A Cathedral of Wolves

Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 6:58 AM: We set out from our rustic cabin at Roosevelt to see what we could see in the "Serengeti of Yellowstone," the Lamar Valley, which stretches from north of Tower Falls toward the northeast entrance to the park and Cooke City, Montana.

By 7:15 we had found a few dozen earnest wildlife watchers scattered along the roadside, most within a few miles of the Yellowstone Association Institute, aka "Buffalo Ranch" (and yes, they're really "bison," technically "American bison bison," yes, not "buffalo).

And within a few minutes we'd spotted two wolves lounging and calling from across the river, about 1000 yards away. Then we spotted the ears of a third, sticking up above the tall, golden autumn grass. Then rumors of a fourth and then, yes, the fourth.

After another move down the road and another half hour, we'd spotted most of the local pack, EIGHT wolves - and heard the plaintive calls of two more, one over the hill behind us, one hidden across the river and into the trees.


More soon in an expanded post.