The coyotes yipped for us at dinner. 8:30 p.m. We just started to eat and a sudden, short chorus broke out. The coyotes live somewhere behind the cabin and the manager promised they would annoy us. Welcome to Yellowstone. It was windy at 5:00 p.m. as we reached the arches. The sun was beginning to set, the light slowly lowering. The wind made it feel cold, though it must have been in the fifties. We know this end of the park pretty well by now so that coming into the Park is like coming home to visit. We even know individual wolves - it's like watching your friends' kids grow up. There are elk all around. A part of the Mammoth herd was camped out on the lawn next to the hotel. We saw elk on the hillsides and in the trees. They are moving down into the valleys. We also saw deer and bison, pronghorns and a black bear foraging on the south side of Little America. In the Lamar, a grey wolf walked in front of three elk. It was about 7:00 p.m. and I wasn't able to see him because daylight was fading fast. At 7:15 p.m. it's dark. We will have shorter days this week.

Author - Christine Baleshta
Photography - Tim Springer