We drove into the Park a little after 4:00 p.m. and headed straight to Swan Lake Flats. The Park is very quiet; there is hardly anyone here. Swan Lake Flats looks very green, but the Lake itself has a crust of ice covering it almost entirely. Two Trumpeter Swans dove at the edge of the shore. There are elk everywhere - more than last October, I think. They are shedding their winter coats and are very light coats, almost beige, with patches of brown fur sticking out. The bulls have begun to grow antlers again. Some are small, like little bones, and some are beginning to look quite impressive. All are covered with velvet. The bison, too, are everywhere and there are some babies. We saw three in Little America right after passing the picnic area. We saw two grizzlies foraging; one across from the Hellroarin Lookout and the other at Amethyst Bench. The bear at Hellroarin was very silvery with a dark face. Near Petrified Tree, on the north side of the road, a moose with two knobby little antlers was feeding in the grass. Past Tower Junction, right before the Yellowstone Picnic Area, stood a big horned sheep and a very gentle looking young ewe on the side of the road. Neither seemed very disturbed by the presence of onlookers taking their pictures. In fact they seemed to pose, welcoming photographers. We stopped at Dave's Hill and saw the Slough Creek Pack den site and some elk, but no wolves. A group of adults had just taken off, probably to hunt. I'm sure we will see little ones tomorrow. The light was fading and it started to rain shortly after, but not bad for a first day.

Author - Christine Baleshta
Photography - Tim Springer