We headed out the door at 7am and since our route to Lamar Valley was closed due to a rock slide at Blacktail Plateau we decided to go to Hayden Valley and Fishing Bridge. Not our first choice, but, hey what can you do?
We drive through the west upper loop searching for bears that others reported seeing a few days ago but didn't find any. I spent my time enjoying the fresh snow that had blanketed walls of snow still standing from the winter season.
We reached Hayden and marveled at the sparkling white stuff and eventually parked ourselves with others to look at a grizzly sow with two juvenile cubs and a little further off another sow with a cub. I took pics of the three and not of the two. Though I could see her through a scope it certainly wouldn't have been a pretty photo.
We moved on down to Fishing Bridge and visited the gift shop. I had read days earlier of several bear sightings east of Fishing Bridge so we headed there. As promised we joined several other photogs at Sedge Bay.
We got some good pics and since the bear, a sub-adult male, was moving on, we decided to head back home but not before moving down the road and sitting for just a moment. Good thing we did. The bear came our way and within 60 yards or so put on a show!
He found a very old carcass and proceeded to dig, roll over, chew, gnaw and dig some more. He certainly entertained the crowd. After an hour or so we headed back.
Later in the day we went back out again past Fishing Bridge and came up on the grizzly sow with cub. It was kind of a mess so we weren't able to get too close while she nursed. I did take an obligatory pic. (photo cropped)
We thought she was heading into the woods so we packed up planning to go past her and further down the road but she was "right there!" We unloaded again and barely missed her standing. We stayed with her until she started coming towards all of us and we all hightailed it to our cars. She didn't cross the road, and since the light was poor we packed up.
Here is a look of the pond with snow covered Yellowstone Lake and mountains in the background.
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