Daily Journal

Sunday, January 15, 2006

We had the most amazing day in Lamar Valley! We were filled with awe by the winter wonderland that unfolded before us, from majestic bull elk and bighorn sheep to a coyote pack. But the highlight of our morning was the experience of seeing and hearing two wolf packs howling to each other. The seven members of the Agate Peak pack seemed to be warning the Hellroaring pack to retreat from their territory. It was an emotional experience for all of us. As the howling stopped and the wolves moved on, snow moved in and obliterated the scene.

Our afternoon highlight was a snowshoe hike with wildlife photographer Dan Hartman and his daughters through the forest near their Cooke City home. The hike ended with a surprise visit from a pine marten, who posed obligingly for photos.

We saw several things today that reminded us of North Carolina. We were surprised to see our state rock, granite, on the roadside. Amy Plahuta gave a presentation on the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone and touched on the reintroduction of red wolves in eastern North Carolina. In Cooke City we shared experiences with the teacher of a one-room schoolhouse with a student body of one. We realized that no matter the setting or number of students, our experiences as educators are very similar.

On the twilit ride home we saw a resting moose and watched bison materialize out of the roadside darkness. How will we top this day? Tune in tomorrow!

Yellowstone Images from Google Earth

Q & A for January 15