Elk and Bison, Up Close and Personal

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

2019-09-04 Wednesday

Another long day in Yellowstone National Park, and we have done a LOT of driving in that Jeep!  We got another very late start, plus we had a lot of errands to do in West Yellowstone—upload yesterday’s blog (with photos), call a pharmacy in Bozeman so we could get some prescriptions refilled on Saturday when we are there, make some other phone calls, post office, gas station, Ranger Station to pick up some maps, and go to a sandwich shop to get some sandwiches to go for our lunch. 

The first stop was the Ranger Station, right between us and the town. Of course, we arrived at 12:08, and they closed at noon for lunch! So we went to our WiFi hot spot in the middle of town, and did the phone calls and uploading. Then we went to get sandwiches for lunch. We got some for dinner, too, because I suspected we would not be back for dinner, and yesterday we didn’t have sufficient real food with us, only snack stuff. When we walked out with the sandwiches, Joey pointed out it was lunch time, so we sat at a picnic table outside the shop and ate our lunches! Then we went to the post office, and I saw a rack with cards and realized I had a few birthdays coming up and wanted to send cards. So I bought those, and some more stamps. At that point, Joey pointed out it was after 1:00, and the Ranger Station would be open. On the way back there, we stopped for gas for the Jeep, and then went for the maps.

I got very lucky with the maps—the young woman behind the desk was delightful and very helpful. I explained I wanted the “big white maps” which are called Motor Vehicle Use Maps, for National Forests, and which show dispersed camping sites inside the forests. The last time we stopped, the ranger explained that each station only has maps for their own region. That means we need to stop at every ranger station we see, in order to get as many maps as possible! This stop produced four or five, because she had several from other regions she could give me. Also she gave me good Montana and Idaho maps, and we discussed routes for Joey and I to take in the next few weeks. So it wasn’t a super-fast stop, but it was very fruitful. And THEN, we were ready to go back into the park.

My Favorite View—the Madison River

The ride from the park’s West Entrance runs along the Madison River, and is just gorgeous. I was still trying to get the definitive perfect photo, so Joey kept stopping at every turnout saying “This one? This one?” Suddenly we saw a bunch of people pulled over on the side of the road, and I looked into the meadow and saw a herd of elk, with a big daddy elk with HUGE antlers presiding over them. He was really something! I jumped out of the car, while Joey found someplace to pull over safely. Unfortunately, though, i wasn’t too thrilled with my photos... Big Daddy Elk was too far away. I did watch him, though— he went into the trees as soon as I got my camera out, but it was only for a minute— he was herding two of his ladies out of the woods and over to join the rest of the group. He did the same thing with another one a few minutes later, and then they all moved further away. It was clear he was in charge!

Just before we got back on the road after that, a Park Ranger car with sirens wailing tore past us, and we figured THAT didn’t sound good. Sure enough, about 20 or so minutes later, we encountered a dead stop on the highway. At first we thought it could be an animal, but it became clear that nothing short of mating grizzly bears could bring the traffic to not move at all. Then I remembered the ranger with the siren. We waited for about 15 or more minutes, and then I got out to reconnoiter. I heard another driver say that there had been an accident and they had to bring in a helicopter to carry someone out. It was very hot in the direct sun, and while we waited, Joey got out and put the roof back on the Jeep so he could run the AC. Just after that, we saw a helicopter take off over the trees, and then the traffic started coming from the other direction. The entire thing was about a 30 minute delay, I think, and when we passed the ranger directing traffic, it seemed that the accident happened on a side road just off the main road which we were on. 

Somewhat sobered, we continued to Canyon Junction, and found our way to the side road which runs along the north side of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There were several scenic stops along the route, where you could park and get out and take a short trail to the rim. Unfortunately, Joey started feeling a bit sick from the altitude, and didn’t want to walk much. I couldn’t help taking photos, though— the river and canyon there are incredible.

Yellowstone Falls (background) 

By the time we got done there, we were back at Canyon again, and I left Joe in a shady spot in the parking lot while I ran into the General Store for a couple of things. I’m afraid I spent too much time, just like yesterday, but he was happy for the break. He also discovered a few bars on his phone, so he was able to phone his doctor for some medication for the elevation sickness—something he remembered having last year as well. So that prescription was added to the list for Bozeman.

When we left home this morning, I had had the bright idea that we should drive to the Lamar Valley to try to see wildlife. I totally forgot that the drive from Canyon to Lamar goes over a very high pass, and the road is VERY scary— lots of curves along the outside of the mountain, and about 25 miles per hour most of the way. I was driving, so Joey got the view of the incredible mountains, but if he’d been driving, I would have kept my eyes closed anyway! We came over this route in Mo back in 2007, and I remember being pretty scared then too, except then we were on the inside next to the mountain at least! (I should add that on the way out of the Canyon Junction, across the intersection from us, we saw a wrecker with a damaged car on its flat-bed— I think it must have been the car from the crash earlier in the afternoon! I sure hope the driver and passengers were not hurt too badly.)

By the time we got to Tower, where we would have to turn toward the Lamar Valley, we were worried about getting home on that road in the dark. So we decided against Lamar, and continued on the main Loop Road west again toward Mammoth Junction. Almost immediately, we were rewarded by a small herd of bison grazing right beside our road. So we got our wildlife after all! The road also was much easier to negotiate than the road from Canyon to Tower, and a lot less scary to drive.

The best was when we arrived in Mammoth— I had remembered from 2007 that there is a herd of elk which frequent the center “town” there— there are lots of lodgings for the park personnel, and a large hotel, a gas station, a restaurant, etc., and the elk just make themselves at home on the central “village green” among the buildings. There are always rangers there to make sure visitors don’t get too close—of course many folks are standing out there taking photos, and we joined the line of cars going into the area so we could see them. I immediately saw a parking place and pulled in, just as the ranger in charge started suddenly shooing people away. It seems that this herd, too, was a lot of females and their calves, ruled by one Big Daddy with glorious antlers, and he had decided it was time for the stragglers to join the others. He was herding them right toward the tourists. When he had them collected to his satisfaction, he stopped in the middle of the road and let out a loud bugle— we’d never heard something like that! They are very beautiful animals (and we are now sure that the one which ran across our road last night was also an elk.) 

Elk Herd in the Dusk 

We continued to watch as Big Daddy herded his harem through the cars and people (who gave way as he approached) and right down the street between the houses. He bugled several times along the way—wow! When it seemed they were gone, we turned our car around—only to catch a glimpse of the male running fast a few blocks away (we didn’t see the females.). We did, however, notice three female elk who were on their own in a different corner of the center of town, and they didn’t go with the others.

Joey and I wanted to eat our dinner sandwiches before we did the last part of our drive home, so we parked again, and sat down at a picnic table. We noted that there were two elk down at the end of the area where the table was, and were keeping an eye on them, when suddenly, the third female appeared from between the parked cars, almost next to our table! She was not looking at us, but we still were a little freaked out, and as she walked toward the other two, we decided we’d better choose a table someplace else. We finished our sandwiches quickly, and as we got back in the car, we saw the three ladies grazing right outside the windows of the restaurant next door.

We headed south again, along the main loop, as the sky was getting darker. I was using my high beams most of the time, and driving as carefully as i could. I kept pulling out to let others pass me, too. Just south of Mammoth, we hit a section of road where there is road work going on— no center line, and orange cones lining the highway. The pavement was very smooth, though, so we went fairly fast despite the fact that it was now dark. Suddenly I saw ahead of me a few car headlights, where one car seemed to be on the shoulder and the others passing. I dimmed my headlights as I got close to them, but something didn’t seem quite right... and then suddenly I hit the brakes HARD. There was a bison standing EXACTLY in the middle of my lane!! I stopped not 20 feet from him!  I would have seen him a little sooner if I hadn’t dimmed my bright lights for the cars I thought were coming toward me— but they were not really moving—they were stopped in the road! 

I turned on my bright lights as soon as I stopped, and this ENORMOUS face was looking RIGHT at me, drooling a little bit. I was really freaked out, I mean, these animals are HUGE. I dimmed back to regular headlights again (but the car in the oncoming lane, which was not moving either, had its high beams shining right on the beast, so I could see him clearly), and after maybe a minute or two, he started walking toward me. Joey said, “Close the window!” As I did that, I suddenly realized that there was a second bison walking along the very edge of the other, oncoming lane. I could hear the people in the car across from me talking— we couldn’t move because the animals were in our way. Luckily, they are not confrontational— the one in my lane walked past right next to the car, and I looked out at him, noting the massive fur on his forelegs and head and shoulders, and his horns. I could have  reached out and petted him as he walked past, he was that close. I am just so lucky I stopped in time! He was invisible until I was close enough for my car lights to illuminate his legs, which was what I saw first. 

After the bison was behind me (and the other one, which I’d only glimpsed in the darkness, was invisible), we continued, but with a LOT more care, looking for wildlife. Between the elk and the bison tonight, we feel we got our money’s worth out of Yellowstone’s fauna. Today we saw two herds of elk, one herd of bison, and of course our own little bison close encounter. Joey reminded me of the antelope which almost hit us when he was driving a week or so ago—so now we’ve both had our near misses with huge animals on this trip. And that is plenty!

We made it home at about 9:30, to a delirious dog who was simply desperate to get out of the RV and do her business. Then she was all over us—she acted like she thought we’d abandoned her in the wilds of Montana. She is now sleeping next to my bed, which is usually only her spot when there’s a storm and she is anxious. I guess she is not taking any chances!

Tomorrow we are heading for Yellowstone Valley Lodge, where we are being treated by Betsy and Sean to a meal they promise will be extraordinary, and a night of luxury in a real room with a real shower! This will be a first for us on an RV trip, and we are really looking forward to it.