Battling Bulls & Buffalo Bill

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2012 trip so far: prairie dog, bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, llama, white tail deer, elk, grizzly, coyote, badger, Uinta ground squirrel, black bear, yellow-bellied marmot, wolf, bullsnake, moose

*Birds we’ve seen on our 2012 trip so far: Western meadowlark, magpie, wild turkey, killdeer, osprey, red-naped sapsucker, sandhill crane, bald eagle, mountain bluebird

*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2012 trip so far: 2
 

[Click on any photo to enlarge for better viewing.]

Our time in Yellowstone was drawing to a close, and one place we wanted to check out was the Fort Yellowstone Army Cemetery (ArmyCemetery).  It’s tucked away just off the main road across from the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces next to the horse corrals, and hundreds of people zip by it everyday without realizing it’s even there.  The cemetery is not huge or the site where any great leaders are buried but is a part of the historical aspect of Yellowstone of which we’d often heard mentioned.  Nearly 60 people were buried there from 1888 to 1957…U.S. Army soldiers, members of their families, and civilian employees of the Army and their families.  However from what
we've read none of the soldiers originally buried are still there as their bodies were moved to the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana in 1917 when the Army turned control of the park over to civilian administrators.  The cemetery is overgrown with weeds and many of the markers are difficult to read (some obviously missing), but the most fascinating thing is the number of infants and children that are buried there. In fact one tombstone seems to be forever encircled by the baby’s crib.
 

Over the past couple of years we had been fortunate to see so many elk especially during the rut, but the one thing we had failed to witness was the classic fight or clash between two bulls.  With our time winding down it appeared we might once again miss this annual display of machismo, but lo and behold one afternoon in the field outside the RV we finally got to see (and hear) it.  Usually before a fight begins, there will be a lot of bugling by the two bulls and thrashing of the ground with their antlers though these two didn’t do a lot of that preliminary stuff.  There was a female that both were interested in acquiring for their harem, and after a bit of chasing by
one then the other, the two guys started their dance.  It was odd to watch initially because it almost seemed like they were buds who decided neither wanted her and were just going to hang out as they walked nearly side by side.  As we’ve learned, this is all part of the posturing and ritual.  The bulls will walk side by side, then suddenly turn, walk a little farther, turn again and begin the fight, locking antlers and shoving each other with all their might.  These two ran at each other and the sound created when they butted heads was amazing!  We were less 
than a hundred yards away and couldn’t believe how loud it was.  Unfortunately this battle didn’t last long.  We knew one of the bulls had a pretty good size harem on the other side of the hill so he must have figured he didn’t need another gal, but we were thrilled to have finally seen the clash however brief.

When we hosted at Capital Reef NP last year, we met many wonderful people and have stayed in touch with several.  One of those couples also happens to make an annual trek to Yellowstone each fall with a large group of friends, and we made plans to meet up at some point during their stay.  They camp at Slough Creek (pronounced slew) which is about a 45 minute drive from

Mammoth if there are no major animal jams though we did have to wait for some bison and a couple pronghorn along the way.  Rich and Annette had invited us for dinner but we had told them though we wouldn’t be able to partake, we would definitely come by for a bit.  We got to their campsite around 4:30, declined the dinner invitation again (though the gentleman who was the night’s chef kept insisting), and just had a nice visit.  Their campsite is right along the creek among the trees, quite beautiful and peaceful.  While we were chatting, a deer suddenly bolted through the trees running along the creek's edge.  We assumed it was being chased and sure enough along came a coyote in full

stride.  The deer had bounded across the creek, but the coyote seemed a little apprehensive about following as he kept running along the shoreline.  Evidently he decided it was worth the risk and shot off across the creek in full pursuit.  Don’t know the outcome but it was cool watch.

Around 6pm we decided it was time to go and had walked over to the adjacent campsite with Rich and Annette where dinner was going to be held so we could say goodbye to everyone who had been nice enough to come over and introduce themselves to us earlier.  Well, as you can guess, our arms were twisted to stay and eat.  Chef Bill would not take no for an answer!  Now keep in mind when these people camp, we’re not talking hot dogs and hamburgers…they camp in style!  The meal started with appetizers of baguette slices topped with mozzarella and fresh heirloom tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  Along with

his “assistant”, Scott, Bill sautéed sea scallops and served them on grilled tortilla triangles topped with a dollop of homemade guacamole and sprinkled with fresh cilantro…soooo yummy!  There were about 20 people in attendance and plenty of scallops for seconds!  Everyone was so gracious and they seemed like a fun group.  We hated to leave, but it was getting late and we had to make that long drive home.

Another place we’d heard so much about and wanted to visit was the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY.  We decided this was a destination on our way out of the park via the East entrance.  We had not traveled this road before and the views were


spectacular plus we even had a bison escort as we made our way towards the exit!

As we made our way to Cody, we had time to reflect on our wonderful summer in Yellowstone.  We made more new friends, had fun with those we had made last year, experienced some incredible
sites, and were able to share our love of Yellowstone with family and friends who visited.  It truly holds a special place in our hearts.  Along the way east, we made a quick stop at the Shoshone Canyon overlook with a view of the Buffalo Bill Dam/Shoshone Project and the tunnels through which we had just passed.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center (http://www.bbhc.org/explore/) contains 5 museums under one roof.  Founded in 1917, it’s the oldest and most comprehensive museum of the West and preserves the legacy and vision of Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.  We had learned that Yellowstone volunteers did not have to pay the entrance fee which was a nice bonus.  The museums are the Draper Museum of Natural History (of the Greater Yellowstone area), the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms

Museum (housing nearly 3,000 guns dating back to the 1500s), the Plains Indians Museum (covering the Arapaho, Lakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and Pawnee), and of course, the Buffalo Bill Museum.  We spent a little more than two hours at the complex, and funny thing is that the least interesting of the 5 museums to us was the one focused on Buffalo Bill.  Still it was a very worthwhile trip with so much to see you could easily spend several hours in each wing. I’ve included only one photo from each museum in this paragraph and below, but you can view more on their website.

     Yellowstone Tidbits:

*Isa Lake straddles the Continental Divide at an elevation of 8,262 ft. and drains backwards to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
*Yellowstone is home to the world’s tallest active geyser known as Steamboat, which erupts more than 300 feet but with no regularity.
*Yellowstone officials respond to an average of 700 emergency medical calls each year.