Spring in Hayden Valley is a special time. We were fortunate to spend three days at the Lake Hotel in mid May, just after it opened. It’s a treat to be there right after the roads and hotels open for the season – the landscape feels very wild and the crowds are few. Here, winter seems slow to loosen its grasp. Exploring Hayden Valley and surrounding area in the spring means dancing around a patchwork of snowfields, floodwater from melting snow, and the numerous grizzlies that roam the open slopes in search of food. The air is filled with the first amphibian choruses, the season’s pioneering wildflowers are just poking out, and water is everywhere. Here are a few of the sights from our recent trip:
Watch this short video of a grizzly bear sow with a two-year old cub:
Photos and video: Jenny Golding