Day 3: Fresh Snow and Grizzlies

Woke up at 5:15 again and was out the door by 6. Walked outside to a surprise. A little snow on the ground and 27 degrees. Definitely felt more like winter than mid May. Stopped at the Conoco for gas and headed into the park.
Today I decided to switch things up and go the opposite direction. Mammoth to Norris to Canyon to Fishing Bridge. Roads were pretty quiet early. A little icy in spots too.
One of my first stops was Swan Lake. Always one of my favorite places in the park. Peaceful and quiet this morning. Watched a swan chase off a goose and heard a sandhill crane bugling somewhere out in the marsh. One of those Yellowstone moments that does not need much else.
Stopped around Canyon for a bit before continuing south to Fishing Bridge. Traffic stayed light and there really was not much wildlife moving around early.
From Fishing Bridge I drove east along Yellowstone Lake and finally found some life. A grizzly bear was laying beside a log digging for grubs. I stopped and got some photos. The light was not great, so I am not sure how the shots turned out yet, but it was still a good sighting.
After that I headed back to Gardiner to pick up Staci and grab some food before heading back out.
After a little rest at the hotel we took off again, starting with the same route from this morning. Between Mammoth and Norris we spotted a cinnamon colored black bear. By the time I stopped the car and turned around it was already gone. Still crazy how fast bears can disappear.
I overheard somebody talking about a sighting near Gibbon Falls, so we headed that direction, but never found anything there. We continued south and took the Firehole Lake Drive loop where we spotted an osprey and a crow.
The rest of the lower loop was mostly quiet. Long drives, cold weather, and not a whole lot moving. It definitely felt colder today than yesterday.
We eventually made our way back toward Fishing Bridge and decided to drive east again looking for the grizzly from this morning. Along Yellowstone Lake we spotted another grizzly laying up on a hillside. A little farther east near Lake Butte Overlook we found another grizzly laying down above the road. We stayed there and watched him for about an hour before finally heading back to Gardiner for the night.
Not one of those nonstop wildlife days, but honestly still one of those classic Yellowstone days I enjoy. Quiet roads, cold weather, scattered wildlife, and enough time to just take in the park.