Trip Report ~ by Bill Hamblin

01 - 03 October 2010

~ October 2010 ~

Friday - 01 October

I left work at noon and had little traffic all the way up. The road construction from Madison to Norris is nearing completion, finally, with the stop right at Madison Junction on the way up. The weekend was unusually warm and nice, had 75 degrees in Hayden Valley on Saturday. Most of the elk are still up high or over on the west side of the park. I had one small herd on the backside of Specimen Ridge and a group of 25 or so on the top of Norris Mountain viewed from the confluence. No bears or wolves today. I camped near Silver Gate.

Saturday - 02 October

A little after daylight 754M of the Lamar Canyon Pack was located south of the Institute moving west. Later Jim B. from Iowa found the 06 female and 755M below the west end of Jasper Bench. She was chewing on something and didn't share with either of the males. It appeared to be a bear cub. Talking to everyone, it was probably a small black bear cub. They finally moved north, with the 06 female carrying a portion of the carcass back to the pups, who were north of Fisherman's Pullout. Finding no bears, I headed for Hayden Valley in the afternoon. Laurie from Bozeman was up and we spread out. She found a grizzly sow with two coys in Alum Creek. We watched then for over 1 1/2 hours. This is quite possibly the sow which had three coy's earlier in the year, but I'm not sure.

Sunday - 03 October

The Lamar Canyon pack had a kill in the Soda Butte Creek this morning. I drove by it before daylight. One of the black males was located north of the road heading west with a full belly. I finally got to see him north of the old Picnic Area. On the way home, I went to Hayden Valley. Calvin was at the Grizzly Overlook and said I just missed a grizzly moving to the east, but was out of sight when I arrived. I did see and watch the black pup of the Canyon Group's for a few minutes.

Other News

I did see a blue heron in the Yellowstone River east of the wildlife overlook in Hayden. I also saw another blue heron in the Madison River on the way out. The Antelope Fire moved south and is in some really thick old growth forest now, it will be only put out by the fall snows now. The coming weekend is the last weekend for Dunraven Pass and the Beartooth Pass to be open. Lots of wolf watchers in the park now.

by John William Uhler

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