05/20/2026
Today, my good buddy Levi and I decided to take a quick trip into the Park. First visit to the Park this season. We only had about 4 hours to leave from Cody and get back in time for dinner. With some road construction delays, it took about an hour to get to the East Gate, leaving us only about 1 hour to see what we could see in Yellowstone. We got as far as Yellowstone Lake and soon ran into what was clearly a "bear jam." Tons of cars and people everywhere. As we made our way through the jam, we were excited to see 2 grizzlies, a mating pair, not too far off the road on the other side of the river. The male is "named" Quill, and the female is Snow. We pulled over and I jumped out with my gear and got set up alongside the other 500 people jockeying for a good spot. It ended up being one of the coolest interactions I've seen between bears. They nuzzled each other and both seemed to have peaceful smiles. Snow then playfully rolled on her back. When you see this kind of interaction, it's hard to not apply human emotion to these animals. There definitely is some tenderness involved, it seems, but in the end, I just have to look at their claws and teeth and remember that under the right circumstances, they would have no problem making me their dinner. That is why we show respect and keep a safe distance from them. Once again, I left feeling so grateful for the opportunity to see such an amazing sight, and yes, we made it home in time for dinner 😁
