Grizzly Bear Tracks in the Snow – A grizzly bear left these tracks in the fresh snow on a cold clear morning in Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone National Park. The owner of these tracks was a sub-adult grizzly bear who was possibly starting to try to put on as much weight as possible before going into the den for a long winter sleep. It had been seen above Mammoth Hotel just minutes before the bear went through the campground heading in the general direction of the Park Resident housing area. Soon after leaving these tracks the bear attracted the attention of park rangers who made certain it was kept away from the housing area. The next morning the same bear was spotted on an elk carcass about a mile north of Mammoth.
This image will appear in the 2017 Yellowstone Association Wall Calendar.