The animals move silently. Smoothly. Quickly. The pack weaves it's way among the trees pausing for the young ones to keep up. It has been a successful hunt. All are fed and rested and it is time to move on up the valley, living shadows unseen by most. The young pup finds wonder in everything; the smells, a worm, his brother's tail. Mother barks a command and he tenses his lean gray body and leaps after her......
Dad rises from the rock and stretches, pulling on his pack, "Come on, kids, two miles to go and then we'll set up camp." The children rise, don their packs and head up the trail with the sun on their backs. It's a perfect day of crisp air and clear skies. They march across the valley and up toward the base of a beautiful peak, their campsite, and an encounter. The Alpha male picks his way swiftly through the lodgepole pine. The pack is almost to the pass and the entrance to the next valley, and home. But man is nearby. He senses it more than he smells it. The trail will be crossed, soon. The pass surmounted and the pups will be back at the den after their first elk hunt.
The girl runs ahead as the trail turns toward the pass. "Not too far!" Father warns. The campsite isn't far now, a perfect spot for his daughter's first backpacking trip.
All seems clear inspite of the lingering smell of man on the trail as the pack crosses. The gray pup stops to smell this new and interesting smell, but notes his father's uneasy wariness. The pup places his nose in the dirt and takes one more snuff, and freezes. It stands not 20 wolf lengths away, frozen just like he.
Joann stood perfectly still. Time was not measurable as she looked at the wolves. A huge dark wolf and a young gray pup. She stared at him and he stared back. She looked in his beautiful eyes. In all the wondrous animal world of God's creation there are no eyes as deep as a wolves. No look so riveting. There is no other animal that can see inside your soul the way a wolf can if he chooses to turn his eyes upon yours. In a few fleeting seconds an eternity ensued. Then they were gone.
The flames of the campfire flickered as the family watched the light fade from the sky. On the other side of the mountain another family curled up near it's den. A young gray pup remembered the smells of the day and the curious creature on the trail.
As the light faded, Dad told his children about the history of Yellowstone and those who had come before. He spoke of the men that first got the idea of a park for the whole nation. He spoke of the mistakes and killing of the wolves. "You mean they weren't always here?" the children said with puzzled looks. He spoke of years ago and the time when people fought about returning wolves to Yellowstone. With the stars growing brighter he explained about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, just as his father had told him after his first encounter.
A small grey pup slept contentedly as his father climbed the ridge to an overlook. The man stood outside his tent looking at the valley and the stars. He thanked God for the day. The wolf stood on the outcrop and surveyed the valley. He stretched back his head and howled.... As the man crawled into his tent he paused, and smiled, listening to the faint and distant howl carried on the breeze.
Thanks to all those that have worked to make this future possible for our grandchildren. Long live the wolves of Yellowstone!
