Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

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Deb1741
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Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

Post by Deb1741 »

My grandson Braeden and I, did a 5 night camping trip to the Tetons. Well, actually it was a 6 night trip because we decided at the last minute to leave home after I got off work on the 20th. We parked our campervan in front of a friend's house in Gardiner that night. The next 3 nights we had reservations at Gros Ventre Campground and the last 2 nights we stayed at Colter Bay Campground.

It was a pretty rainy trip with intermittent breaks of sun and warm temps. The rainy weather definitely did not affect our ability to see wildlife which is always our #1 focus for our trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks.

We had awesome wildlife sightings in both parks. 94 total bear sightings which included 15 different sightings of grizzly bear 399 and her 4 cubs in different locations throughout the park, two different grizzlies each with 2 cubs of the year, 5 lone grizzlies, a cinnamon black bear with 3 cinnamon yearling cubs, 1 lone black bear, 5 foxes, 7 moose, and 1 wolf 50-75 feet off the road by Canyon.

Grizzly bear 399 was really on the move during the 5 days we were in the Tetons. She stayed close to the road, but ranged from Pilgrim Creek to north of Leeks Marina, back to Pilgrim Creek, down to Oxbow Bend, over to the Jackson Lake Dam, and back up to Pilgrim Creek. One day, she traveled from the Pilgrim Creek area to Oxbow bend (a distance of about 6 miles) in under 4 hours.

Some of my favorite videos I got of her and the cubs:

Walking down a dirt road and into the woods to nurse. The other two cubs were still in the sagebrush to the right of the road.
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 5092153145

Two of the cubs stood up and scratched their back on a power pole.
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 5638817757

399 and her 4 cubs walking through the sagebrush
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 5818722739

We nicknamed this fox "Ziggy" because he was constantly zig zagging back and forth on both sides of the road. It was hard to get a decent video/pic of him because he would zig when we thought he was going to zag.
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 9482166706

We were eating lunch at the picnic area at Colter Bay. This fox is a fox that lives in the complex. There are signs everywhere telling people to not feed the foxes, but obviously people do. This fox walked through the picnic area and on to the walking trail. It walked within 2 feet of a lady on the trail and then continued on. About 5 minutes later it came back to the area where we were. Like always, I already had all of our lunch supplies back in our "picnic bag". All that was on the table was our plates with our sandwiches. As the fox neared the table, I grabbed it and was holding it as he walked by. Turn of the volume when you watch the video.
https://www.facebook.com/deb.roesler/vi ... 8302367824

Wolf just off the road in Yellowstone Park
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 8625494125

https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 7362160918

Cinnamon colored black bear with 3 cinnamon yearling cubs (Grand Teton Park)
https://www.facebook.com/10000025092941 ... 8045497183

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=441 ... 3488828972

Braeden went down to the Tetons the weekend right before this big trip. He got some more pics of the grizzly bear with two cubs of the year that live outside Grand Teton Park.
https://www.facebook.com/BraedenRoesler ... 6158606385

https://www.facebook.com/BraedenRoesler ... 6261939708

https://www.facebook.com/BraedenRoesler ... 6545273013

Deb
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Re: Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

Post by Jay w »

Great stuff Deb. I only had time to look at a few of the links, but I'll be back.

Makes me want to start searching for campgrounds next year.

Jay
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Re: Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

Post by Jay w »

I realize the fox and black wolf may be "lucky sightings," but I'm wondering how you're finding the bears. Through experience? Are you following newsgroups that say bear 399 is hanging out frequently at the corner of 5th and Vermouth, or maybe something else? I seem to keep finding buffalo...ok bison in YNP.

Great stuff.

Jay
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Re: Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

Post by MarxMN »

Great videos and photos.

The snow in the Tetons was a surprise after seeing the other pictures. Was this a different location in the Tetons or did the snow melt that fast?

I, too, am curious about Jay's question - how do you find the bears?

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Re: Grand Teton Park May 21-26, 2021

Post by Deb1741 »

Jay w wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:32 am I realize the fox and black wolf may be "lucky sightings," but I'm wondering how you're finding the bears. Through experience? Are you following newsgroups that say bear 399 is hanging out frequently at the corner of 5th and Vermouth, or maybe something else? I seem to keep finding buffalo...ok bison in YNP.

Great stuff.

Jay
Well, a lot of it is being in the right place at the right time, but my grandson and I have been going to Yellowstone Park multiple times each year for a long time. Since our main focus has always been wildlife watching, we've learned over time where individual bear's territories are and their habits at different times of the year. Sometimes our "guesses" of where they will be or where they will pop up next are correct, but sometimes we get skunked.

We've always tried to do a long day trip down to the Tetons during our annual June 2nd- 3rd week trip each year, but last year started going down for longer periods of time. My grandson Braeden has gone down there more than I have and has made some friends in the area. One of the persons that he met, has taken him "under her wings" and has told him lots of different things about 399's territory and paths that she takes at different times of the years. While sightings can never be guaranteed, her information has helped us a lot.

Deb
"There is no snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast" ~ unknown
"Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way" ~ Dr. Suess
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