Friday - 05 November

Weather was scheduled to change for the worst (snow in Idaho Falls predicted for Monday) so I made one more trip to Yellowstone. I left around noon and had a grizzly bear jam about 1/2 mile west of Canyon in the Cascade Openings. He was 20 yards off the road and moved back to about 50 yards when I returned from seeing nothing in the Hayden Valley. I spent the rest of the day at Swan Lake Flats. Found two grizzlies, a sow and a large yearling I think high digging in the rocks. I camped in Mammoth for the night. The night was mostly clear and above freezing too.

Saturday - 06 November

I headed out early, stopping to listen from Hellroaring Overlook. Dan and Cindy stopped to visit just before daylight. They were making a trip down south and around to Cody before the roads close (on November 8th). I couldn't find anything until Laurie found the seven Lamar Canyon wolves on a carcass high south of the Institute. I spent the afternoon back at Swan Lake Flats watching three grizzlies in the same place. I was kind of strange, two smaller grizzlies, and one big one, the sow I think. The sow and one cub moved about 1/2 mile to the west, while the other small one stayed in the same rocks. Camped again in Mammoth, mostly clear and still above freezing.

Sunday - 07 November

Nothing in Lamar Valley so I headed back to Swan Lake Flats. The three grizzlies were out again, and all really close together this morning. I did go to Hayden Valley on the way home, missed the beta and alpha female of the Hayden Pack, Calvin and Lynette had seen then earlier.

Other News

Only one swan in Swan Lake this weekend. Lots of eagles around the rivers now. Had 16 swans in Hayden Valley between Otter Creek and the wildlife pullout. Lots and lots of elk back down now. Had two herds in Hellroaring, one about 200 strong and the other well over 100. I ran into Jim and Judy at Swan Lake Flats Saturday late afternoon. They had watched old Scarface near the Otter Creek Picnic area. They said he kept laying down for rests and naps, it was getting close for him to den up.