Yellowstone is bear country and no matter where you go in the backcountry you are not far from bears. Both black bears and grizzlies are found in the park. The grizzly is the largest and most powerful. Males stand seven feet tall and weigh from 400 to 600 pounds and occasionally more than 800 pounds. Females range from 250 to 400 pounds. The grizzly’s thick fur can range from light brown to black with “silver tips” or “frosty-looking” fur giving him a “grizzled look”-hence the name “grizzly bear”. In 1975 the grizzly was listed on the endangered list when the population was only136 in Yellowstone and now there are over 500 living in the park.

On this day we were fortunate to see two of the 500—we had heard that near Lamar Valley two grizzlies had been spotted on their kill. So off we went to find them—it did not take us long when we spotted a group of cars and trucks along the road. We walked to the clearing and there he was about 100 yards down the hill — I was barely breathing and mesmerized by what I was witnessing as we watched him roll around all over his kill—then walking around on his back legs waving his “arms” then finally coming to rest on the carcass. Ashley was photographing but unable to get close enough when we heard the other grizzly was just across the road under the bridge. So to the bridge we went and there she was ambling down the hill toward the Yellowstone River.She appeared to ignore the crowd but we left the car “running” just in case she changed her mind! What a wonderful experience - I never thought I would be that close to a grizzly in the wild!

Kay