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Posted by Paul (63.153.4.137) on 04:04:36 04/08/26
Thus begins the 2026 spring trip to Yellowstone to join the rendezvous of twenty years fame now past as much of the "old days" is no more. The early participants are now headed for the last roundup, infirm, priced out, offended (maybe even disgusted) by tourons and their infantile attempts to gain notoriety or infamy by kidnapping baby bison, playing bullfighters, parking their cars in the middle of the highway while they chase fox with toy cameras, and all of the other stunts that titillate chat pages.
For authentic wolf reports see yellowstoonereports.com/index.php (intentionally spelled wrong to avoid conflict with posting.) The present day Newbies look on excited by wolves viewed two miles distant through powerful telescopes while pontificating that pictures of wolves at 50 yards near Blacktail pond are Hollywood. Truly, the glory that once was Rome evades them!
Bird reports indicate a good migration is on with Audubon warblers in the tree tops and near water edges while pine siskins "shake" the sage grabbing early tidbits. Cranes bugle and pairs have set about nesting. Duck are descending daily and the small pond-lake on the north entrance road is replete with golden-eyes, cinnamon teal, mallards, and of course the ubiquitous coots. Pity that the pull out supports so few cars. But then again, maybe that is a good!
Floating Island is in melt down and the usual cast of characters are arriving. Yellowheaded blackbirds are in good number.
Little America is in a word DRY. I suspect this will be an active fire year in Yellowstone. If you are into pika-peeking the menageries at Hellroaring and hoo-doos are not available as the the access is still closed. The new bridge at picnic area-Yellowstone river is complete and an engineering marvel. Landscaping upgrade is underway and that in itself is a marvel. The penalty to be endured is the loss of photo sites, especially in the the dirt road parking lot area so rich with several species of sap-sucker and woodpecker nests. Ah well, "thus is the world---thus we have made it."
I would be remiss if I didn't give a call out to my old spring friends, Allison, Connecticut Joe, the Paulus couple, deep south Floridian Carol, nurse Ellie, Truthmaster, Iowa Jim, the wanderers from France, Germany, and Canada, and so many others that now rest in a rapidly growing empty weed filled parking lot of my mind.
As I stir the glowing embers of the past camp-fires The Simon-Garfunkel song "book ends" haunts me.
"A time is was, and what a time it was. It was a time of confidence a time of innocence. Long ago, I have a photograph to remind me, that's all that is left for me."
Farewell Yellowstone. See you on the "other side."
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