June 12, 2007
We began our day with a leisurely morning, sitting in the rockers on the front porch of Roosevelt Lodge, reflecting and journaling about our experiences so far.
The first wildlife sighting of the day was a gray wolf, black in color, being chased by a group of pronghorns. We enjoyed a chance to do some prolonged, structured observation in Lamar Valley. After a short while, we were able to recognize the age and sex of the bison and to estimate the number of individuals in the herd. We got to see some fascinating behaviors and hear the low rumbling sound of a dominant male claiming his space. We were overwhelmed with the beauty of the scenery.
 Our short, steep hike to Trout Lake proved to be impressive (witnessed trout by the dozens fighting their way upstream) and a bit adventurous (sighted a black bear nearby and encountered bison on the path). We had all of these amazing experiences in the midst of the most glorious weather we could have ever dreamed of. Just when we would have been content to call it a night, we stopped to watch a coyote family, including four energetic, playful pups, interact near their den. And then, when we really thought that was it, we had a close call—just feet from the van—with a bison that shook his head and jumped up and down giving us the message to move on. It was an exquisite day with one wonderful surprise after another. We ended it tired, reflective, thankful and happy.
Q & A for June 12
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