I'm H-e-e-e-e-e-e-r!

Well, I made it. Easy drive on Wednesday, good weather until about Ashton, Idaho, when I started to get rain. Sometimes heavy rain. Off and on until almost West Yellowstone. I arrived in West about 4:30, stopped for a sandwich at Subway, then headed into the park. Seven miles in, there is (wait for it) Seven Mile Bridge over the Madison River. And at Seven Mile Bridge I saw my first elk. Looked like a good place to stop and have dinner. Of course, it started to rain. But not just rain. Thunder and lightening were to be had as well. And it rained until I nearly reached Norris Geyser Basin.

Okay, now everybody, go find your Yellowstone map. It's on the web. Don't worry, I'll wait for you.

Got your map? I saw my first black bear .25 miles above the Upper Terrace Drive at Mammoth Hot Springs. Yes, I said my first bear.

Thursday morning, I headed toward the Lamar Valley. Bear number 2 was located about four miles or so east of Undine Falls. Now, I have to tell you where this bear was. I have no idea how anyone found it. It was kind enough to be next to a wide turn out. Actually, it was below the turn out, down in the gully, sleeping under a tree. It was a really pretty cinnamon color--the first cinnamon black bear I've ever seen.

The first baby bison of the trip appeared at Phantom Lake. There were eight cows, and three of them had little orange versions of themselves practically velcroed to their sides. So incredibly cute! Haven't seen a lot of baby bison yet (maybe a dozen out of all the big herds I've seen), but there will be more and more of them over the next few weeks. No baby elk yet; it's just a little bit early for them, but the pregnant cows look like they're about ready to pop at any moment.

Saw two coyotes (one at the Specimin Ridge trailhead, one across the NE entrance road from the Lamar Ranger Station. Also saw about a dozen pronghorn antelope in Lamar Valley.

Bear number 3 was almost exactly half way between Mammoth and Norris. Another black bear, but this one was giving a herd of cow elk something to think about. I saw this bear as I was headed to the lake. But to get there, I had to backtrack through Mammoth to the road cutting across the center of the park because the east upper loop road was (and still is) closed. I think it opens Memorial Day.

Yellowstone Lake still had ice on it, but it was cracking, and I heard today that the ice had all washed under Fishing Bridge yesterday.

Checked in Friday morning to start work. Before orientation, I started meeting some of my future co-workers. Met most of the rest of them at lunch, and our cabins are all pretty close together. Five of us took off before dinner and went on a short hike to Wraith Falls (still have that map handy?). It's five miles east of Mammoth, and a quarter mile walk. We saw three bull elk well on their way toward a nice rack of antlers, two bison, I don't know how many Uinta ground squirrels, and two yellow-bellied marmots.

Training started this morning, and it is so far going well. The computer system is pretty antiquated -- AS400 systems, all menu driven. I'll be training in Mammoth for 10 days, though one day is a day off and one day we're taking a tour of the park: Yellowstone in a day, which is the same tour that the park visitors get to take. Moving day to Grant is May 21, but since I've found a place with internet access (high speed wireless, no less!), I should be able to make regular updates here. I do have lots (and lots) of pictures, but I haven't processed any of them to put on the web site yet. That might have to wait a little while. I now have to go do homework to prepare for tomorrow morning.

TTFN!