Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC
Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Grizzly Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC



Trip Report ~ Bear and Marmot Sightings ~ by Randal Horobik


30 July 2011




Yellowstone Yellow-bellied Marmot ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved John William Uhler

~ July 2011 ~


Yellowstone Yellow-bellied Marmot by John William Uhler Copyright © All Rights Reserved

Saturday - 30 July

My Saturday sightings and words I never, ever thought I'd type...

Needed to get out of the baking Big Horn Basin today and went into the park. Those looking for bears right now, may I highly recommend the Fishing Bridge area. The Storm Point trail is closed and both the trailhead parking lot and the Indian Lake pullouts are blocked off with cones and yellow tape due to recent bear activity. The beach behind the Fishing Bridge visitor center is currently off limits due to bear activity, and I evidently missed a bear at "the" fishing bridge by a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, the folks down at Bridge Bay were keeping a close watch on their own local bruin today. Apparently people aren't the only species to think a trip to the lake is a great way to spend a summer Saturday.

Incidently, there was also a griz on the Tower side of Dunraven, about halfway down on the switchbacks that had traffic snarled. Ditto for the griz hanging out across the river at the southern end of Round Praire up in the Pebble Creek region.

There is a new fire burning in the park, although I haven't seen/received an official release. It can be seen looking North from Dunraven Pass, with good views of the smoke at times coming as you head down toward Tower. It is also very visible at Roosevelt Junction, looking north over and beyond Garnett Hill. Not sure of cause, size or exact location (I'm sure both will be provided by the NPS in short order), but it appeared to be smoking nicely at mid-afternoon.

We had a nice up close and personal encounter with a moose mama and her yearling just outside the Northeast Entrance this evening. Speaking with the folks at Buns and Beds in Cooke City (I highly recommend the Cheddar Bomb and milkshake special!), it sounds like the two are fairly common along the creek/river either just inside or just outside the park.

We were also treated to a sighting of the Silver Gate fox, which even was so kind as to jump up on a large rock and pose very fox-like for me. Some days everything just clicks I guess...probably should have bought a lottery ticket while I was at it.

The day's funniest moment came just north of Chittenden Bridge as we were driving toward Canyon junction. We always play a game when we hit traffic jams of "guess that animal" based on the size of the traffic backup it causes. This particular jam was creating a backup of about eight cars in both directions with 5-6 pulled off on one side and 3 others on the highway shoulder opposite from folks who dashed across with their cameras. We had the usual guesses...elk...black bear...bison. My money was on elk.

Wrong.

The official culprit was a marmot -- just ONE marmot -- hopped up on one of the large glacial boulders off to the side of the road, sunning itself like marmots love to do. That's all, nothing more.

Yes, you heard it here first. I've just experienced my first official marmot-jam in Yellowstone National Park. Never, EVER thought I'd type those words in a trip report. Ever. Still a very fun day though.


Yellowstone Yellow-bellied Marmot by John William Uhler © Copyright All Rights Reserved

Grizzly Bear Number 264 take 20 April 1998 by John William Uhler © Copyright John William Uhler ~ All Rights Reserved
In memory of female Grizzly Bear Number 264


Yellowstone National Park
Sightings and Trip Report are from the North and Northeast Area of Yellowstone

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park



Yellowstone National Park by Page Makers, LLC © Copyright All Rights Reserved
I n d e x
Accessibility Earthquakes Maps Video Page
Address Email Newspaper Visitor Centers
Adult Programs Entrances Old Faithful Live WebCam Visitor Stats
Amphibians Entrance Fees Pets Volcano Observatory
Animals Fall Closure Phone Numbers Waterfalls
Backcountry Fish Picnic Areas Weather
Bear Management Fishing Fees Ranger Led Activities WebCams
Bear Sightings Fishing Regulations Reptiles Wildflowers
Biking Getting Here Reunions Winter Closing
Boating Hiking Rivers, Creeks & Streams Winter Opening
Books History Roads Winter Weather Reports
Butterflies Junior Ranger Program Schedule Wolf Project
Camping Lakes Search Page Wolf Sightings
Campground Maps Location Spring Opening Wolverine Help
Challenges Lodging Star Talks Yellowstone ~ the Name
Chat Page Lynx Help Trip Planner pdf Young Scientist
Clinics / Medical Mammal List Trip Reports Youth Conservation Corps

Yellowstone National Park WebCams
Old Faithful Live All Old Faithful Old Faithful Static Old Faithful VC North Entrance Mt Washburn Mammoth YVO WebCam

Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns
Gardiner, Montana Silver Gate, Montana West Yellowstone, Montana Cooke City, Montana
Livingston, Montana Cody, Wyoming Jackson Hole, Wyoming Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park Videos

Wildlife
Bighorn Rams Grizzly Bear at Old Faithful
Bison / Buffalo at Old Faithful Grizzly Bear near Roaring Mountain
Black Bear Grizzly Sow Nursing Cubs
Black Wolf Otters at Trout Lake
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Otter at Yellowstone Lake
Grizzly Bear at Blacktail Ponds  

Geysers and Thermals
Beehive Geyser Eruption Old Faithful with Bison
Beehive Geyser Eruption Two Pocket Basin
Fan and Mortar Roaring Mountain
Grand Geyser Rocket and Grotto
Old Faithful One West Thumb

Waterfalls
Cave Falls Mesa Falls Undine Falls
Gibbon Falls Rustic Falls Upper Falls
Lower Falls Tower Fall Wraith Falls

Not all who wander are lost by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien © Page Makers, LLC

Links
The Great Outdoors Net Great Outdoor Recreational Places
Gardiner, Montana World Humanity

Contact Us

by John William Uhler

Back to: Yellowstone Up Close and Personal

Copyright © 1995 - 2015 Page Makers, LLC and Yellowstone Media ~ All Rights Reserved