I’ll make this my last Yellowstone Episode. I didn’t really cover it all. There were more geysers, mud pots, hot springs, waterfalls and animal sightings. After a while in Yellowstone you start to get annoyed with people that want to stop in the middle of the road to look at a flock of deer or a gaggle of Bison. Come on! You’ve seen one colony of 300 bison you’ve seen them all! Move it!
However, on our last day in Yellowstone we had yet another “existence-threatening” encounter.
But first, here are a few more beautiful nature shots (and some of me too).
Seriously?! I get no respect!
Here’s Riverside geyser.
Our near-death, buffalo stampede experience started with an innocent stop in Lamar valley to look for wolves. This is a popular spot to spot them with a spotting scope and when we arrived, sure enough, there were a lot of people with binoculars and spotting scopes along the side of the road. We walked around asking people what they were looking at until someone offered us a look through their spotting scope. Sure enough, wolves. They were across the valley beyond the bison herd (that later tried to kill us) near the tree line. Even with a spotting scope the wolves were difficult to see. If someone hadn’t told me what I was looking at I wouldn’t have known those little, gray, fuzzy dots moving around were wild wolves in the wild.
Much like our near-death, buffalo stampede experience, once again we were stampeded and nearly exterminated by a herd of one grizzly bear! When it comes to grizzly bear I’m pretty sure one constitutes a herd!
Here we go again. We’ve been driving around the park all day and I want to get back to the RV for some rest. Driving through Hayden Valley we came around a bend in the road and there they were, dozens of cars stopped alongside the road. I started to groan assuming it was nothing more than elk or bison creating a traffic jam. Once we got close enough, though, we could see the lone bear herd out on the prairie digging for food (good thing a ranger didn’t see. I’m pretty sure you can get a ticket for digging up the vegetation in a Nat. Park.).
After looking a little closer we could tell it was a grizzly! Yessss! Score! I pulled up and blocked two or three other cars and got out like everyone else to get as close to the grizzly as seemed safe ( which was not nearly as close as many other people).
I found it interesting that when the grizzly began moving towards the cars and people, the last people to back away were the oldest and least-able-to-move-quickly people of the whole crowd. Shouldn’t you older people be setting a good example for us younger people?!
Anyway, we stood there for 20 minutes or more watching the bear dig in the dirt and were just about to leave when he started moving towards us! Ruh-Roh! People started moving back to their cars fairly quickly (except that “older” couple %=/ ).
The grizzly approached the cars and for a minute it looked like he was coming directly for us! So, yes Melvin, I jumped in the car and fumbled with my camera trying to promptly acquire a position of safety just in case he came our way! (That’s what you’re SUPPOSED to do! Hey… waaaaiit a minute? That’s not you in that video below is it Melvin?)
In this first video you see that as the grizzly starts to amble closer to the daredevils and risk-takers that were too close, most of them began to back off, heading towards the protection of their cars (Video is best if you click the “full screen” button in the bottom right corner of the video player).
However, in this video you see the couple I referred to earlier. If that bear had wanted to chase them down he could have caught them, no problem!
You also see my skill as a videographer and how I was able to get this amazing shot in the face of breathtaking danger!
Previously, while in the backcountry office I took a picture of this informative and critical bear information. Do you see what’s missing? THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP – What to do if the bear is CHARGING! “ Stand still… *($&!(#&#) ($ (@^@#@*, the bear is 10 yds &^@*($… leave the area * “
What? Do what? He’s charging… stand still and… what? then… Aaaaahhh!
Well those are the highlights of Yellowstone. I’m goin’ back as soon as I can!
PS : Thanks for remembering me, I’ve never been part of a famous bloggers story before.
Just a couple of thoughts:
It’s a good thing the lady in the red pants went and made Grizzly Adams leave, looked like he was waiting to meet the bear.
When the bear is right at the cars, there are still people standing outside along the road watching, guess they missed the bears in the back country poster.
The Bears in the Back Country poster has so much information, If I had seen a bear,I would need to bring the photo up on my phone to read what to do, can’t remember that much stuff !