If I Were Going...: Northwest Loop: Yellowstone and South

Mountain Coyote, Yellowstone National Park

The final leg of our Northwest adventure was a brief visit to Yellowstone National Park and a chance to visit a place I have always wanted to see.

A new place

Then, we swung through Wyoming and a little bit of Utah and made our way back home.

Map: Google

I will not talk at all about Yellowstone itself; I just blogged about that, but I will cover some new things. This time we stayed in Silver Gate, which is just outside the Northeast Entrance in Montana (a very small slice of Yellowstone is in Montana).

Why there?

Two reasons: it is close to Lamar Valley, where we often see animals …

American Bison in Lamar Valley

… and Scott’s favorite trout restaurant, the Log Cabin, is located there ...

Left photo: Scott Stevens; right photo: The Log Cabin

After we had decided to go back to Yellowstone and we had booked our room in Silver Gate, I had an idea: For years I have been wanting to explore the Beartooth Highway, which heads north out of Silver Gate/Cooke City and was rumored to be gorgeous.

Granite Mountain near the beginning of the Beartooth Highway

One reason I had never driven it was that, at an elevation of 10,497 feet, it remains closed much of the year because of snow. Well, it was summer, so it should have been open.

Ahhhh ... summer

Beartooth Highway

Beartooth Highway vista

Scott was game so we headed out. Immediately, we encountered a tiny problem. The road is under some serious construction and the construction area is closed between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. It was already afternoon, so we would have to gauge our drive to get back through the south side by 7:00 p.m. Otherwise, it’s a long drive back around to Gardiner, Montana, and through the Park to our room.

We decided to try it. We didn’t get to see the entire highway, but we made it almost to the top.

It flattens out above treeline

And, the trip was worth it.

The area has lots of lakes

It was beautiful –and very uncrowded.

An overlook at about 9,000 feet

A section of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge and the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone, Beartooth Highway was called "the most beautiful drive in America" by late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt.

Kuralt might be right

The road traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks from about 5,200 feet to the top at Beartooth Pass before it descends back down to Red Lodge.

Map: Mapquest

Despite being a U.S. highway, the road is not maintained by the Wyoming Department of Transportation or the U.S. Forest Service because “it does not meet standards for Wyoming state highways.” It is instead maintained by the National Park Service, even though it is not part of the Park. The Montana Department of Transportation does maintain its portions at the east and west ends of the highway, respectively.

Summer brings flowers -- and skiing

There is no snow removal except for once in May or even June, if there has been heavy snowfall. Drifts can be as high as 26 feet deep. Once the road opens, the Beartooth Basin Ski Area opens at the state line at Beartooth Pass for a short summer-only season that lasts until July.

Photo: NPS

In August 1872, Civil War General Philip Sheridan and 120 men conducted an inspection tour of Yellowstone. Rather than take the long detour down the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River to return to Billings, Sheridan took the advice of an old hunter named Shuki Greer and crossed a trail that eventually took him over Beartooth Pass.

But, it sure is pretty in summer

When the road was opened in 1936, it essentially followed Sheridan's route.

Looking towards Clark's Fork

Several large mudslides and rockslides in May 2005 damaged or destroyed much of the Montana side of the Beartooth Highway and the highway did not reopen for a year. An estimated 100,000 cubic yards of rock was removed from a half-mile-long section of the highway near the top of the switchbacks, and construction crews drilled down to solid bedrock to create new supports for the road.

Photo: Construction Equipment Guide

The current construction is rebuilding a mile-long segment of the 69-mile-long highway, including a 420-foot, three-span steel girder bridge over Beartooth Ravine, 20-foot-high mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, a new road and landscaping.

The new bridge will lessen or eliminate dangerous curves, widen the highway across the bridge by adding shoulders and allow Grizzly Bears, Elk and Moose, to cross under the structure.

We saw no animals, just scenery

It is a massive project for such a remote location, so it makes sense to close the road every night. It was a spectacular drive. Well worth taking some time away from the Park. Next time I am in Yellowstone in the summer, I want to do the entire highway. Plus, I will get to see the completed road repairs.

Watch the drive here.

Yellowstone

So, what did we do in Yellowstone? The same thing we always do; look for animals. And we had some good luck. Even though it was just three weeks later than our most recent trip, the seasons had most definitely shifted. Flowers were blooming everywhere.

Lots of purple flowers

It was beautiful.

A hill full of daisies

And, although American Robins were still outnumbering all other birds …

The entire trip was dominated by Robins

… I did see more birds than my past trip, including a fair number of Brown-headed Cowbirds, including this one taking a ride on a Bison ...

I imagine that coat makes good nesting material

… some nesting Cliff Swallows ...

Watching us watching them

… a Bald Eagle …

There are lots of Eagles in Yellowstone, but I seldom see them do anything interesting

... A number of Ducks, including American Wigeons, Lesser Scaups and Cinnamon Teals ...

The Elk Antler Creek area is good for Ducks

And, a super treat, a Williamson's Sapsucker, a bird I struggle to photograph because they are always in the shadows or the foliage ...

That yellow belly and red throat pop even in the shade

A Fox on the side of the road

We also encountered two Red Foxes, both with a mottled red/gray/black coloration. I only got photos of one that was walking along the road in Lamar Valley. Obviously he was still shedding his winter coat.

But, I watched the other one pounce on, catch and eat some kind of small rodent.

It was difficult to see because it was in tall grass – and it happened very quickly.

Of course there were Bison; we were spending almost all of our Park time in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys, where the majority of Bison can be found. We got stuck in three or four Bison jams as they just sauntered down the road with no regard for drivers – even drivers who were trying to get to a nice trout dinner.

The beast you expect to see in Yellowstone

We also saw a mother Pronghorn and her calf. I think I saw more baby Pronghorn in June than all all the others I have seen in my life.

Pronghorn on a hill

Normally, we don’t even try to see Mountain Goats in Yellowstone because they are so far away and they are not really native to the area. They were introduced during the 1940s and 1950s to some adjacent areas and established themselves in the Park at the eastern end of the Lamar Valley in the 1990s. However, when we stopped to admire scenery and have a general look around, I actually spotted one.

I am amazed I saw it; I am amazed it made its way to where it was

Very close the Northeast Entrance as we were leaving the first evening, we saw a tiny Mule Deer fawn and its mother. We don’t see a lot of Deer in Yellowstone and this might be the first fawn. These were incidental sightings. We had two really special ones, as well.

Mom watching this cutie

A Hungry Coyote

A beautiful animal

We stopped to ask a photographer who had pulled over on the side of the road in Lamar Valley what he was shooting. He answered that it was either a Wolf or a “Ki-YOTE” really close to where we were standing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a Wolf, but rather a Mountain Coyote. But, it was close. Really close. I had to back up as it crossed the road.

It stopped for a minute before crossing

It turns out that this particular Coyote was a very healthy-looking beauty, but it also had a bum back leg …

It was walking on its three good legs

… and it was hungry …

Literally licking its chops

We followed it at a safe(ISH) distance as it hobbled over a little ridge and immediately pounced on a small ground squirrel in the bushes …

A pounce and then ... curtains

The kill was quick; amazingly so. Most of the gory activity occurred in some high grass …

Lunch

So, we just got occasional glimpses as the Coyote chomped, chewed ...

It ate it, fur, bones and all

... and gulped its furry little catch …

Those canines come in handy

Then, satisfied with lunch, he trotted off ...

Bye!

Make it Snow

The next sighting was even more exciting. We took a longer drive to check out Lake Butte, the site where we had seen Raspberry and Jam on our recent trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

Jam and Raspberry earlier in June

After all, Caty and I had seen them twice in that same area. I knew that they, as well as Raspberry’s adult daughter, Snow, were often seen in the same place.

Photo: WyoFile

There was nothing near the Lake Butte Overlook, or at the first spot we had seen Raspberry and Jam or at the second spot Caty and I had seen them.

Scott was ready to turn back, but I urged him to just drive around a few more curves. Bingo. A Bear jam.

There were lots of people, but I didn’t see a Bear. Some folks explained that there was a Bear who had a kill nearby but was now sleeping behind a log. Some folks even pointed out the sleeping Bear. I walked around a bit, trying to get a better angle, but I couldn’t see much.

Just some fur behind a log

I did see a beautiful dark morph Swainson’s Hawk and wondered if that would be all I got good photos of.

Soaring above us

But, I kept looking and finally settled in an area a little further to the west and fellow photographers kept mentioning that the Bear’s ears were twitching. I didn’t see ears until I looked to the left.

I had been looking at the kill, not the Bear!

This angle makes it clear what this is

Oh, there it was.

Now, that's a Bear

I asked about a cub and was informed that this was not Raspberry; it was her daughter Snow. Then, a Ranger – who was quite kind in letting a crowd watch from slightly closer than the prescribed safe distance for a Bear because the Bear was not threatening – said it was a male and that he didn’t know what the kill was.

Who was this Bear?

A few people said the kill was a dead Grizzly, which seemed odd to me because it would be very rare for an adult Grizzly to kill and eat another Grizzly. After I got home, I did some more research and am quite satisfied that the Bear was, indeed, Snow and that the kill was an Elk.

Snow!

So, now I can call her by her proper name as I discuss the rest of the sighting. Snow woke up …

A sleepy bear wakes up (you can see she's been eating)

Then, she looked around ...

What's happening?

... and came out from behind the log ...

Coming out where we can see better

... and putzed around a bit for the crowd ...

Showing off

Then, she turned and started to move toward the crowd and the Ranger made everyone get in their cars.

Thinking about coming in our direction

But, a few minutes later, she turned back the other way and we were allowed to take more pictures.

Heading the other way

She then walked along the log toward the kill and we assumed that she might start feeding.

Going for a snack?

But, she walked right by and headed down into a stand of trees.

After this, she turned into some trees and disappeared

A nice sighting.

This Bear was pretty close

Snow, so named because of her light coloration that was even lighter when she was a cub, was born in the winter of 2014-15 and remained with Raspberry until 2018.

She is light, but not exactly the color of snow

Even though Raspberry and Snow no longer spend time together, they do frequent the same area.

Not exactly celebrity behavior

Being a “Road” Bear (a Bear that is frequently near areas where large throngs of photographers can see it), Snow has been photographed many times and has “celebrity” status like her mom and her stepcub, as well as Grand Teton’s #399 and her four cubs and her adult daughter, #610.

Snow, some of the Quadruplets, #399, Jam, Raspberry

So, in month of June we saw almost all the Super Stars – missing only #610, whom I did see back in 2014. Seeing Snow was a nice cap-off to a great trip.

A pretty Bear

Green River

Then we headed off toward our final stop in Green River, Wyoming, with plans to see the Wild Horses we had seen in 2020.

A Wild Horse in Green River, Wyoming, 2020

Our trip took us through Grand Teton National Park, which was, as usual, was breathtaking …

Grand Teton National Park

Then, we arrived at our hotel in green river just in time for sunset.

Right behind our hotel

Flaming Gorge

The next morning, Scott changed his mind and decided he would rather explore Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area than look for horses. So, off we went.

A view of the reservoir

I have blogged about Flaming Gorge before, so I won’t go into much detail.

The reservoir at Firehole Canyon

Surrounding Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which was created by the 1964 construction of the Flaming Gorge Dam across the Green River, the NRA is ringed by highways, but can be a bit tricky to actually see because there are only a few roads in.

You can see it; you just can't get there

The reservoir straddles the Utah-Wyoming border, so that added a state to our trip that had already touched Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana.

Reflection near the boat dock

A variety of formations

We drove the Sheep Creek Geologic Loop scenic drive, where Scott attempted to do a little droning.

A nice (and blissfully cool) winding road that passes by outcrops, cliffs and spires, the Loop exposes millions and millions of years of geological history.

I was hoping for some animals or birds, but, once again, I heard lots of birdsong, but saw no critters.