One of the most anticipated highlights of our two month road trip to the Northwest and into Canada for a rail journey was the wildlife we expected to encounter, or at least view safely from a distance. Certainly, Yellowstone was a prime opportunity to quench our desire to see nature at it’s best. We did our homework and with the help of someone quite familiar with the national park and the photographic opportunities it afforded, we made our plans to find, observe, and photograph the bison, elk, big horn sheep, mountain goats, wolves, coyotes. 10 days in September in the main campground at Fishing Bridge would be ideal. We were set.
The morning after our arrival we stopped at the visitor center for the latest update on recent sightings of bears. It seemed a sure bet that we would at least manage to get a glimpse of a Yellowstone grizzly or black bear. We searched from the far northeast reaches of the park to the south, and from east to west during the early and late hours each day. While the park abounded with bison herds, and bull elks with harems, the bears eluded us. Of course, that may have been in part due to our reluctance to venture out alone on trails to areas these magnificent creatures would likely frequent.
We left Yellowstone disappointed and with a feeling that we were led astray. There really were no bears in Yellowstone. A visit to Glacier National Park was next on our journey, but it yielded the same result. Fortunately, a couple of weeks prior I had acquiesced to the touristy attraction of Bear Country USA in Rapid City, SD; so I knew all was not lost for bear photos. We continued on our westward journey to Seattle and then into Canada for a scenic rail trip departing from Vancouver.
Who would have known that on the very last day on the Rocky Mountaineer Tour as we headed towards Vancouver, I would find my Yellowstone bear in Canada. It was such a fleeting glimpse from the moving train, but there perched high in a tree on the slopes of the river bank, was my black bear.
About Nature With Beth 