Renewal and Rebirth: Yellowstone in Spring

The iconic view of the Lemar River near Soda Butte

The long winter months finally squeezed aside and our now annual spring time visit back to Yellowstone National Park was upon us. February, March and April were spent hunkered down focusing on rehabilitating my new knee in anticipation of the travel. Fortunately with the aid of some drugs the journey to Bozeman and the drive down to Gardiner went off without incident. The weather was full of precipitation rain and sleet in Paradise Valley and we wondered if deep inside the park we might be seeing fresh spring snowfall when we gain several thousand feet in elevation (up to 8000 feet above sea level ) inside the super volcano’s rim.

The contrast of new snow over greening spring growth including flowers makes for a beautiful back drop to witness the season’s newborns. This year the surprise was the amount of grizzly bears that were roaming the park. We saw an incredible 42 grizzly bears in our six day visit. We were treated to dozens of young bison who pranced and skipped along as the adult grazed heartily the new shoots of grass popping up everywhere.

Member of the Rescue Creek wolf pack graces us with a close up view

Gorge near the lower falls of the Yellowstone River

Bald Eagle stakes out claim on a Bison carcass in fast moving very cold water

Harlequin duck (drake) Breeding season is over and these ducks will be gone in just a few days

Belted Kingfisher

Beautiful capture of a Mountain bluebird after the spring snow fall

Black bear boar scratching an itch

Grizzly sow and COY nervously seeking a path cross the Lemar Valley

Bison and calf on the move

Rescue Creek wolf carrying a big stick (reason unknown)

Soda Butte pack female seeks to cross the road to return to six pups in the den - Lemar Valley

Coyote loping lazily back to its den

Yellowstone Lake at break up on May19

American Serengeti - Lemar Valley

Pronghorns forage on grass with new fallen snow in high country

A frosty spring morning in the meadows near Swan Lake

Spring snow blankets the high country in the Northern Ridge