Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton

In its latest issue, Time magazine has solid report by Pat Dawson on the current status of wolves in and around Yellowstone. Focusing on what the future holds for wolves should their protective status be lifted, the key paragraph is pasted below, though the whole article is well worth reading:“Still, the wolf’s triumphant return to Yellowstone may be its undoing. The 66 wolves brought to Yellowstone and the Central Idaho wilderness in 1995 and 1996 have grown to about 1,300. At the request of the state legislatures in Wyoming and Idaho — lobbied heavily by organized shooting-sports interests — the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS) is about to remove the Yellowstone-area wolf from the federal Endangered Species list and allow the states to manage them. Known as the 10(j) rule, a special exemption to the Endangered Species Act allows government agencies extra leeway in controlling “experimental populations” like the gray wolf; in short, the government is allowed to kill them. Both Wyoming and Idaho expect USF&WS to lift wolf protection early next year. Then it will be open season for many eager shooters, including Idaho’s governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, who told a rally of petitioning sportsmen in Boise earlier this year, “I’m prepared to bid for that first ticket to shoot a wolf myself.” Idaho’s official stance is to allow the killing of all wolves over and above the statutory minimum number of breeding pairs: 100 of the approximately 673 wolves in the state.”We’ll continue posting the latest news on the possibility of wolf delisting here.

This past Labor Day weekend, I camped out one night at Mammoth Cave National Park. Even though I arrived late on a Sunday evening in the middle of a holiday weekend, I was able to snag a good car-camping site without a reservation. Good luck trying that at either of Yellowstone’s or Grand Teton’s more popular campgrounds. It was a calm night, save for the buzzing chorus of crickets that sang throughout the night. A thousand miles away, however, things weren’t nearly so calm at one of Yellowstone’s largest campsites, Grant Village, where a violent disturbance ended with the arrest of three men. I’m guessing campers there didn’t sleep nearly as well as I did.

The park’s release from the wild night is pasted below, a good reminder of how park rangers do plenty more than just give out directions and lead tours.

“A patrol ranger was called to the Grant Village campground to deal with a noise complaint and a reported disturbance on the evening of September 3rd. Upon arrival, he approached and contacted three men, all of whom immediately became abusive, threatening and hostile. Two of them threatened violence against the ranger, including statements that they would kill him. The ranger called for backup and made a tactical withdrawal. He also drew his taser as the men followed him back toward the car. Once in a better position, he drew his weapon and attempted to control the trio while awaiting arrival of backup.

The park’s special response team and rangers from the Grant, South, Lake and Old Faithful areas soon arrived on scene. During the initial stages of the standoff, the three men alternated between yelling obscenities and threats of violence and repeatedly entering and exiting their vehicles. One shouted that “someone is going to die tonight;” all three repeatedly challenged rangers to shoot them. The rangers brought out long guns and held the men at gunpoint. On several occasions, the men approached to within 20 feet of individual rangers and appeared to be engaged in some form of attempted police-assisted suicide.

The on-scene supervisory ranger developed a plan to take the men into custody. When she had a sufficient number of rangers in place, she had five of them fire tasers nearly simultaneously to incapacitate the trio, then had six other rangers swarm the men and take them into custody. One of the three suffered lacerations when he fell to the ground during the arrest. All three were taken to the jail in Jackson, Wyoming. On September 5th, NPS special agents filed a five-count criminal complaint against two of them and a six-count complaint against the third. These charges included multiple counts for 18 USC 111 violations (assaulting, resisting, opposing, intimidating and interfering with rangers).”

Nothing causes quite the same size traffic jam in Yellowstone as a grizzly bear. Last summer, I was driving near Fishing Bridge when I approached a traffic jam so large I knew a bear was nearby. There was indeed, and the golden  grizzly pictured above ignored the crowd as she crisscrossed the road in search of snacks, seemingly oblivious to the dozens of bystanders snapping away.

Rangers soon after told me that this same bear had been making all too frequent appearances in the Lake Village area. Nicknamed Blondie, the distinctly colored grizzly continued popping up in public places, even as officials repeatedly tried scaring her away, going as far as relocating her by boat to the opposite side of Yellowstone Lake. Regrettably, she made her way back and continued to show up in populated areas. Her apparent comfort around humans became too great for park officials, rightfully nervous about a possible accident or attack, and Blondie was just captured and shipped by pick-up to Washington State University, where she will join other problem bears at a research facility.

The park’s own release best sums up Blondie’s story and all the many steps taken by the park took before having to resort to the permanent vacation.

“A three-year-old female grizzly bear weighing approximately 140 pounds has been captured after frequenting two developed areas near Yellowstone Lake for the last two years.

Grizzly number 539 had entered the Lake Village and Fishing Bridge developments numerous times. She had been hazed away from those areas using beanbag rounds, cracker shells and other techniques, on over 40 occasions. This bear had previously been relocated by boat to the opposite side of Yellowstone Lake and by helicopter to the Gallatin Mountains in Yellowstone National Park. She returned to the Lake Village and Fishing Bridge developed areas after both relocations. She has been responsible for at least eight instances of property damage, mostly by chewing hoses used for sewage hookups on employee trailer houses.

Because multiple hazing and relocation efforts were not effective, the decision was made to remove the bear. She was captured on August 19, and transported by truck to the Washington State University Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Program. For more than 20 years, the bear management program in Yellowstone has assisted with and benefited from the non-invasive, ecology, nutrition, and physiology studies on bears performed at Washington State University.”

More information on the program is available here.

One of the most alarming developments in the Rockies this summer is that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun looking to the possibility of issuing permits for geothermal energy development. As the one of the most active geothermal hotspots on the planet, the area around Yellowstone would be a prime target. Such plans are nothing new, and were it not for the efforts of many judicious and preservation-minded individuals throughout the past 130 years, the mighty Yellowstone River would probably be dammed today and Old Faithful little more than a factory to convert steam into electricity. Indeed, one railroad executive in the park’s early days went as far as to propose that an electric railway be built in the park, to be powered by Upper and Lower falls on the Yellowstone River.

Is it possible that hydrothermal plants could be built safely and effectively on lands bordering the park? Perhaps, but how often do development plans like this go off without a hitch? Given the incredibly unpredictable nature of the plumbing underneath Yellowstone, tapping into the geothermal underpinnings could have literally catastrophic results, and once you get the ball rolling there’s no way to turn things around.

Anyone who’s visited Solitary Geyser on Geyser Hill above Old Faithful knows how even a small change can effect the park’s geothermal features. Henry Brothers, an early park entrepreneur, built the Brothers Bathhouse and Plunge by the Old Faithful Inn using thermal water from Solitary Geyser to fill a large swimming pool and a half-dozen smaller tubs. But once he tapped it, what was once a calm hot spring began erupting, and even though both the pipeline and pools are long gone, the geyser continues to erupt every few minutes. Now imagine an energy operation on a scale at least a hundred times larger, and virtually anything could happen. Old Faithful could go dormant, or it could blow through completely. Gem-like springs could run dry, while new hotspots could break through the ground elsewhere. There’s no good way of telling what might happen, which is reason enough to leave things alone at the world’s first national park.

Head here for a more in-depth look at this issue on the always fascinating National Parks Traveler.

Score a victory for the proponents of trophic cascade, one of many heavily debated ideas swirling around the still controversial re-introduction of wolves into Yellowstone. In short, the theory argues that as a key species in the overall ecosystem, the addition of wolves dramatically affects the entire bionetwork, creating a domino effect running from the largest megafauna to the smallest plants. Bear researchers, for example, are wrestling with the thought that with fresh elk carcasses now readily available throughout winter, grizzlies may curtail or even stop their hibernating entirely. But it’s the effect of wolves on elk behavior that holds the most possibility for change; as wary elk no longer graze as much in open riverbeds, this could allow willows to flourish instead of being grazed down. Increased willows would in turn attract birds, along with moose whose diet relies on the plant. Late last week, a study in the journal Biological Conservation claims that the return of wolves has allowed aspen trees to grow in places where they haven’t been seen in decades. With wolves on the prowl in the park’s northern reaches, wary elk no longer have the luxury of sitting out in the open, munching on young aspen shoots.

As quoted in a recent UPI story on the subject:

“This is really exciting, and it’s great news for Yellowstone,” said William Ripple, a professor in the Oregon State University College of Forestry. “We’ve seen some recovery of willows and cottonwood but this is the first time we can document significant aspen growth, a tree species in decline all over the West. We’ve waited a long time to see this but now we’re optimistic that things may be on the right track.”

A quick post to let readers know I’ve added a Books section to this site, with my picks for the finest books to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and around. There’s been a wealth of books written covering the region, from recent history to its geological beginnings, and those highlighted are well worth checking out before, during or after a visit. I have short stack of books waiting to be read as well, so check back for updates – and, of course, let me know if you have a book or two that deserves to be added.

How hot has it been in and around Yellowstone this summer? Unfortunately, there isn’t a punch-line to end here, but instead two updates detailing  how high temperatures and the lack of rain in recent weeks are affecting both fishing and fires.

Fires

As of today, there have been ten fires in Yellowstone so far this year. Most areas of the park have received minimal rainfall dating back to early June, and fire restrictions have been in effect in the park since July 3 (four out of the ten fires have been human-caused). Up to this point, all of the fires save one have been tiny, with only the still active Raven fire spreading across 20 acres. Firefighter numbers for this  blaze have been limited, as it’s in the heart of grizzly country some nine miles east of Fishing Bridge, but the blaze is nonetheless over 75% contained. Conditions in Grand Teton to the south are similar, with heavy fire restrictions in effect as well.

All of this doesn’t mean massive fires are on the way, but conditions are prime for such an occurance. All visitor services, park entrances and park roads are open throughout both parks, but we’ll continue to update conditions here as temperatures continue to rise.

Fishing

Minimal snowfalls from this past winter combined with below average precipitation this spring and early summer have begun to take their toll on fish populations throughout the region. The combination of low flows, geothermal heating and high temperatures have raised water temperatures to sometimes deadly levels, and fish have been spotted floating along both Pelican Creek due east of Fishing Bridge and in the Firehole River.

How low are some of the rivers running? According to recent story in the Billings Gazette, last week the Lamar River near Tower Falls had about 27 percent of its normal flow for July 10 compared with records going back 67 years. And along the Firhole River, flows last week were lower than the previous record set in 1988.

To help the already stressed fish populations, park officials have asked that anglers not fish between noon and 6 p.m. on most streams below 7,000 feet. The advisory includes Gardner River below Osprey Falls, the Lamar River below Cache Creek, all of Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek below Amphitheater Creek, the Yellowstone River below Seven Mile Hole, the Gibbon River below Gibbon Falls, and all of the Madison and Firehole.

Yellowstone Association Membership Update

I just received a call from a contact at the Yellowstone Association, letting me know that their lowest annual membership level has been bumped up from the $30 currently listed in the Guide to $35. The Yellowstone Association is an invaluable resource for all Yellowstone visitors, and you can be sure that any money that the non-profit receives will be funneled right back into the park. Their projects range from funding the exhibits in the new Canyon Visitor Center to helping publish Yellowstone Science magazine, and they also run the incomparable Yellowstone Institute, whose lengthy schedule of courses and seminars can be found by clicking here.

I also found out that the Association will be stocking my guide in their bookstores. The Association bookstores scattered throughout the park (including most visitor centers) are always worth a visit, whether to chat with whomever is manning the desk or to add another book to your Yellowstone collection. I’ll be adding a collection of my favorite Yellowstone books to look out for later this week.

Cutthroat politics in Yellowstone

The Billings Gazette has just run an eye-opening story on the recent decline of both osprey and trumpeter swans in Yellowstone:

“Fish-eating ospreys are becoming rarer on Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, mostly because of a drastic decline in native cutthroat trout.

Terry McEneaney, Yellowstone’s ornithologist, said only nine nesting pairs of ospreys were observed on the lake last year and that the population in that area appears to be declining “at a staggering rate.”

“I go out there and I see very few osprey anymore,” McEneaney said. “I used to see 20 or 30 in a day, and now I’m lucky to see a couple.”

Fire, particularly the blaze that wiped out most of the cover on Frank Island in the middle of Yellowstone Lake, has likely played a role. Still it’s the link to native cutthroat trout that raises the biggest concern, as osprey are far from the only species dependent on the native fish. Over 40 different mammals and birds, including bears, rely on the cutthroat as an important food source within Yellowstone. Unlike illegally introduced lake trout – a mortal danger to cutthroat in Yellowstone Lake — cutthroat spawn in the shallow waters of the Yellowstone River, where they can be readily hunted.

The decline in osprey could be a statistical blip, or could be a sign -– a larger canary in the coal mine, if you will – of things to come. And along with lake trout, another even less palatable villain has played a role in this impending disaster – none other than our vice president, Dick Cheney. If the above story is eye-opening, than the Washington Post’s recent series on Cheney can best be described as stomach churning.

In case after case, the veep has used his position to bully government officials – even going so far as to leave a message on voice mail of the 19th-ranking Interior Department official – into stalling legislation and to flippantly ignore the inconvenient principles of law and science to win a few votes:

“…Cheney made his environmental views clear in public. But with some notable exceptions, he generally has preferred to operate with stealth, aided by loyalists who owe him for their careers.

When the vice president got wind of a petition to list the cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park as a protected species, his office turned to one of his former congressional aides.

The aide, Paul Hoffman, landed his job as deputy assistant interior secretary for fish and wildlife after Cheney recommended him. In an interview, Hoffman said the vice president knew that listing the cutthroat trout would harm the recreational fishing industry in his home state of Wyoming and that he “followed the issue closely.” In 2001 and again in 2006, Hoffman’s agency declined to list the trout as threatened.”

The fight to protect cutthroat is certainly far from over, and with the current administrations time running out, perhaps better days are to come. To get involved, head to greateryellowstone.org – just one of several organizations trying to make a difference.

A story on wolverines in Yellowstone.

I just received my copy of the latest issue of Yellowstone Discovery, a quarterly publication put out by the Yellowstone Association. The cover story is an engrossing account on wolverines in Yellowstone, a rarely spotted creature describe by local biologist Kerry Murphy as “one of the world’s least understood carnivores.”

The entire story (by April Christofferson) can be found here, and it’s highly recommend reading.

Like most carnivores, misconceptions abound when it comes to the “skunk bear.” Long painted as ferocious and even demonic, until recently most human encounters with the elusive wolverine have been when they’ve been caught in painful leg-hold trap, with the wolverine cornered and literally fighting for its life. Even a domestic cat in such a situation would seem fierce. But recent studies of wolverines, which weigh from 20¬–30 pounds and live an average of 5–7 years in the wild, have shown them to be a surprisingly social animal, with males often circling back to pick up younger charges to teach them how to hunt and survive.  Incredibly mobile, a wolverine’s home range can reach 500 square miles, and the few wolverines that biologists have managed to successfully collar have shown that they are almost constantly on the move.  At the time of writing, three wolverines had been collared in the Yellowstone area – though they have proven adept at slipping their collars, and one previous male was killed by a trappers’ legally set trap (trapping remains legal in Montana).