A Mothers Day Picnic in Grand Teton National Park

We left Rapid City and drove to Casper, Wyoming. Spending only one night there, we next drove to Rock Springs where we stopped while a strong low-pressure area moved in. Winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings were posted and so we ended up spending three days camping at the Sweetwater County Fairgrounds.

After three days of rain it finally cleared, and we headed west and north through Kemmerer and Cokeville, before reaching our place for the summer. It took us three days to open the Bighorn fifth wheel, two days to move stuff, with a day off for a bear expedition into Grand Teton National Park.

Renita packed a lunch and we first drove to Jackson where we fueled up, (diesel is up a dollar a gallon from last year, yikes). Entering the park, we passed three mule deer bucks, all were starting to grow this year’s antlers and from the massive size of the deer they will have impressive racks.

A little further we stopped for the obligatory picture of the Tetons and we also glassed the far benches,(benches refer to the raised areas on both sides of western rivers. They indicate the past floodplains from thousands of years ago). Hundreds of elk were spread as far as we could see, usual for this time of year, although most tourists never see them.

The goal for today was to spot as much wildlife as we could, enjoy the scenery, and if we were really luck spot a bear. Before crossing Buffalo Creek, we stopped and glassed the willows, as last year we had spotted a grizzly bear, 9pictured above is the Cunnigham Cabin). The area was full of elk and buffalo so there must have been some apex predators nearby, but we didn’t see any.

Just before crossing Pacific Creek a large message sign said that sows and cubs we are crossing the road and so we slowed down even further trying to catch sight of any bears. At Willow Flats we pulled off but only saw elk. This is an area where elk calving takes place and so it’s a prime hunting spot for grizzly’s as they prey on the young.

A famous bear, bear 399 had been spotted a few days before but we never saw her or her two yearling cubs. Our next spot was at Pilgrim Creek, another favorite bear spot, but the only thing we saw were other bear watching hopefuls.

Deciding to sit a bit we spent the next two hours parked. A pair of mountain bluebirds came to entertain us but no bears, (we learned alter that a mother grizzly and two cubs entertained crowds just a mile north of where we stopped). Another person told us of the bears but when we arrived the bear trio had already left.

Returning past Pilgrim Creek, we saw three vehicles stopped and there was our bear of the day! It was a large black bear and quite a way away but at least we had spotted our first bear of the year! It didn’t hang around very long and so we headed to the Oxbow Bend. The only excitement there were two sets of kayakers and a float raft, (and of course a large herd of elk).

Not staying very long Renita suggested we drive up the Pacific Creek Road. There in the middle of the road was a huge pile of bear scat. Stopping to study it we saw that the large bear had been feeding on elk or moose, as the scat was full of hair.

Sometimes you get to see a grizzly and sometimes you only get to see fresh sign, but at least you know you are in the right area. Driving further up the road we found barriers across the road to Emmy Matilda and Ocean Lake. This is another area where the bears hunt the calving elk.

Running out of time we headed back to Jackson. Renita wanted to shop at one of her favorite stores and I checked out the fossils at a local store. It was time to head home. We had saw a bear and so it was a special day! Now it’s time to finish unpacking before we head to Yellowstone for four nights of wildlife viewing, (any maybe another day trip into the Tetons as we are only fifty miles away). Clear skies