If you sit there long enough, something will happen.

That was the advice we received from the man at the front desk. We were camped in between Yellowstone National Park and Teton National Park. He said just head up the road. The campgrounds are closed because of the sequester but you can park at the end of the campground and walk up to the river. He said he saw river otters at campground 1.

 

So we did. We parked at campground 1 and took a mountain bike ride up the road. When we came back we hung around. I sat and sketched and painted. The sun was hanging low towards the west. Dave said, “Should we go?” We started packing up our things. A couple came hiking up to the river. They said we saw river otters at campground 2 and they are making their way up the river. So we waited and watched the river. There was a bit of small talk but no sight of the otters. “Well they must have a den between here and there.” “Maybe they turned and went downstream.” “Maybe they got out of the river.” The couple started to leave. There was one more question and then “There they are.”

 

Four river otters glided through the river, diving deep and coming up chomping on fish.

 

 

 

 

They stretched their necks and looked at us. We got out the binoculars and looked at them. We heard chirp, chirp, chirping. One otter had been separated from the other three.

 

 

 

 

They popped their heads out of the water and listened and searched down river. They immediately headed towards the chirping. The chirper had dived into the river and when he popped up, there was a great otter celebration. They climbed out of the river and their movement was fluid as if they were still in the water. Four river otters undulating across land. It was worth the wait.