Notices
General Trip Reports Reports that don't fit in to the other categories

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 25 Aug 19, 03:19 AM  
Link to this Post
#1
kirstenjet
VIP Dibber
 
kirstenjet's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 02
Location: Nottingham
Bear Bums and Dino Bones Road Trip - Day 9 Wolves, Picas and Bears Oh My! Part 2

Part 1 here

While we were playing Spot The Pika, a car stopped to see what we were looking out. We told him and he glanced over saying 'I don't really have the patience to wait to see animals' shrugged and walked back to his family. The moment he turned round the pika jumped back on to a rock, almost like he heard him

As we were getting back into the car the same bloke called us over to show us the moose he'd spotted...none of us were mean enough to point out it was clearly an elk

We headed past the Mammoth turn off and out towards Lamar Valley. also nicknamed the Serengeti of North America for the wildlife abundance. This is the place I'd wanted to visit and I was almost bouncing in my seat. I was also excited to drive past Roosevelt Lodge where we were booked to stay this night and 2 days later (with a night in between at Lake Hotel cabin) as it was the most remote hotel in the park with black bears often seen nearby.

I had watched numerous videos of people driving through the park many times trying to work out when there were drops next to roads so I'd be prepared. When it happens unexpectedly I don't cope well and a bad experience in Snowdonia 4 years ago has really heightened the fear. I knew there would be parts along here I wouldn't like but so far nothing this trip had actually caused any real anxiety so I expected this to be no different. The road in towards Lamar we were on the opposite lane to the drops and from what I could see it wasn't any worse than expected but I spent most of the trip looking into the trees on my side looking for bears.

Just before Roosevelt lodge we hit traffic and MacNeil was positive it was a bear jam because of the location. He was right! As we creeped closer there it was on the side of the road. It looked like it wanted to cross until a car about 5 in front let their kids lean out the back window about 10ft from it, making so much noise it ran back into the woods. This was the view as we drove past!


We stopped at a pullout that for years has been know to have a great view of an Osprey nest, we didn't see any chicks like expected but we did see an adult. It's at a distance, you can see it with no real details by eye but with binoculars its a fantastic view


This is a photo without the 30x zoom, I don't think my camera does bad for a £150 little thing.

MacNeil also pointed out where a badgers sett was, it had loads of people sitting watching waiting for them to appear, but we passed stopping as thought we could come back later on our own. He pointed out lots of different places we should check out in the next few days including where to spot mountain goats and big horn sheep.

Suddenly it seemed the land changed and instead of forest there was wide open spaces, we'd hit Lamar Valley. I'm not sure why but I have no photos, I think I was just too overwhelmed and too busy just drinking it all in. We saw more pronghorn, deer and bison, so So SO many bison, in one place there could have been 500 or maybe a thousand, all dotted over the landscape. The place itself was simply beautiful. Honestly I barely know what to write, the whole drive through just took my breath away.

As we got closer to Cooke City (a small town where people live actually inside the park just before the Beartooth Highway), the views closed back in and the weather changed.


At a pullout next to a river where we saw this cute chubby muskrat next to his home, apparantly he isn't the sort of wildlife he normally stops for as most people aren't interested but he'd realised when we'd said everything we meant it!


After MacNeil asked us for about the 5th time if we wanted to stop for breakfast (waste precious wildlife viewing time on food ), Rachel surprised me and said yes. I quickly twigged us saying no meant he didn't get to eat either, oops

After grabbing coffee and a bagel, I was happy to watch a marmot scampering around nearby obviously waiting to see if we were going to share. As much as I wanted to I didn't, as they need to be kept wild, though I had the feeling quite a few people give in to their cute antics.

Not long after we started driving again we were caught in another black bear jam but we only got a very brief glimpse of it as it had moved quite far into the trees by the time we reached it.

As we reached the Cooke City, MacNeil said he was hoping to get us a moose sighting here, a few minutes later he pulled over and this gorgeous girl looked up from her lunch.


We sat for a good half hour watching her and she seemed to realise we were no threat and got incredibly close. Not so when another car pulled up and jumped straight out scaring her away.

This pretty much only left Grizzley Bears on my 'wants' list to see so even though we should really have turned back now, MacNeil took us out a little way further past the North East park entrance as he'd had luck there before but today it was not to be.

Driving back we saw a huge group of people pulled up looking at something and we were told it was a grizzley about a mile out. MacNeil got the scope set up quickly and he seemed so disappointed when he told us it was 'just' a black bear with 2 cubs. Even with the scope it wasn't the clearest but it was great fun watching the 2 chubby cubs playing while mum ate. I felt I had to reassure him I truly wasn't upset about not seeing a grizzly. It's clear it's really important to him that the customer gets value for money, but no one can control wild animals!
We moved on and as we passed the badger sett, we did get to see them as they were just outside. There was nowhere to pull over nearby so it was just a brief view. We also saw a bald eagle sitting on a downed tree in a field but as we stopped to take a photo, an idiotic woman went running towards it with her ipad held out in front of her, needless to say neither of us got a photo.

Driving back I started to take more notice of the drop offs as I was right next to them in the passenger seat and started getting nervous about having to drive it myself. In between Roosevelt Lodge and Mammoth there seemed to be a very long stretch that made me very anxious and I just couldn't imagine driving myself.

MacNeil finally dropped us off about 1.45pm back at the Big Rock Inn in Gardiner. The hotel had been nice enough to say I could leave the car there until we got back. I was in quite a panic trying to work out how I was going to tell Rachel I couldn't do the drive back to Roosevelt Lodge but the first thing she said to me was, ' Please tell me we're not really doing that drive'.
I was so relieved it wasn't just me that didn't want to do it as I'd been convinced I was ruining the holiday.

I quickly booked the Big Rock Inn again for that evening on my phone (I wasn't missing out on topcashback and reward points ). Went back in to give them the key for the previous night and I asked if it was possible we might be able to check in a little early, say after we'd had lunch. The guy did a quick check and said they'd had a room unused last night so was ready for us to check in right now!

When we got in the room it hit me how drained I was. I think the very early start and excitement of the morning had got to me. Rachel napped while I relaxed and read til hunger got the better of us. We decided to go back to Wonder Cafe as we'd liked it so much and were still too tired to mess about trying to decide on somewhere. It was just as good the second time though we both went for the cheap burger and fries option.

Feeling a bit more awake after, we decided to go back and do the terraces in Mammoth. We had trouble parking as it was so busy and had to double back to parking spaces where we came in .As we were passing it we stopped first at the Albright visitor centre as I'd read it was good. I can't saw I was impressed to be honest, the information was pretty bare bones.

The elk were out in fall force round Mammoth, completely ignoring the people everywhere and this young elk in particular kept walking right through everyone while a worker from the gift store kept yelling at people to move and get away from it. You're meant to stay 25 yards away and if they get closer you have to move to keep the distance, A woman, only a week or so before had got kicked by one.



We ended up getting as far as the first spring just past Liberty Cap and then realised we were just too worn out, we were done for the day and decided to go back to the hotel.


On the way back to Gardiner we stopped at a pullout that's meant to be a good place to see big horn sheep. We didn't even have the energy to get out the car, just sat using our binoculars to scan the cliffside. It paid off and after 5 mins I finally noticed movement.

We stopped at a small supermarket in Gardiner and picked up some snacks for dinner before getting back to the hotel. I ended up sitting at the table and chairs they had outside each room, with coffee, doing some unexpected bonus wildlife watching. Perfect way to end the day.

kirstenjet is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 2 Nov 19, 01:05 PM  
Link to this Post
#2
mickeymouseears
Excited about Disney
 
mickeymouseears's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 15
Location: South Wales
Thanks for sharing. Sorry I didn't notice your post sooner. Wow what a lot of wildlife! Thanks for the pass, had a great time in California. Looks like you are heading to Zion, I would highly recommend you stop in nearby Bryce Canyon National Park even for an afternoon as not too far, if you can. Charlie
mickeymouseears is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
DIBB Savings
AttractionTickets.com

Get £10 off each Disney Ticket with the code ATDIBB10

Get up to £50 off per room at Disney or Universal with the code DIBBHOTELS


theDIBB Blog
One of the the five worlds found in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon... Read More »
Disney announced that a new nighttime show, “Disney Dreams That Soar,” will run nightly at... Read More »
Walt Disney World Resort guests can get ready to have a “glowing’’ good time when... Read More »


theDIBB Menu


Exchange Rates
US Dollar Rates
ASDA  $1.2354
CaxtonFX  $1.2307
Covent Garden FX  $1.2498
FAIRFX  $1.2365
John Lewis  $1.2398
M&S  $1.2191
Sainsburys  $1.2351
TESCO  $1.2364
Travelex  $1.2361
Updated: 09:30 29/03/2024
Euro Rates
ASDA  €1.1447
CaxtonFX  €1.1420
Covent Garden FX  €1.1528
FAIRFX  €1.1468
John Lewis  €1.1477
M&S  €1.1289
Sainsburys  €1.1440
TESCO  €1.1445
Travelex  €1.1469
Updated: 09:30 29/03/2024

DIBB Premium Membership
Did you know you can help support theDIBB with Premium Membership?

Check out this link for more information and benefits, such as...

"No adverts on theDIBB Forums"

Upgrade Now



X