Sign our   Guestbook:
Guestbook

Home

Trip Reports:
May 2004
August 2004
October 2004
May 2005
September 2005
May 2006
July 2006
October 2006
May 2007
October 2007
May 2008
September 2008
June 2009
Glacier 2009
May 2010
October 2010
June 2011
Olympic 2011
November 2011
June 2012
September 2012
June 2013
Not the Park 2013
June 2014
Jasper 2014
May 2015
October 2015
May 2016
October 2016
June 2017
September 2017
June 2018
October 2018
June 2019
***New***
September 2019
*********

Wildlife:
Wildlife Watching
Wolf Watching
Wolves
Black Bears
Grizzly Bears
Bison
Elk
Moose
Coyote
Pronghorn
Other Animals
Tracks

Places:
Lamar Valley
Slough Creek
Thermal Features

More:
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Gallery 3
Gallery 4
Wallpaper
Wallpaper II
Wallpaper III
Wallpaper IV
Wallpaper V
Wallpaper VI
Wallpaper VII
Wallpaper VIII
Wallpaper IX
Wallpaper X
Wallpaper XI
Wallpaper XII
Wallpaper XIII
Wallpaper XIV
Wallpaper XV
Wallpaper XVI
***New*** Wallpaper XVII
*******
Links


E-Mail


All photos by
Tim Springer
and
Christine Baleshta


Additional Photos:

Tim Springer Photography




Yellowstone National Park


  We have decided to post future trip reports on Christine's website christinebaleshta.com. It is simply easier to post there so we should be able to stay current with our reports.   Thank you - C&T
Yellowstone Trip Reports

  Austin Texas, July 2016
 
     Spring suddenly becomes summer. Heavy rains that turned creeks and rivers muddy disappear as temperatures rise. Cracks weave through dry earth like a map of crooked roads. Wildflowers still blooming in pastures and along highways, droop as the sun beats down and their leaves wither.
     I remember standing in the parking lot at Pebble Creek campground on our last morning in the Park. The sun is out and the air is cool and crisp. The only sound is bird song and chatter, the rushing creek. I gaze at the green hills climbing toward Trout Lake allowing the peace of this moment to surround me. This is what I take home.
     We knew the week ahead would bring rain and cut into our plans to hike some of our favorite trails, but when we landed in Bozeman on a sunny afternoon in the 60s,, we were optimistic that the weather would be better than predicted. Though rain nixed most of our hikes, it didn't hinder wildlife viewing as Yellowstone inched toward the end of a brilliant spring. Bison and newborn calves covered the valleys. Wolf pups ventured out of the den and pronghorn fawns, minutes old, followed their mother on long, tottering legs. Life is a gift and spring in Yellowstone is a reflection of that truth.
     We were very fortunate to watch the Junction Butte pups, eight in all, 4 black and 4 gray, almost every day, but never did see the Prospect Peak Pack or their pups. The Lamar Canyon Pack now numbers only 3 adults - 926F, 965M and Little T. Although 926F had pups, they have not been seen so it's uncertain if any survived.
     The Wapiti Lake Pack seems to be undergoing change. The Wapitis have four puppies this year, three gray and one black. Three Mollies have been seen with the alpha female and the yearling female from last year's litter, while 755M stays just outside of this new circle of wolves, visiting them from time to time. No one knows what is happening between the Mollie males and the Wapiti females. The Mollies have chased 755M - half-heartedly - but he still keeps his distance, perhaps waiting for the Mollies to leave.
     Coyotes remain elusive, though we saw more than last trip, and we have yet to find an explanation. After wolf reintroduction, the coyote population dove, understandably, but we thought it would eventually balance out. In the end, Yellowstone is an evolving ecosystem, and we can only watch with awe.
 

    May 2016 Trip Report -->


Christine Baleshta - July 2016


** Book Release ** 
Christine has collaborated with collage artist Looking for 527 Susanne Belcher in Looking for 527, a book inspired by the alpha female of Yellowstone's Cottonwood Pack who was killed in Montana's 2009 wolf hunt. The book combines Susanne's haunting images with Christine's essay and is available on Amazon.com. All royalties are directly donated to The Yellowstone Park Foundation's Wolf Project.
Looking for 527 on Amazon


Click for larger image




WebRingHome - About - Privacy
The Yellowstone National Park Web Ring
[ Join Now | Ring Hub | Random | << Prev | Next >> ]


 



Yellowstone Experiences 2015