After The Rain

Critters we’ve seen on our 2013 trip so far:  bison, pronghorn, elk, white-tail deer, Uinta ground squirrel, coyote, snowshoe hare, grizzly bear, moose, wolf, red fox, black bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, mule deer
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2013 trip so far: osprey, pheasant, magpie, raven, Canada geese, mountain bluebird, grouse, golden eagle, bald eagle, American avocet, sandhill crane, red-tailed hawk, cliff swallow, northern flicker

[Click on any photo to enlarge.]

With their distinctive beards and long fur, mountain goats are easy to spot but rarely seen in Yellowstone.  Though we had seen 3 hanging out way above in the mountains at Baronnet Peak not far from the northeast entrance earlier this season, they looked like white
   dots and almost hard to make out even with the spotting scope.  However, we had heard that there were some who occasionally had been spotted near Rustic Falls, only about 5 miles from the campground, but we’d never seen them there.  As we were heading over to Indian Creek one day, once
again I looked up across the creek to see if I could spy any, and lo and behold, there they were!  Fortunately there’s a large pullout where several cars were already parked, and we quickly found a spot.  Mountain goats are considered a non-native species in Yellowstone, but these graceful and athletic creatures are quite nimble,
often climbing rocky slopes having an angle of 60 degrees or more with ease, and can jump nearly 12 ft. in a single bound.  At this sighting we initially thought this was mom, dad, and kid, but later we were told it was probably mom, a yearling, and a kid born this year.  Whatever the family structure, it was so just so awesome to finally see them this close!

Hail in the campground

We’ve had some interesting weather this year.  Mammoth Campground is the lowest elevation campground in the park at 6,200 ft. thus it is the warmest, but we’ve had some unseasonably hot days this year that have reached into 
the low 90s!  However, we’re always mindful of the fact that history shows it can snow during any month of the year somewhere in Yellowstone, but so far we’ve only experienced it here in May and Sept.  And we have had a couple of days so far this season that produced some hail, but it doesn’t seem to last for long and then melts followed by rain.  And after the rain, comes the rainbow!

After the rain is sometimes the best time to view wildlife.  We might just head up the hill to watch the elk or maybe head out to Lamar Valley to watch the bison. In fact this poor little bison calf (below left) was soaked and looked non too happy about it!  Of course those rainy days can also produce the beginnings of some lovely sunsets behind the mountains.










Speaking of the elk, they’re always fascinating and entertaining to watch.  Just when I think I’ve got plenty of pictures of them, something happens to prove me wrong.  One night up in town 8 calves and their moms were lying in the lush grass across from the hotel when suddenly the calves

decided it was time to play.  One by one they got up joining in the merriment.  What fun to watch them chase each other so full of boundless energy!  Most of my photos of them are a blur despite using the fast action function on my camera, but you get the idea.

The next day we were surprised to see one of the big bulls just lounging around in town with his antlers still in full velvet.  What makes this so unusual is that normally this time of year, the bulls are in the higher elevations where it’s cooler.  Generally they don’t come down until late Aug. or Sept. for the rut.  However on a warm afternoon in mid-July this big guy honored us all with his presence.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, the Mammoth area is one of the prime places for elk to hang out mainly because of the great vegetation and the relative lack of predators.  Not to say there aren’t any, just fewer than in other areas of the park.  So whether it’s a big bull, a majestic cow, a young spike (male yearling), or the adorable calves, people can’t get enough of these awesome creatures.

Yellowstone Tidbits:

• Mountain goats:  male (billy) weighs 300+ lbs. standing about 3-1/2 ft. tall, female (nanny) weights 150 lbs., young (kids); males and females both have horns.
• Based on archaeological finds, people have been in Yellowstone more than 11,000 years.
• 1,000 - 3,000 earthquakes occur every year in Yellowstone
• Elk bulls shed their antlers in March/April, but as they are growing, they are covered in a soft skin full of blood called velvet, which they will remove in the fall by rubbing on trees and shrubs, sharpening them for the upcoming rut season.