Yellowstone National Park 2018 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
06 through 09 April 2018 - Yellowstone National Park
~ April 2018 ~
Friday - April 6th
22 degrees in Gardiner but 16 degrees at Hellroaring in the morning, warming up to the low 30's. One to four inches of new snow last night. I had two moose in the willows at the S Curve on Blacktail tonight. At 7:45 a.m. the Junction Butte wolf pack was bedded at the den site in Slough Creek. Most were bedded out of sight but I saw three blacks bedded near the eastern trees. At 9:00 a.m. 926F (and Little T, who I did not see) were bedded just north of Hitching Post. 926F was howling a lot aimed across the road. Small Dot was across the river below Dead Puppy Tree howling back at the two females. It appears that Small Dot is afraid of the road and people, while 926F and Little T do not mind the road. At 10:05 a.m. back watching wolves at Slough I watched both the gray females (969F and 907F) moving around the den forest.
Saturday - April 7th
28 degrees at Gardiner and just about everywhere this morning but only 15 degrees at Hellroaring warming up to 44 degrees. I had a fox just off the road near Yellowstone Picnic Area this morning. Two young moose near the Soda Butte Cone later this morning; one was a small bull, the second a cow. I have been missing the few sightings of Yellow Bellied Marmots so was delighted to get a call from Jort V that he had one at Lamar Canyon East. The marmot posed for us for over ten minutes. Later on the way home, I had another marmot near the entrance to the Blacktail Road. Over fifteen Trumpeter Swans and two sand hill cranes in ponds near Hellroaring Creek today. Two moose seen in the willows at the S Curve on the Blacktail. At 12:45 p.m. Richard and Rita R found a small black bear on the west end of Garnet Hill. Just before dark a really windy storm went thru the area. Apparently a micro burst came thru cutting off eight telephone lines near Emigrant. I was back in Gardiner and we lost power for about three hours.
Sunday - April 8th
The storm last evening deposited one to two inches of slushy snow on the roads, and then it got cold and froze. The roads this morning were ice packed. 33 degrees about everywhere this morning warming up to 44 degrees. Today like a lot of days we had storms moving thru the area. One moment blowing snow, then the sun came out, then fog from the rivers so some good viewing and some not so good. At 6:30 a.m. I found my only grizzly of this report mid way up on Hellroaring Slope from Upper Hellroaring. He appeared to be a large quite dark grizzly that finally moved into the Little Buffalo Drainage after being in sight for over twenty minutes.
Monday - April 9th
33 degrees about everywhere this morning warming up to 39 degrees. A light dusting of snow this morning to recover everything again in white. At 7:45 a.m. Doug M (wolf watcher) found the 8 Mile wolf pack in the Blacktail. He had ten wolves, but when I arrived I only saw six, two grays and four blacks. The wolves were playful this morning, one found a stick and played chase me if you can with the others. Later another found an elk antler and also played chase me if you can with the others.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Melba C, and Alan O. From Michigan: Sue R. From California: Bob and Nell H. From the Netherlands: Jort V. From Canada: Jeff A. From Mississippi: Chuck and Wynelle M. Bear Watchers: From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R. From Louisiana: Bruce P. Others seen this report. From Montana: Dan H, Amy T, George B and his wife, Bob L, Evan S, MacNeil L, and Reggie and Linda C. From Florida: Rick and Vicky K. From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie F. and lastly from Utah: Bob B.
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos | |
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Fan and Mortar | Roaring Mountain |
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The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |