Saturday - 21 April

We left Rexburg at about 8:30 AM to go back home to Yellowstone National Park, or as we affectionally call it - Parkadise. The crew for this trip is Carlene and myself. At about 9:30 AM as we were entering Island Park, we had a moose cross the road in front of us. It was at a distance, but a nice sighting and great way to start our trip. At 9:57 AM we enter the West Entance of Yellowstone and the temp is 57 degrees with bright blue skies with a few scattered clouds. A bright beautiful day to be home! At about 10:15 AM we came to the eagles nest. No eagles in sight on the surrounding trees or nest, as a matter of fact, there was a Canada Goose sitting in the nest. We have seen Canada geese take over osprey nests on the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner, Montana on Highway 89, but this is the first we have ever seen a goose on the eagles nest on the Madison River. We sure hope the eagles will be back! At about 10:20 AM we had bison on the Seven Mile Bridge, slow drive across the bridge. We also had about 7 elk out in the meadow of the large Swan viewing pullout. At about 10:30 AM we had 3 elk in the large wildlife viewing pullout just before the Madison Campground and Madison Junction.

We are headed north at Madison Junction and there isn't very much traffic in the park so the drive is going at our own pace and we are enjoying the trek. The temp dropped to 55 degrees in the Gibbon Falls area and we saw a few bison and geese and no elk in Gibbon Meadows. In Norris Meadow we have a few geese and elk and the temp has dropped to 51 degrees and it has taken 2 hours from home to the Norris Junction. We saw a few folks pulled over in the pullout with binocs and scopes, but they are just chatting and appear to be waiting for the griz to come into view. We head on north to Mammoth and then we plan to drive on to Lamar. At 11:12 AM we arrive at Swan Lake Flats which is 125 miles from Rexburg. At 11:25 AM we made it to Mammoth Hot Springs and the temp is 58 degrees and 130 miles from Rexburg.

At about 11:53 AM we are at Tower Junction and see antelope and bison out in the meadows across from the Tower Ranger station. Tower Junction is 148 miles from Rexburg and it is 62 degrees. We stopped at the Yellowstone picnic area for lunch and visit with friends from Idaho Falls, Rexburg, and Logan, Utah. After lunch we head east towards Lamar Valley. There were bison on both sides of the road on our drive through Little America. There were two bald eagles soaring overhead as we reach the new bridge over the Lamar Bridge. No woves or bears were seen and not many folks were in the pullouts looking. At about 2:30 PM we stopped at the top of The Narrows and watch a Great Horned Owl on its nest. A few folks stop and get out and take a look at the owl and a few stop and ask what we are viewing and give us a strange look when we tell them. They are expecting either bears or wolves and not an owl. We smile at each other as they move on to bigger things.

At about 3:00 PM we drive slowly through Lamar Valley glassing the hill and dales and river banks for signs of bears or wolves and other wildlife. We see antelope, bison and elk and a bald eagle as we travel along enjoying our day in the Stone.

From about 4:00 PM for about a half hour we watch two mountain goats at the Thunderer pullout on Barronette Peak. We watched them with some nice folks from Utah who were spending their weekend in Silver Gate, Montana.

We spot two sandhill cranes just past the Pebble Creek bridge as we make our way west. Just west of the Yellowstone picnic area there are 14 bighorn sheep by the side of the road posing for pictures. There was a pretty good size group of folks enjoying the sheep. At about 5:30 PM just south the moose viewing area we had a wolf out on the snow. It looked like it was just slowing moving west into the brush. At 5:41 PM, just south of North Twin Lake there was a coyote mousing out in the meadow. It is about 64 degrees as we pass Gibon Falls. And about 6:30 PM we are out the west gate and into West Yellowstone. We had a great Saturday in the Park and just loved being there and enjoying all there was to see and do with old and new friends. Our milage for out trip was 363 for a nice day trip. Until next time my friends, take care, and enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends!