Yellowstone/Teton podcasts

If you can imagine yourself in the 6th hour of your 16 hour drive to Colter Bay and already sick of your Lil Wayne, Kenny Chesney, or Green Day CDs, you might consider some GYE podcasts to while away the time.

Here's one: Yellowstone Wolves: Changing the Ecosystem (53 min. / 18.25 mb) in which the "Yellowstone Journal visits with Dr. Douglas Smith, the leader of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, about the status and highlights of the wolf's return to the world's oldest national park. Enjoy firsthand accounts from Smith, who has a front row seat to wolves and their impacts on the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, as well as updates on population size, and more."

Numerous Yellowstone/Teton related podcasts can also be found on iTunes. If, for example, you search for Teton science school at the iTunes store, the following pop up (they're all free):

Mountain Lions 4:52 Anne Winters 5/5/08 These elusive creatures are full of mystery and intrigue.

Ravens 16:20 Nancy Van Dyke 3/27/08 A unique bird at home in Jackson Hole.

Moose 7:47 Anne Winters 2/29/08 These ancient animals are the kings and queens of wetlands and forests.

Glaciers shaped Grand Teton National Park 6:43 John Hoener 1/14/08 Admire the power, beauty, and change that glaciers create
Snow 9:13 Nancy Van Dyke 1/2/08 Water takes center stage in winter.

Grizzly Bears 6:17 John Hoener 11/19/07 Follow a grizzly's diet through the seasons of Grand Teton National Park.

A Woman's Work Is Never Done: Geraldine Lucas 7:00 Jess Ryan 11/5/07 The single woman homesteader played a vital role in the formation of the West. Called by freedom and fortune, these women endured obstacle and struggle to scratch out a life among a male dominated society. One woman's story exemplifies how their strength.

Bald Eagles 4:37 Anne Winters 10/22/07 Our national symbol was once on the border of extinction.

Dance, Song, and Moving On: One Elk's Story 7:00 Jessica Ryan 10/8/07 A year in an elk's life.

Fire's role in the West 5:18 John Hoener 9/24/07 Fire acts as Grand Teton National Park's Gardener.

Putting a Name to a Place 11:46 Nancy VanDyke 9/10/07 Mapping History With Words.

Bird watching in Jackson Hole 7:42 Anne Winters 8/27/07 Beginning techniques of birding allow you to identify birds in Jackson Hole and your own backyard.

Enjoy a hike up Cascade Canyon 6:18 John Hoener 8/13/07 A boat ride and spectacular views make this a wonderful way to spend half a day

There's a Rumble in Them Thar' Hills! 6:43 Jessica Ryan 7/30/07 The Gros Ventre Slide

The Messages of Wildflowers 10:43 Nancy Van Dyke 7/16/07 Advertising for the Birds and the Bees

Mormon Row 6:43 John Hoener 7/2/07 Mormon Row: A Once Vibrant Community

Around the Park in 48 Hours 9:49 Jessica Ryan 6/18/07 Making the most of the views, history, wildlife, solitude, and activities that the Tetons offer.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 10:24 Nancy Van Dyke 6/4/07 An Island of Natural Wonder in a Sea of Shifting Tides.

Leave No Trace 9:12 Anne Winters 5/21/07 It is important to try and minimize our impact on natural places.

Where in the World am I? 5:12 Jessica Ryan 5/7/07 What makes the landscape of Grand Teton National Park such a unique place?

Pronghorn 5:35 John Hoener 4/23/07 Pronghorn are a vivid image of the Cowboy State, Wyoming.

Out From the Shadows of Time 8:36 Jessica Ryan 4/9/07 The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the best place to view the Gray Wolf in the wild, but it was not always that way.

The History and Creation of Grand Teton National Park 10:45 Anne Winters 3/26/07 The Snake River serves as a metaphor for the creation of Grand Teton National Park

Bison 8:25 Nancy Van Dyke 3/12/07 A Key Element of Grasslands and Cultural Change in America

Water in Wyoming and the West 7:05 Anne Winters Water brings life to all creatures, yet is a depleting resource in the western United States.

Snow Fungus 4:07 Jessica Ryan Below the surface of the deep snow, in the cool moist darkness near the soil, something is...growing! It is not a plant or an animal, but what is it?! Even people who live in Jackson Hole may not know the answer. You can sit around and wait for the snow.

The Meat Puppets can always wait (and Snow Fungus; not a bad name for a band!)

Global Warming, Dead Forests, Imperiled Grizzlies

Here are a couple of very informative postings (part 1 and part 2) that discuss the link between climate change, whitebark pine, and increased human-grizzly interaction (with often dire consquences for the bear: There were 37 human-caused grizzly deaths in the GYE in 2008, the highest number ever recorded).

Webcams and weather

Check out these Teton webcams and this one at Old Faithful (the only cam I could find in Yellowstone).

Here are some good weather sites for the Tetons and Yellowstone. Also, you'll find some
4 day forecasts at the bottom of this page.

Note that the weather hasn't been all that great and the forecasts are for more of the same (lots of rain...some snow!)

Google Earth tours of the GYE course

There are two ways to view a Google Earth tour of the GYE course events:

• You can download the tour into Google Earth (here are the simple directions).
  

• You can view an embedded tour in the window below. You'll need the Google Earth plugin installed on your computer for this to work, even if you have installed the entire Google Earth program (which I'm sure you have because it is the best program ever).

Note that the embed is not a video. To see what I mean, click in the tour window and move the cursor around while it is playing (hit the "Play" button to start). You'll get an interactive 3D playback! You can also pause, explore the area (using the navigation controls in the upper right; you can also use the mouse or keyboard), then resume the tour when you want. BTW, the Google Earth plug-in is well worth having because it is becoming more and more common for sites and blogs to include Google Earth-related features.

Downloading the tour into Google Earth provides many more options and much greater versatility than the embedded tour, so this is what I would do (after playing with the embedded tour first of course!)

Course calendar and map

Here is calendar of course events.

Here is a map of course events.

Grizzlies flunk test

Grizzlies flunk test to open new kind of camp cooler « Ralph Maughan’s Wildlife News: "Breaking and entering experts at West Yellowstone Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center can’t open (or smash) new coolers"