Monday, August 20, 2018

Another Bearable Day

Hi All,

Mom with the three cubs were out all day today. A total of eight Wildlife Brigaders spent over 30 hours keeping people at a safe distance and getting them safely across the road.


Yes, even the straggler.

After the bears were safely across, the brigaders were all smiles.
Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Thursday, August 16, 2018

Bearly Keeping Up

Hi All,

We really earned our keep this week. Grizzly 399 and her two cubs were down on Moose Wilson Road last weekend. The road was closed for a few days to ensure bear and visitor safety.


Mid week they were seen walking north along Jackson Lake about 30 miles from Moose Wilson Rd.

Meanwhile Black Bear plus three  were keeping us busy, here mom is swimming in John's Pond.

Next day they were feeding on berries among the Signal Mountain cabins. This was the beginning of a seven hour effort to get them out of the developed areas. Past the cabins, past the marina, behind the restaurant and into the campground. They went where they wanted and no amount of clapping and yelling got them to move in any other direction. We even tried a powered megaphone with different siren noises. She ignored it. We finally got them out of the campground down to the boat launch where the cubs climbed into a culvert and took a nap for over an hour. At one point there were seven of us but we were no match for these determined bears. It dragged on until dark.

As a final reminder that bears are everywhere, we found this little pile of bear scat on the campground road near our motorhome yesterday morning.
It was a long week with lots of time on our feet but it is still the best job in the park.

PS: 399 +2 cubs are back on Moose Wilson Rd and it is once again closed.

Love.

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Sunday, August 12, 2018

Day 1 of our next 50 Years

Hi All,

Thank you all for your best wishes on our 50th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. Here's how it started in 1968.


Not surprisingly, some of the cards we exchanged had a bear theme. This one to my big cuddly husband 

and this big hug for my wife.
Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Friday, August 10, 2018

National Forest Highway 411

Hi All,

Today we went on an expedition with Walt & Betty to Dubois ( That's "Dewboys" in WY). After a great lunch at Cowboy Cafe we headed out to forest road 411 where we were told there were ancient Native American petroglyphs. Here's what we found.




The end of the road is the trailhead for hikes into the Wind River Range. As we scoped the hillsides with binoculars, we spotted a cowboy leading five pack horses high on a steep meadow. Look for the arrow in the center to see the spot.

As we exited the ten mile dirt road we saw this beautiful sandstone panoramas.
A great day away from the bears.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Thursday, August 9, 2018

More Exhausting Fun

Hi All,

They were back on Wednesday. First the cubs hid in a culvert under the road. The sow walked back and forth across the road while we stopped all traffic for about 20 minutes. 
Finally the cubs came out to play with the traffic cones.


Even mom got into the act.

Bears are not the only cute critters. Here a least chipmunk creates a debris pile getting inside a pine cone.

Many of you remember grizzly bear 399. This is one of her yearling cubs and it is really big. Since grizzlies den with mom a second winter (third if you include when they are born), 399 is going to need to dig a really big den this winter!

Carl recently found some long sought good news about global climate change. The heat wave scorching Europe has greatly reduced the Brussels Sprout yield in Belgium.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Triple Trouble

Hi All,

We have made frequent mention of our black bear sow plus 3 cubs that have been keeping us busy. They have been in the road, in the campground, on the beach and everywhere in between.

This is mom plus one crossing the narrow Signal Mountain Summit Road.

This is a repeat of the cubs in the culvert photo.

Here's mom trying to nurse three cubs.

One cub in a campsite left muddy paw prints on the tent.

On the narrow summit road we want people to drive by slowly but not stop. We think the cub was the only one to read the sign.

Then the black cub came over and knocked down the sign!
It has been exhausting fun trying to keep these guys out of trouble. Still the best job in the park😃

Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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Thursday, August 2, 2018

NatGeo Film Crews in Park

Hi All,

We got this email from the park Public Affairs Office.

National Geographic is airing live broadcasts from the Greater Yellowstone Area- including Grand Teton National Park- Sunday-Wednesday, August 5-8, at 7pm local time each night, on the NatGeo Channel.   

Several film crews are in the park and have been working with the park's Special Use Permit Office regarding this "live" programming.  They are specifically filming wildlife viewing opportunities and wildlife jams, search and rescue operations, as well as obtaining general landscape images in the park, and our cooperative work with whitebark pine restoration efforts.   We may see some of our coworkers in the film. 

So don't be surprised to see filming crews  out and about.  They are also filming in adjacent national forests and Yellowstone. 

Please be sure to share this info with all employees, volunteers, and partners, and perhaps your family and friends.  

We have already had a Nat Geo crew at one of our bear jams last week. You are almost certain to see our bears, less likely to see us.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
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