This wolf pair stopped briefly up the road, perhaps 30 yards from our snow coach. The young gray wolf suddenly ran east up the snow covered hill into the trees and out of sight. The older white wolf stood her ground assessing the yellow snow coach and its large tires needed to navigate the snow packed roads. This was probably not her first encounter with winter tourists. However, instead of fleeing, she trotted past the coach and then up the hill back to the young male.

We grabbed our cameras and hurried out of the coach attempting to catch what we thought would be a fleeting image. We watched and photographed as she moved through the trees and heavy snow to collect the youth. She then turned and retraced her path back to the road with the young male in tow. When they reached the road, the pair continued heading south. This was a memorable few minutes on an unforgettable winter adventure. We had not expected to see wolves, especially not so close or for such a long period of time. Once back in the snow coach we learned the facts surrounding this well known alpha female.