We are in the final hours and days of the 2015 season in Yellowstone and the mad rush is on to take in everything wonderful that the park has to offer.
Mammoth Hotel is closed, along with Dunraven and the Beartooth. Visitor centers and grocery stores have mostly closed, except for Mammoth and Old Faithful, along with the majority of the campgrounds. It is beginning to look like a ghost town – a welcome one after a very busy season.
The elk are beginning to come down and the rut is mostly over. The wolves are finding food once again and hopefully they will thrive over the winter. The bears are busy looking for food and still trying to fatten up for winter. It is all about survival now and many of the pretty, relaxed and playful moments are gone.
Yesterday, it was raining once again. After day in and day out of blue skies and bright sunshine, the clouds came in and brought the rain. Electric Peak had a fresh smattering of snow and the forecast is calling for cold nights. Warm days for the most part.
I stayed home and worked at the computer, along with taking care of some personal tasks. But, many times I jumped up and began to go out, only to sit my butt back down. Finally, at the end of the day I took the garbage off and headed to the store, with a little detour into the park. Boy was I surprised to see a giant grizzly boar on a 3 to 4 day old carcass in China Gardens. What an interesting bear he is and not one I would want to meet on a trail or in the dark of night.
Even the magpie was keeping its distance.
There wasn’t much left on the carcass and the bear was trying to find morsels. He attracted a lot of attention and cars lined the roads. It was a rare treat, really, to find a bear so close to home and the road. I watched, took photos and shot some video, until the bear concluded that there was no more to eat and finally wandered off.
A short trip to Yellowstone but a good one.
What a beauty!! Eye candy for sure–but he seems to be demanding respect!