway is closed, so I follow the detour through town and get to 90 via the other ramp.

I have an easy drive over the Pass and I find Bozeman with maybe only half the snow that was here when I left!

Today I saw: bison, a bald eagle, elk, 26 Junction wolves including AF, AM, 1047, 1048, 907, 1276, 1229, plus 19 others, and the spirits of Allison and Richard.