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June 10 to June 15 (No Photos)

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:55 am
by MGoBlue
Great visit so far! We’ve mostly skipped the bear circuses around Tower-Roosevelt but have still seen lots of black bears. No grizzlies so far. Saw a nice cross fox along the Upper Terrace Drive at MHS. Lamar Canyon: ospreys and red tails on the usual nests plus two gorgeous bald eagles did a synchronized aerobatic fly-through. Also pretty sure of a golden eagle somewhat distant at Hitching Post. Mountain goats up the wazoo on Baronette Peak. Two coyotes by the Soda Butte/Lamar confluence. One adult and a still very fluffy young GHO at Mammoth, with a strong wind making the young one look like a giant fluff ball! Peregrine falcon on her eggs, readily visible from pullout near Calcite Springs Overlook - This location is much easier to see than the one they were using a couple of years ago!

Trout Lake on Wednesday. We’re still 0 for forever on otters, though we did see what we’re pretty sure was a muskrat. (Some other folks told us they had seen an otter just before we got there but we think they may have been mistaken.) We also saw an American Dipper doing its dippy little dance on the footbridge.

But besides being beautiful as always, Trout Lake was incredibly good to us! On the way back from Buck Lake to Trout Lake we saw a black bear (kind of a dark cinnamon) grazing and then gnawing on some old bones before settling down for a nap. He/she was downhill from us at the perfect hundred-yard distance and we were able to observe without disturbing for at least ten minutes, the only humans on the scene. We’ll take that over all the bear circuses in the world! Then as we continued on we saw the back end of a lighter cinnamon disappointing over a hill. But wait, there’s more! Stopped for a while at Trout Lake, almost back to the trail, looked up and there’s a cow moose hustling through followed by her very tiny calf doing its best to keep up!! They were less than 25 yards away but nothing we could do about that but breathe a sigh of relief when Mama veered clockwise rather then toward us! Carolyn might have been in a place where she could have had a few yards to avoid them but I would have had NO place to go but into the lake! The moose went into the water themselves, swam across the narrow end near the footbridge, clambered out and continued along their way. Best Trout Lake adventure we couldn’t even have imagined!!

We will be here through Thursday so hopefully more adventures to relate. Will add photos later. (Sadly, no decent photos of the moose LOL.) We’re signed up for the tour of the Heritage and Resource Center in Gardiner on Wednesday, looking forward to checking it out. Hope to see a grizzly or two, but who knows? We’re always happy to take what the Park gives us and grateful to all those who have fought to create and protect this magical place.

Re: June 10 to June 15 (No Photos)

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:46 pm
by lah
Sounds like a fun start. Anxiously awaiting your next reports and eventual pictures.

Re: June 10 to June 15 (No Photos)

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:58 pm
by Dorothy
What a great report! And what exceptional experiences. Thanks so much for sharing. Good luck in your next few days and awaiting those photos.