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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Looking for Grizzlies

I arrived in Cody on the first day of the "Spring into Yellowstone - Birding and Wildlife Festival".
After I received my work schedule, I called to sign up for some tours. I was only able to get on one of the tours. 



FOREST SERVICE WILDLIFE TOUR
Fee: $30/Sat, 5 am – 11 am
This one of a kind tour will involve a scenic drive beginning in Cody and touring along the North Fork Highway to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife is usually fairly congregated and visible along the North Fork this time of year, as plants are beginning to green-up while adjacent high elevations are still snowbound. To increase the chances of seeing bears, this tour leaves early in the morning when wildlife is most active. In addition to wildlife viewing, participants will experience the spectacular scenery and the unusual rock formations of the North Fork and Shoshone National Forest.



5:00 am - the moon is still out

It is not a good idea to roam around this area alone.  Although I do not mind driving the RV around, sometimes it is not practical or the trail heads do not have the room for an RV.  I plan to sign up for as many hikes as I can and to go on some Ranger led hikes in the park.  I have already made reservations for the Fishing Bridge campground in Yellowstone for some of my days off work.







The ranger leading the way - carrying bear spray

On Saturday's hike we did not see any bears, but we saw tracks and scat. 





We did see mountain sheep, elk, mule deer and whitetail.  We saw an elder bison sitting in a dust circle and there was a bison walking on the highway in front of the van.  We also saw 2 bald eagles in a tree with a nest.









Yellowstone Country is an awesome place and I haven't even been inside the park yet.



6 comments:

  1. I always learn a lot on those kinds of tours. You are in a beautiful place for the summer!

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  2. Looking forward to lots of posts about your hikes and workcamping experience.

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  3. I, too, am looking forward to reading more about your experiences this summer!

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  4. What a wonderful place to spend the summer. We bought a big can of bear spray in 2010 after Teri and I came around a corner on a trail in Yellowstone and practically bumped into the butt of a Black Bear. Our bear spray expired in 2012 so I should probably get rid of it. But it cost $50 !!

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    1. I'm not sure I want to get that close to a bear. Walgreens in Cody sells it for $43.99 - the Ranger said not to keep expired spray. Said it would not shoot as far.

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  5. This is going to be a great summer.

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Hi, I welcome your thoughts and comments.