Yesterday was one of the most amazing mornings I’ve ever had in the park. On my way through Swan Lake Flats at sunrise, I stopped and watched a cow elk and calf trotting through the sagebrush, backlit by the golden hues of the rising sun. I was thinking that was a pretty great start to the morning, when minutes later I came upon a pair of courting grizzly bears not far from the road. They were so close you could hear every grunt, huff, and growl as they interacted. They would nuzzle a bit, pace around each other, and spar as they performed their courting dance. I got to watch them for almost an hour from a safe spot in the passenger seat of the truck. I was awestruck.

The essence of wilderness…

Bears–and grizzlies in particular–are one of my favorite animals. There are precious few places in the world where you can walk in their footsteps. Wild and untamed, bears add a depth to the experience of wilderness, and are a key part of what makes Greater Yellowstone the incredible place it is. Grizzlies are particularly special because they were almost driven to extinction in the lower 48 states, and were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Since then, restoration efforts have brought the population from a low of 136 to over 700 today. While many scientists consider the Yellowstone area population to be recovered and ready to be removed from the Endangered Species list, others disagree. Threats to their survival remain, including the climate-related loss of white bark pines (an important food source), conflicts with humans outside park boundaries, and lack of connectivity to other grizzly populations. Their value to wilderness cannot be understated; it’s worth doing everything thing we can to ensure their survival into the future.

The luckiest person in the world…

This was an especially poignant experience for me because I was always working too much to see these kinds of things. George was the one out in the field witnessing (and sculpting) incredible wildlife interactions while I was working away in an office. Now, my job is to document and tell stories about Yellowstone, and I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world. Even still, the tug of the “to do” list is difficult to resist. On this particular morning, I almost didn’t get up, thinking I needed a quiet morning at home to do office work. Are you kidding me? I could’ve missed this? But of course that’s the challenge; there is always something incredible happening in the park. It can be exhausting keeping up with the abundance of animal activity in spring in Yellowstone.

After almost 20 years in the park there’s a lot of competition for pretty amazing moments. But to be near enough to these great bruins to observe the nuances in their behavior, and to witness their power is simply beyond words. In my mind, they are the truest expression of pure wildness.

If you love bears as much as we do, check out Capturing a Grizzly and Wolf Encounter, Stumbling Upon a Grizzly Bear Banquet, Yoga Bear, and First Grizzly Bear: An Annual Treat.

**NOTE: These images and video were taken from the safety of a vehicle with a telephoto lens. Never approach bears closer than 100 yards. Watch them from your vehicle, or hike in groups, and carry bear spray. When people say grizzlies are dangerous, it’s no joke! You can protect yourself, and the bears, by following these safety guidelines. Read more about bear safety.