Anniescience6's Blog

More Wolves

anniescience6 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:18:54 +0000

July 26, 2009. The bus left the ranch at exactly 5:30. We were heading east at 25 miles per hour which is the speed limit in Lamar. Ten minutes later, the bus came to a complete stop as two gray wolves crossed the road. We saw two more wolves by the wayside, one was holding something in his mouth. We thought it was a marmot but it was still dark and we cannot see very well. We turned around and headed to the Barronette mountain and watched some bighorn sheep as they tracked the steep rocky slopes.

After breakfast, we headed to Silver Gate, stopped by the Gallery where Dan Hartman prepared a presentation. Dan is a naturalist who has worked with BBC and National Geographic. We then went on a hike with him and looked at carnivore signs along the way. We had lunch then headed to Cooke City. We sighted a wolf and some other wildlife on the way. We wrapped up at the institute at 4:00 p.m.

I went wildlife watching again at 6:00 p.m. I sighted 2 sandhill cranes and watched as they do their mating dance. A coyote was busy feeding on its prey nearby oblivious to the cranes which were only about 5 meters away. There were several pronghorn deers lazily grazing and a little bit further away are the bison herds which are the permanent residents of the ranch.

Meet the Wolves of Yellowstone

anniescience6 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:18:16 +0000

July 25, 2009. The 5:30 Wildlife Viewing was optional but I wanted to see the wolves so I got up at 5:00 and braved the cold mountain air. We went east of the Ranch where Ric McAltaire was stationed. He works with the Yellowstone Wolf Project and he informed our instructor, David Guillard, that he spotted some wolves about a mile and a half east of the Ranch. We positioned our spotting scopes and viewed the wolf activity near the banks of the Lamar River. There were 2 gray wolves – the alpha pair and two black yearlings. They belong to the Druid pack, one of the packs reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Ric said that this pack is made up of 14 members. The wolves were completely eradicated in 1920 because people thought they were destructive to livestock and they pose a great danger to the residents. After 75 years, they were reintroduced to Yellowstone to keep a healthy balance in the ecosystem. They keep the elk population in control and they also support a big population of scavengers and smaller carnivores like the coyote. A bonus to our wolf-watching was sighting an old gray-tipped grizzly in the same vicinity as the wolves.

We went back to the ranch to prepare and eat breakfast. At 8:30 we left for Gardiner, Montana for the morning session with Dan Tyres, a US Forest Service Biologist. He updated us on their work on wolverines and lynx but emphasized that they work mainly on land management. After lunch, we went to the Gallatin Forest and hiked up Beartooth Mountain. The evening session was spent discussing about Mesocarnivore policy.

Another day at Yellowstone

anniescience6 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:25:08 +0000

July 23, 2009. Today is the second day I will be exploring Yellowstone National Park on my own. Yesterday was really fun and exciting. I started the day at 5:22 AM. I have a lot of miles to cover and I also wanted to see as much wildlife as I can. They are usually up very early feeding while humans are still asleep. As soon as I entered the road along the Elk refuge, I saw a bunch of male and female elks on the grass. There was a bunch with one male and 4 females very near the road. I took some pictures and went on. At 6:01, just past Oxbow bend, I spotted a black bear crossing the road. I stopped the car to let him pass and I was able to take a good look at him and a shot. I arrived at the Old Faithful at 8:00 AM. The air smelled of sulfur since the geyser has just erupted. I went to the visitor center to ask what time will be the next eruption and was told it will be at 9:38. I settled in the Lodge, ate breakfast then went around the geyser area and looked at the hotsprings and mudspots. I took a lot of good pictures. At 9:00 I reserved a good spot where I can watch the old geyser spew 6000 to 8000 gallons of water in the air. It went exactly as predicted. The eruption lasted for two minutes. It was a spectacular site. Everybody was quiet. I was even embarrassed to have my picture taken while the geyser was actively spewing hot water. I had my picture taken when it was over.

The next stop was the Fishing bridge but I didn’t stay there because some volunteers were painting the bridge. A little bit further where the Yellowstone River flows, I saw a bunch of chicks on a little island. There were three cranes flying back and forth as if showing off. I figured out they were the parents of those tiny cranes on the little island. I went to the Canyon area and saw the lower falls at the Artist’s point. I then went to the upper falls but I cannot go down to take a good look as an accident just occurred and the rangers were stopping all visitors from proceeding. I continued on higher to what they called the Devil’s Den and saw the most spectacular view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It was really amazing.

The road going to Mammoth Spring from the Canyon was treacherous. The view on the right was spectacular and breathtaking. But you have to drive slowly because it was so steep and squiggly. A little bit lower as you go through the pass, the view shifted to the other side. The cliff is now on the left and you have to be very careful especially on the bends because your car might shoot off to the cliff. I stopped at some turnouts looking for wild life. I didn’t count but I saw numerous bisons on the way. And wonders of wonder!!!! I spotted a red wolf. I will tell you more about it on my next blog as I am running out of time. I should be on the road to explore the Mammoth hot springs. I will be hiking today to explore the amazing geology of Yellowstone. See you again next time.

Home, Finally.

anniescience6 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:24:25 +0000

Hi, everyone. I just arrived home exhausted so I gave myself two days to settle down and relax. Now I am ready to share the excitement of the past 15 days. I was out of touch for fifteen days!!!! No tv, no internet connection, no cellphone!!!! It was nature, nature, nature!!!! and more nature!!!!

Home on the Range

anniescience6 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:10:24 +0000

July 24, 2009. This is the day I will be going to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to start with my workshops. We left the lodging house at Gardiner very early and spotted some bighorn sheep on our way. We stopped at the site of the petrified tree. It was a big red maple tree which indicates that Yellowstone used to have a warmer climate. A pair of marmots were on a rock just past the petrified tree site. Thousands of bisons were feeding on the Lamar Valley. Ground squirrels were everywhere and butterflies and birds flutted around. The ranch was quiet and the volunteers were very warm and accomodating. I organized my kitchen space, sign up a couple of books from the library and settled in my cabin. This will be my home for the next 10 days.

Participants came in starting at 4:00 p.m. We started with formal introductions and orientation at 7:00 p.m and were introduced to the mesocarnivores of Yellowstone – the wolverine, the lynx, and the fisher. The day ended at 9:00. It was so quiet and the subdued lighting made the air a little bit eerie.

YellowstoneToday

anniescience6 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:02:50 +0000

I wasn’t able to post a blog yesterday but I will try my very best today. I am bound to the Geysers at Yellowstone and it will be another day full of adventures. The Grand Teton National Park, which I explored yesterday, was only an introduction to my 15-day nature trip. See yah.

Annie@JacksonHole

anniescience6 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:05:03 +0000

July 20, 2009. I arrived in Jackson Hole at 1:59 Mountain Time. I have travelled two time zones since 9:00 AM for a total of 7 hours!!! The plane was delayed for 35 minutes and my connecting flight in Chicago leaves at 1:50. It was already 1:20 when the landing signal was announced and I was worried I wouldn’t make it to my connection. Then I remembered I have to set my watch back for an hour. I would stilll have time to eat lunch but decided to just wait until I reach Jackson Hole where I have to set my watch back for another hour. The Inn was cozy and the little town look festive. I went out to search for food after settling down in my room for a few minutes. It was already four and I found out dinner in town starts at 5:30 where most of the restaurants open. I missed lunch already and I am starving like a grizzly bear. I was thinking of just having a snack to ease my hunger a bit but that would mean I have to eat a big dinner. I decided eating a big second meal for the day would do me better healthwise so I went inside Mexican restaurant called Merry Piglet. It was really merry with the music and the smiling staff. A bowl of salsa and tortilla chips were placed on my table as soon as I sat down. I ordered a rice bowl. It was a complete meal with rice and beans, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and a lot more!!! I took a local newspaper on my way out and found out I just ate the most delicious salsa in Jackson Hole. It sure was. I just didn’t realize but I remember the waiter asked me if I wanted some more salsa and chips and I said yes. Anyway, I found out that there will be a rodeo qualifying round at 6:00. I walked around town to get a better glimpse of Jackson Hole. The Rodeo started promptly at 6:00 and the cowboys were really amazing!!!! There was a round for juniors and kids. There was a little girl who really went very fast – she even beat the time of some adults. Some of those children, probably only 7 – 8 years old, could ride so fast. They have to make three turns and the horse should really be able to make those turns as fast as possible. The lasso was tricky. The team made up of two cowboys should be able to lasso the young bull around the horn and the leg. The leader made it in less than six seconds. At 8:00 pm, the cool mountain air has settled and I went into the Inn to rest. See you in the morning………………. which is right now!!!!!

Hello world!

anniescience6 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:59:46 +0000

Welcome to my blogspot. I will be updating you on my trip to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park. See you !!!!