Top: A bison skull surrounded by dandelions and some shed winter hair, also from a bison, on the dry lake bed at the base of Crystal Ridge.

Below: A cinnamon black bear grazes peacefully on lush spring grass. These bears are often mistaken for Grizzlies, especially when seen from a distance while they still have the heavy fur of winter. The safe bet is to assume all bears that you encounter in Yellowstone are Griz until you can positively identify them.