Keno and I decided to take a walk around Beck Lake today. Luckily I had my camera with me. Half way around the lake the batteries died, or I could have had more pictures of the Lake. I always carry spares in the car so I did capture a few good shots.

When you don’t want to go out for an all day hike Beck Lake is the perfect spot to get away for an hour or more. Here you can enjoy quiet peaceful surroundings along with some amazing scenic Cody views. 

There is a walk way that surrounds both lakes so you can walk, jog, or bike along one or both. There are other things you can do at Beck Lake, fish, walk, jog, picnic, bike, swim or just kick back at the much shaded picnic area and enjoy.  Beck Lake is dog friendly so you can take your best buddy for a nice long walk around the lake, like my best buddy below.

Beck Lake closes to vehicles @ 9 pm.

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Our post office houses thousands of letters, packages and 3 baby bunnies!  What a surprise I had after I dropped an out of state letter in the mail box!

Here is a picture of a yellow barrier that you need to drive past  as your leaving the drop off boxes beside the post office.

And here is the little teeny baby bunny. The little thing was just sitting there beside the barrier like nobody’s business.

 He wasn’t in the least bit afraid of my car. I thought he was lost so I got out of my car to shoo him back into the grass. That’s when he darted underneath the yellow barrier to hide.

I stood there a minute and realized that there where at least 3 baby bunnies living under the barrier. Luckily I had my camera with me. I never could catch the 3 together.

So I’m wondering who do you call to keep these street smart bunnies from getting run over?

People travel from many states and continents to get a glimpse of Yellowstone’s free roaming wildlife. This isn’t a Yellowstone or even a west coast Moose, but still, this is an amazing site to see, and in someones front yard!  

A mother Moose gave birth to a sprawling youngster in the middle of downtown Naubinway, Michigan. Naubinway is about 40 miles west of the Mackinaw bridge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The shots below are of the mama and baby moose @ 12 hours old.  Incredible!

Thanks for sharing!

If you have any incredible shots or stories to share please leave a comment below.

CWN

Today I found a real treat in my email. Here is the email and some excellent shots of a beautiful mountain lion who makes himself right at home at this Casper Mountain property. What’s unusual about this Mountain lion is that, as a species,  mountain lions like to remain elusive and are hard to pin down. This one doesn’t seem shy at all. 

email:

A few weeks ago our friends in Casper, WY mentioned that they had seen lion tracks in the snow on their deck behind the house.  They live on Casper Mountain just south of, and over looking Casper.  Then a few days ago they mentioned that one of their neighbors across the road had seen a lion in the driveway in front of their house.  About an hour ago they sent the pictures below.  The last picture is behind their house where I think they first saw the tracks.  This is one pretty good sized cat.  His apparent lack of fear or respect for people makes for an uncomfortable feeling when you go outside in the middle of the day.  He appears to be in good condition.

Mountain Lions are quite common in Wyoming expecially in the Yellowstone area.

Update: The story featured with these pictures from the  registercitizen.com
is incorrect by stating that they ‘phoned’ me on Friday. I have received no phone calls as stated in the article. Though I do believe that mountain lions can be roaming the Connecticut mountains (have paws will travel) these pictures have been taken in Wyoming. Thank You!

Mountain Lions are primary active in the morning and evening hours and have been known to kill pets..

Pictures of the Mountain Lion:

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The small town of Cody is covered by a thin veil of smoke today from  two burn area.  A fire started in Yellowstone Park which closed the West Yellowstone and Jackson side to visitors off and on throughout the day. The  Jackson school was on its way to play the Cody JV and Varsity Volleyball team, but due to the fires, couldn’t get throught the park.

A second fire on the North Fork’s Crow Creek is also burning.  It is thought that a lightning strike that hit several weeks ago has been left smoldering, and that Wednesdays dry weather and mild winds flared it up. There are several firefighters and a helicopter trying to keep it under control. The smoke from the 2 fires can be seen over town.  

Pictures:

orange sun

Heart Mountain on a clear day

Can't even see Heart Mountain through the smoke

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This traveled via email to my inbox.  Even though what I am posting did not occur in Yellowstone or even Wyoming it is truly amazing. These pictures where taken in northern New Hampshire USA by Tom Sears. I am posting the email just as I received it. Thanks Tom Sears for sharing!

Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young.

There were two or three reports of sows with as many as four cubs, but five was, and is, extraordinary. I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom – no matter how much time and effort was involved.

I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them.

I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.

I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become habituated to me, or to people in general, as approachable friends.  This could be dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated.

This spring, before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.

I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, an improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph

On April 25, 2008 I achieved my dream. 

When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, ‘We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow.’

And so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these photos with you.

Sincerely, Tom Sears

New & Used Camping and Hiking Gear for Outdoor People

Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons are the real thing when it comes to free roaming wildlife. Despite the thick forest, bubbling geysers, crystal lakes and hotsprings millions of visitors will agree that the main attraction to visiting Yellowstone National Park is the wildlife. Most of the wild creatures in the park steer clear of people, but you can never be to careful. Even though the wildlife you may encounter seem complacent, never assume they are docile and will not attack.

Moose on Steroids:

Moose on Steroids? A lot of Wyoming hunters will be disappointed that they can’t bag this park roamer.

A typical adult male weighs 1,000 pounds and their broad antler racks can grow to 6 feet across, The homely looking moose is capable of traveling at 30 mph and females will charge at any real or perceived threat to a calf, Moose sightings are most frequent in the early dawn or at dusk. If your searching keep your eye on the edges of ponds or streams or in damp, shady areas expecially valley bottoms.

Moose in Yellowstone Videos

Don’t miss this! Saturday July 10th the regional skateboard competition “On Board” will be held at Mentock Park! Be there or be square! Registration - $10 - begins at 10 am. Free gut dogs, chips and sodas will be served at noon. **Parents are required for participants under 18

Sponsered by Yellowstone Baptist Church 

Skateboarding is a very popular type of sport that many Cody kids engage in. For thoses not familiar with skateboards, it is a board that has wheels on the four corners. The board itself can be colored with various designs. Most larger communities have skateboarding parks where skateboarders can go to do tricks and to spend time with other people that enjoy the sport as they do. Cody’s skateboard park was created a few years ago at Mentock Park.

It can be frustrating at first to learn how to skateboard. You have to be willing to fall down a bunch of times in order to get it done. It takes alot of coordination as well as the ability to use your feet to propel and maneuver the skateboard around. Many parents worry that their kids will get hurt skateboarding. There have been plenty of broken bones from falls from them, that is for sure.

There are professional skateboarders that perform various types of tricks in order to score points. Many of them are involved in what is known as extreme sports. They get points based on the level of difficulty of their performance as well as how good they do it. That is why they continue to try to come up with more adventurous moves.

The antics of Johnny Knoxville in his episodes of Jackass with skateboarding have lead to some problems as well. Too many children follow them including trying to skateboard down railings and other dangerous areas. Even though these shows have disclaimers at the end of them, too many kids just don’t realize how dangerous they are.

Yet this doesn’t mean that everyone that rides a skateboard is going to be reckless or that they will get injured. It is very important that a person learns the basics of skateboarding before they attempt to learn stunts and tricks. This way they can reduce the risk and still have a great time.

I found out that our famous Cody photographer is a night owl. Take a look at these beautiful images Bob in Cody captured while out on a peaceful night during a winter snowfall.  These I believe where taken in early January 08.

Here are some fantastic elk pictures and sound clip from “Bob in Cody”.  Yellowstone is home for nearly 10,000 elk. They are the more sociable of the parks wildlife and can be seen traveling or grazing together in small herds expecially in the Lamar Valley of the park’s northeast corner.

The males can weigh as much as 900 pounds and  are best know for their magnificant set of antlers.
 

Click Here To Listen to this Elks Call
(Opens in new Window)

Click Here To Listen to this Elks Call
(Opens in new Window)

This is a Web-cam picture taken at 7:32 a.m.  28 degrees and snowing.

Sent by Bob in Cody isn’t it beautiful?

Where there are crabapples, there are deer. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall you will find deer wandering the neighborhoods and streets of the surrounding towns outside the park borders of Yellowstone.

They are most often spotted near forest boundaries or in areas covered with lots of grass and sagebrush. Their most distinguishing features are their huge ears and white rump.  Spotted fawns, are born in late spring. 

These deer where caught on film by Bob in Cody at 10:30 am on a warm November morning wondering the streets and munching on crab apples. Thanks Bob!

Deer in the yard

Munching on Crab Apples

Check that rack