My Wolf Encounter

Black Phantoms – My Wolf Encounter

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by

Jake Bramante

I often post blogs that are either overviews of the trails, informational about gear, what’s up with me, the park, etc or educational about technique and such. I haven’t really delved into much of the stories behind my trip. That will come more and more once I get the overviews of the trails done… which is right around the corner.

In that vein, here’s a short film I did for a local film festival about my wolf encounter on the Coal-Fielding trail along Muir Creek. It’s got a bit more “fluff” as far as more footage than just wolf footage, but I think you’ll dig that as well. Enjoy!!

Black Phantoms - My Wolf Encounter

For the Coal-Fielding blog, Click Here.

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Comments

14 responses to “Black Phantoms – My Wolf Encounter”

  1. Jerehmy Avatar
    Jerehmy

    Very Cool Man! I wish more people in this world could realize what there missing out on in the wild, whether it be Glacier, Yellowstone, or your back forty. You summed it up very well! All these blogs are great, when are you going to put out a DVD of all the trails? Can’t tell you how much they have helped me plan my first trip to Glacier this August. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
    1. hike734 Avatar
      hike734

      Thanks and I agree! I’m hoping this gets people stoked and getting out there and doing more stuff. I’m not sure all of what I’m going to do yet. There are a lot of options with new media, old media, etc and I’m just trying to figure that out. Glad it helps and keep checking back because I’m not done yet!

      Reply
  2. Todd Wood Avatar
    Todd Wood

    Great job Jake! I like the new format (different from the trail blogs). Like Jerehmy I too have been poring over the blogs in preparation for my trip to GNP next week. You don’t know how much they have helped!

    Todd

    Reply
    1. hike734 Avatar
      hike734

      Sweet! If anything, hope it gets you wicked stoked!

      Reply
  3. Jeff Hester Avatar
    Jeff Hester

    That was a great video, Jake! You tell the story well with great footage and narration. Too bad you didn’t get a better shot of the wolf, but the howls were very cool!

    Reply
    1. hike734 Avatar
      hike734

      I know! I had to get creative with the stop motion as I really wanted to tell the story. Hopefully this year, I’ll get some more. 😉

      Reply
  4. edelweisstexas1 Avatar
    edelweisstexas1

    I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the wolves! I can’t wait until we get to make our transition to Columbia Falls once Dave has retired!! I still remember a hike that Dave and I did in Yellowstone in the fall of 2005. We hiked to the top of Bunsen Peak on a cloudy, foggy morning. As the sun climbed higher, the fog began to break up and as we neared the summit, we heard wolves howling to one another! It’s a memory that lingers all these years later! We have experienced numerous “delights” from God during our time in His creation. Your video presentation, watched in March fuels my excitement to once again get out on the trails!
    Be Blessed!
    Connie

    Reply
  5. hubba7 Avatar
    hubba7

    What are was this in? I think just south west of Two Medicine, do you suggest any areas that are good for hearing the Wolves, I study them, unofficially. Would love to hear or see them.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Jake Bramante Avatar
      Jake Bramante

      This was way south and west of Two Medicine. If you look at a map, it’s where the trail from Coal Creek to Fielding crosses Muir Creek.

      1. There is no shuttle that does that. You’d have to pay two shuttle companies to get from Waterton to St. Mary, ride the Park’s free shuttle to Apgar, then take a taxi to Polebridge, then hitchhike to Bowman Lake. Ugh.

      2. 9 hikers?! Whoa! That’s a big crew. Check out the backcountry guide for the sites that allow for three advanced reservation sites. http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/upload/Backcountry-Guide-2015.pdf

      Reply
  6. Jeremy Avatar
    Jeremy

    Great short film, and also very nice video trail reviews on your site! I am using them as part of my planning for dayhiking on my trip to Glacier in July, I cannot wait to see the, as George Bird Grinnell put it “striking scenery”.

    Reply
  7. JEFF PERKINS Avatar
    JEFF PERKINS

    HEY JAKE..JEFF HERE..I LIVE IN THE ESCAMBIA RIVER SWAMP IN N.W. FLA..LOVE YOUR BLOGS..I HAVE BACK PACKED YELLOWSTONE AND THE GRAND CANYON SINCE 1980…CAN’T WAIT TO COME TO MONTANA NEXT SUMMER..KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK..I SAW 17 WOLVES ON THE LAMAR RIVER A WHILE BACK..NOTHING LIKE. IT..

    Reply
    1. hike734 Avatar
      hike734

      Sweet! Wow… 17 wolves huh? What an amazing animal. They are always fascinating to watch. Enjoy Glacier next summer. You’ll love it!

      Reply
  8. Annette Avatar
    Annette

    I loved your video. I’m planning a trip to Glacier for July 2017. We’ve got reservations in Coram and Many Glacier. I’m going to order your Glacier maps as soon as I get a Paypal payment. (Should be soon.) I’ve been watching your videos on youtube and reading your website. It has been very helpful planning my trip. I sure would love to hear some wolves while we’re there. Wolves are my sister’s favorite animal and I love them too. I just got to visit a night howl at the Endangered Wolf Sanctuary in Missouri. They have successfully bread many wild canids and have been introduced red and Mexican grey wolves back in the wild (not in Missouri but in the south and out west). They howled while my group was at the campfire listening to a wolf story and hearing about the sanctuary. We walked down a dirt road for about a mile that was across from the wolves, but they didn’t howl then. That was a really cool experience and my employer paid for it. (Boy do I love my job.) I’m an interpreter at a AZA Zoo. Any suggestions on where it is more likely to hear or see wolves?

    Reply
    1. hike734 Avatar
      hike734

      That sounds like an amazing place! The North Fork area tends to be the best place to see/hear them, but it really is a rarity up here in Glacier. Obviously, your luck is much better in the wide open valleys of Yellowstone and the “wolfies” who are always out looking for and at them. There are a few meadows where you may see them popping in and out while they jog along. Mornings would be best and maybe the evenings. Truth be told, I’ve never seen/heard them up there, but the most stories of sightings tends to be up there.

      Reply

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