7/2/2019
It was 0800 when we returned to where we sighted wolves yesterday. W watched for two hours in the rain only sighting bison, ground squirrels and ducks.
We were ready if any wolves appeared.
Moved on to the ranger station where we counted 199 bison and a few pronghorn antelope.
More rain and only a few animals along Soda Butte creek where we stopped and made lunch.
One pronghorn antelope did come close enough to get some photos.
Moved around a little after lunch and hiked the Lamar River trail until we heard thunder (1.8 miles).
Drove out to Slough Creek campground and it was beautiful. Situated at the confluence of two creeks with a mountain backdrop it would be a great place to use as a base for hiking. The only drawbacks are it is 2.5 miles down a dirt road and it was full.
Beth wanted to make dinner back at the “wolf speck” parking lot so we enjoyed the view again, but didn’t see any life bigger than ground squirrels.
On the way back to the campground we stopped at Roosevelt Lodge and cabins.
Historic, but the least impressive of any of the lodges we’ve visited.
The Roosevelt Stables next door seemed larger with their draft horses and multiple stagecoaches.
Our last stop was Calcite Springs Overlook where we could see down the valley to where steam emerges into the rushing current of the Yellowstone River.
It’s an easy path with spectacular views of the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone."
Looking across the river we could see a layer of volcanic rock that formed vertical columns between 1.3 and 1.5 million years ago.
Similar rock ran adjacent to one of the park roads.
Back at the campground we needed more steps so walked around the loops. Beth turned in, but I went around one more time.
Deciding to walk up the hill to the amphitheater, I was surprised to find a ranger talk beginning. I ran back down the hill to get Beth and we both enjoyed learning about the wolves of Yellowstone.
A pair of mule deer appropriately walked into the amphitheater while the ranger was talking about prey. Turns out all the people who had been wolf spotting yesterday moved to a new place where a bison carcass was found and were waiting to see if any wolves might find it -and one did late this afternoon. The lecture was a great way to wind up our last full day at Yellowstone.
Slough Creek was a lovely area. The campground has no facilities other than pit toilets, but makes up for that with natural beauty. We parked near the campground and walked the trail in the photo. Here's a link to the NPS info: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/sloughcreekcg.htm
ReplyDeleteCampground Views has a video of the campground to give you a good idea of what the sites are like:
https://www.campgroundviews.com/listing/slough-creek-campground/