Sleep

YNP WS Day 25 went thus:

Sleep. That is something wolves love to do in general, and the Druids in particular excel at. This morning I found the wolves in the exact same location that I found them yesterday morning.

Even though the pack wasn't all that active, we had some choice bits of viewing. The first visual of the day occurred during sunrise. I saw the wolves silhouetted against the red-tinted clouds, muzzles lifted towards the sky. The sounds of wolves howling reached us seconds later. Not a bad way to start the day.

Shortly thereafter, the wolves moved off of the ridge towards the valley floor. Number 21M led the way. The pack moved in our direction, towards the road. All of the folks there were quiet as the wolves crossed the road 350 meters to our East. Number 21 crossed first, and it wasn't until he was across the road (he left a scent mark on the snow bank where he left the highway) that the remainder of the pack followed. I was presented with an incredible contrast, watching a road with the typical white and yellows lines, signs, reflectors, pavement... and there crosses a wolf, symbol of the wild. There was one image in particular that I will remember for awhile. In the right hand section of the scope was "SPEED LIMIT 45" , in the left hand was #21, straddling the center line.

The majority of the day was then spent watching the wolves sleep. Even this isn't all that boring. In general, these spells of rest are periodically broken by howls, pups wrestling, someone standing and then plopping back down, a curios head is raised, etc... Then, the wake up call. Perhaps one of the alphas stands up and stretches, one by one or sometimes as a group the others follow. Maybe there is a howl, or a group ceremony and tail wagging. Movement follows soon afterwards. The next thing you know the pack has moved 8 or 9 kilometers. What may seem like a slow day can add up to quite a lot.