Grizzlies, Wolves, Oh MY!

East Entrance Road

We left Cody behind and headed to Idaho Falls to check out the Sawtooth area for a few days.  Headed back into Yellowstone so we could take the most 'scenic' route possible...oh and look for animals.  The eastern entrance into Yellowstone is as different as each of the others.  The drive in reminded us of Hawaii...volcanic rock everywhere.  Lots of ash deposits that rain and rivers have worn to look very much like the hoodoos of Utah's Bryce Canyon.

Wyoming horses

Yellowstone grassland

Howitzer?

As we headed up the mountainside there's an area that looks 'man made'...kind of like a gravel quarry.  We are pretty sure it is natural.  The proof that they manage avalanche prevention is the large cannon on the hillside.  The mountainside showed numerous scars from past avalanches.  Guess that's why this section of Park is closed in the winter months.

Grizzly!

Grizzly!  Where's the spray?

We drove along and tried to spot animals in the clearings and along the rivers.  We stopped at a spot that just screams 'Grizzlies'...none were seen.  On we went when we noticed 3 people at a overlook watching something.  Cindi was scanning the hillsides as we drove and saw it.  Yelled Bear!...then it's a Grizzly.  Right there on the hillside across from us was a bear...not a black bear, but a grizzly flipping rocks.  We watched him for a good 10 minutes before a bear jam broke out then things got a little out of control.  People loose their minds...beep car horns, etc.  Why? Have no idea...

Huckleberry Ice Cream

Waiting hopefully

Continuing on we headed towards Gardiner...side trip for huckleberry ice cream...after all it was lunch time.  We discovered huckleberry last trip so we decided to indulge once again.  Cooper was really excited thinking he had a cone too.  He did not although he did get the last bite of waffle cone.  It was hard to share.

Big Horn Sheep

 On our way back to the Park we noticed people looking up at the cliff face overlooking the river were a herd of Big Horn Sheep.  We have seen them a few times before always at this particular spot...it's amazing how they disappear into the rock.  There were several young among the group...kind of scary watching them on the rock edge.

Wolf

Yes a real wolf

 The last highlight of our day occurred right before we made the turn for West Yellowstone.  A rather big parking lots was ahead of us with a ranger directing traffic and people.  We couldn't tell what the fuss was all about...looked like a bear jam, but the area had a large parking area.  Unusual.  Bill got out to see what was up since traffic wasn't moving.  Guess what it was...wolf.  Right there on the hillside was a female dark gray wolf.  She appeared to be looking for varmints under the rocks.  We thought the bear jams were bad...wolf jams are far worse.  People got crazy parking and running.  By the time I parked the wolf had started to move off into the timber...at least I got a glimpse. 

Looking for a snack