Every day in Yellowstone provides richness for the discerning eye and open heart. This enigmatic layer of fog came and went before settling over the temple of the Lamar Valley late last week. It was another mana-filled day as I led a wildlife tour for four spirited Seattleites in Yellowstone. At one point, we sat in a canyon surrounded by rock–not of the more common volcanic origin, but rather the 2.7 billion year old Precambrian igneous and metamorphic stuff. Through high-powered spotting scopes, in a noisy parking lot filled with wolf watchers, we had just watched wolves fading in and out of view, shrouded by the multilayered fog. Exhilarated by the sighting but wanting solitude, we opted to take our chances for a more serene and intimate experience further up river.
After a morning that began with a Seattle-like rain, and layer upon layer of fog, a brilliant blue sky burst through. Just as the fog parted, we saw a lone black wolf directly above us. Standing against the white landscape, green forest and brilliant blue sky, she was a sight to behold. It didn’t last sixty seconds before a heavy bank of fog eclipsed the mountain, the wolf disappearing just as quickly as she had appeared.
Days later, the sighting remains profound but nebulous. Impactful, yet hazy. Did it even occur? Or was it simply the magical nature of a wilderness like no other?
Yes, Yellowstone is a holy place, and she had just gifted us with another spiritual day on her Northern Range.
For a wild world, Michael W. Leach