Sullengers and the Six Bears

Once upon a time....Brian was anxious to go to Yellowstone again, so when the Randalls called with an opportunity to rent a cabin with them, he jumped on the opportunity. His plans did not sit well with the girls, he was intent on getting up at 5:30 so we could get into the park and see the wildlife. They started praying that we would see all the things they needed to see the first day so we didn't have to get up early the next day. After consulting some co-workers who go frequently to see animals, we set out at 5:30 am. There was many bison as we entered the park, this was fun to see, but we wanted to see bears, wolves, elk, and others. We stopped at some hot pots and water falls, but were set on getting to Mammoth Hot Springs. Just before the springs there is a drive that takes you to the top of the hot springs. We decided to take it and were not disappointed. A small tour bus was stopped just before us, and there was a cinnamon black bear. We opened our door so we could get pictures, but as he came closer we got nervous and shut it, which made him run right in front of our van. So cool. Prayers were answered, but they must of been praying really hard. From Mammoth we went to the petrified tree (another little turn off), and there was another black bear. This time there were 4 hikers not to far from him. It was scary and exciting to watch him and them. A ranger finally came to help them. Then we went to the Lamar Valley. Not only did we see many bison (swimming across a river), but also some elk, a badgar, and a pair of grizzlys playing. We stood and watched them for 15 minutes or so. So great. Total 4 bears, for sure we don't have to wake up early again.
As we came towards Tower Falls, we spotted bear #5, this one was on the road causing a traffic jam. A ranger was following him as he walked by our van again. Awesome, it wasn't even noon. We rounded another corner and saw another black bear on the hill, but no place to stop. #6 this was great!!
There was still tons of snow in the park over the passes. These 6 bears were the only ones we saw, but we did go back into the park the next day. It was a great trip, nothing beats our bear sightings. We could not believe we were so lucky.