Before we even entered the park today, we saw a big bull elk right outside the gate. It was following a cow around, and while we were watching, it began bugling. I think that sound is amazing.
Not long into our trip in to the park, we caught wind of wolves. We stopped near the trailhead to Slough Creek Campground, got out the spotting scopes, and scanned a nearby ridge-line. We spotted them very quickly. It was the same pack we saw on our first day, the Prospect Peak Pack. This time, nearly every pack member was present. We counted 12 out of the 14 total pack members. Some of the collared wolves present were 996, a black yearling who has a limp on one of its back legs, and 763, a black male who has a limp on one of its front legs. There were also two gray puppies in the group. After watching the wolves for a while, we set out for a hike right from where we were parked.
Our hike today was fairly long, estimated to be between four and five miles, with hills of course. We hiked along Slough Creek, taking in nature along the way. We found multiple elk antler sheds and skulls, as well as a couple bison skulls. Our guide talked to us about rose hips, explaining to eat only the skin and outer flesh, avoiding the hairy seeds, which apparently cause much discomfort on the way out. They taste like apples, but less sweet.
We walked along the shoreline of Slough Creek for a while and upon taking a closer look, I saw some water boatmen swimming among the submerged pebbles. When we headed into more wooded areas, the sound of the river got louder. I found snowberries again, and upon closer inspection, I confirmed that there is actually snow inside them. I also confirmed that it does not taste very good. When we were getting closer to the confluence of Slough Creek and the Lamar River, we found a fairly large gathering of those little, shiny, blue beetles on top of some leaves. I looked them up later, and I’m confident that they are Cobalt Milkweed Beetles (Chrysochus cobaltinus). They are one of only two species in their genus, the other being the Dogbane Beetle (Chrysochus auratus), a shiny green beetle. The Cobalt Milkweed Beetle is only found west of the Rockies, and the Dogbane Beetle east of the Rockies. I have a Dogbane beetle in my collection, and I want the other one, but I obviously can’t take any from the park. I will keep it in mind to watch for them elsewhere.
After hiking up a steep slope and following a ridge-line, we arrived at the boulder field located at the confluence. We took our lunch break there. I sat on a large, flat-topped boulder that was sitting a good ways out in to the river, and dangled my feet off its edge. Looking around me, taking in all of the sights and sounds around me, I really felt more connected with nature, which hasn’t happened in a long time. It honestly brought a few tears to my eye.
Out lunch break was over when some people spotted ravens following a coyote along the shoreline upstream of us on the Lamar. We hiked up a ridge-line and watched it feed on what appeared to be an antelope carcass. It left after a while and we continued hiking. We passed a small herd of bison shortly before returning to our vehicle. We then headed to Mammoth Hot Springs.
When we go to Mammoth, we found a big bull elk, nicknamed “Broken Nose,” sitting in a lawn. It was named that because it once charged a vehicle, broke its tines off and busted its nose. As we were watching, tourists began approaching it, but were stopped short when a ranger told them to back away from the elk. Afterwards, we stopped at a rest stop so people could change in to swimming clothes because we were going to a place called Boiling River. Its a place where hot thermal water from the hot springs runs into the Gardiner River. People are advised not to put their heads under the water, and especially not to drink any, for there is a bacteria present that may cause meningitis.
