Wolf pack Lamar Valley winter (Montana side)
— — the valley the wolves came back to.
Not only on a wall.
“The wide glacial valley along the Lamar River in Yellowstone's northern range, reached through the Montana gateways at Gardiner and Cooke City. In winter the cottonwoods go bare and the bison cluster on the south-facing slopes. The Junction Butte pack works the valley most mornings, visible at a mile or more through a spotting scope. The cold sharpens every line on the ground.
Wolf pack Lamar Valley winter (Montana side), on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
The Lamar Valley runs along the Lamar River in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. The floor of the valley sits in Park County, Wyoming, but the only roads in are through Montana: US-89 from Gardiner past Mammoth, or US-212 from Cooke City and Silver Gate. The valley is the heart of Yellowstone's northern range, the herd ground for bison and elk and the home territory of several gray wolf packs since federal reintroduction in January 1995. Bald eagles and ravens follow the kills through the cold months.
Winter is the watching season. From mid-December through March the cottonwoods are bare, the snow turns the valley floor white, and the predators are visible from a mile or more on the open ground. Wolves hunt elk and the occasional weakened bison; ravens, eagles, and coyotes follow. Daytime temperatures often sit between zero and twenty degrees Fahrenheit, colder before dawn. The northern range road from Gardiner to Cooke City stays plowed all winter; the Tower-to-Canyon road and the Beartooth Highway do not.
Access in winter is from the north and northeast entrances, both in Montana. Gardiner sits on US-89 about an hour north of Bozeman; Silver Gate and Cooke City sit on US-212 at the northeast entrance. Sunrise viewing is the routine: arrive at Lamar Canyon or Slough Creek pullouts before first light, set a 60mm spotting scope, and watch. Park interpretive volunteers and independent wildlife guides are often present and willing to share what they're seeing. Layered clothing and a quiet voice carry a long way.