Backpacker Jackie - Tuesday Aug 26th 2008 - Last day in Yellowstone

 We woke up hours before dawn again today.  Our mission was to head out into the Lamar Valley and try to find some of the wolves from the Druid Peak pack.  We drove out to the rendevous spot the wolves use and saw nothing.  We went back down the road and found a few cars in the pullouts.  One guy had a big fancy spotting scope.  He said there was a lone wolf up on the northern hillside.  Lucky for us the wolf was black so he was easy to see in the pre-dawn light.  He started moving west so we ran for the car and followed him.  I'm glad we have my car with its higher clearance and bigger tires.  I was able to pull off into the ditches and not bottom out the car or get stuck.  I think I got some good shots.  The wolf was still a long way off.  They don't like people at all.  In the pics you can at least tell it is a wolf even if there is not a lot of detail.  He wasn't walking around in bright sun.  I was using the 300mm lens too so not a lot of light was getting in.  Thank God, ok my Dad, for that lens.  It has captured just about all of our animal shots so far on the trip.  Without it I wouldn't have gotten hardly any of the shots.  

The best part of wolf hunting is the National Park Service tracks the wolves.  When you are in the park and see a bright yellow Nissan Xterra with a lot of radio antennas on top, follow it!  That is Ranger Rick tracking the collared wolves.  We followed him for a while.  When we got to a turnout, he pulled out a device that allows him to hear the beaps on the tracking collars.  It is pretty cool.  I took his picture :)  It is funny to watch all the people following him.  I wanted to ask him if anyone has ever followed him to the bathroom :)  I guess 1 in 3 wolves in Yellowstone has a radio collar.  There are several packs in the park that have formed and flourished since re-introduction in about 1995.  I wish we could have gotten a close-up shot with some puppies too, but that is highly unlikely.  Most photogs have to try for months to get those kinds of shots.  They are also willing to head out into the backcountry too.  I wasn't hiking in both wolf and grizzly country.  Not for me!

After watching the wolf for hours, we headed to Mammoth Hot Springs for what else?  The breakfast buffet!  On the way we encountered the bighorn sheep!  Finally!  After years and years of trying to see these elusive animals, they were in a high meadow feeding on grass.  Brandon was convinced they were mythical like the jackalope.  I was so excited because we were the first car to spot them.  They were close too.  I wandered into the opposite of the meadow and hid behind a rock.  It was really cute because a little kid followed me down after hs family stopped there too.  He was making a bit of noise so I told him to try to step lightly and slowly.  I told him quick movement would scare them away.  He was really funny trying to be quiet.  He wasn't very old so he was a little awkward.  He will make a good photog someday.  Anyway after we were in place behind rocks, the sheep relaxed and went about their business.  Some of them laid down.  Others were eating up a storm.  The best part was two young males sparred a little bit.  That was cool. 

After we moved on from there, we ran across a huge bull elk right off the road.  This guy was a 12 point buck.  He had an absolutely huge rack.  I shot away at him too.  We were careful not to get too close as he could do some serious harm.  

Brandon got the big omlette again.  I got pancakes this time.  They were sooo fluffy and good.  I ate two of them but was too full for the last one.  Brandon ate that one up.  He thought they were really good too.  

Once breakfast was done we headed over to the Norris Geyser Basin.  We remembered it being cool last time, but this time it wasn't all that cool.  That basin one of the most active in the park so it changes all the time.  I guess in 2003 there was some seismic activity that caused the ground there to superheat to over 200 degrees F.  It was so hot the roots of the trees were cooked.  There are skeleton trees everywhere.  For most of the trip we have stayed away from the crowds.  We didn't even go see Old Faithful.  Anyway at Norris there were tons of yahoos.  It was almost more than I could handle.  I stopped in the bathroom and this woman was lamenting about the lack of hot water in the sinks. She said the park should harness some of that geothermal energy and give her hot water.  Um yeah.  I guess she forgot that you only pay $25 per car for 7 days for full use of the park.  That is not that much money!  Disneyland is $70 per day per person.  I'm sure they have hot water in the bathroom.  Seriously.  It is a national park not a spa.  So is the park supposed to drill into the ground to harness that energy?  Obviously she doesn't know much about national parks.  Most of them by law cannot develop anymore than what is already there.  They cannot build any new roads or new facilities.  I'm pretty sure that rules out drilling.

Tonight we were supposed to camp again at Canyon, but well we are both really tired.  Camping doesn't really get you a good night's sleep.  We decided to stay in a motel in Gardiner.  It will give us a head start tomorrow for the drive to Glacier.  Plus we can do laundry, go to bathroom without a coat, and not have to wear sandals in the shower :)  AND they have free wi-fi!  Awesome!  I am in heaven.  I had been writing my entries in notepad so I didn't forget anything.   Brandon went across the street and bought the Everclear for PH.  He also found a drive-in down the street that had the Jackie trifecta - corn dog, fries, and shake.  Yummy!  I feel sick now though.  When we got into the room, we both showered immediately.  We were filthy. 

Not sure what kind of service I will get in Glacier.