#really??!!!??
#getagrip
#areyoukiddingme?
OK. Just had to vent a little. Believe me, my lone Republican Congressman is hearing from me. Every day. And no, I’m not just mad because I can’t go to the national parks.
But I’ll spare you the rant.
Yellowstone the last weekend in September was as captivating as ever. It was cold, and windy, and spitting snow, but no one seemed to mind.
This guy, in particular, was oblivious to everything except the roots that he was tearing up:
He was totally unimpressed by the group photographing him from just a 150 feet away.
The bull elk that has corralled his harem at Mammoth Hot Springs was equally oblivious to the folks stalking him. He was just frantically trying to keep control of his ladies. They, of course, were oblivious to him.
He was obliging enough to carry on right outside the window of the Mammoth Springs Hotel. What luxury, to be able to watch his frantic herding from the warm lounge!
I did see him take on a few cars, and he even went after a giant one-ton pickup. The rangers have got to go nuts trying to keep folks from getting in his way.
(A few years ago a big elk rammed a car and ended up with a tail light on his antlers. There’s a great video of it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGuRBLuSD9Q )
The pronghorn males are working hard at keep their ladies together as well.
The bighorns and the bison aren’t getting all crazy quite yet, but it won’t be long. These guys are thinking about it.
Even when the weather isn’t cooperating, there’s plenty of beauty to be found.
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
Wow, what incredible shots. I love that wide variety of wildlife, what a treat all in one visit. And those last shots of the water and the misty landscape are really captivating. What a lovely treat to come to tonight, on our first wild autumn evening 🙂
It is incredible that we can see so many different animals in just a couple of days. Thanks for the nice comment.
You had a wonderful opportunity in just a couple of days! That must have been a lot of fun. After our trip there this spring, I have a better sense of that intriguing place. While we were there we watched a video about the elk rut in Mammoth which described the same situation you talked about.
It’s definitely my favorite time to visit the park. Want to go back in November to watch the sheep behaving just as crazily. A few years ago we saw a bull elk in Mammoth with a tail light hanging from his antlers. I think you can find a video of it on you tube – it’s hysterical.
That would be funny. The interaction between the elk and humans was really quite something in that video.
Here’s the link to the you tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGuRBLuSD9Q
These are incredible photographs. I’ve been a bit spooked about Yellowstone since I heard a radio story about a woman who went hiking there and got her face eaten off by a grizzly bear, but these make me want to reconsider.
And yeah, the shutdown is aaargh. Some friends of mine were doing research in Yosemite when the shutdown hit, and they said it was actually great – suddenly there were no people anywhere! When they got back to the trailhead they found a note on their car that said “We’re closed, the gate combo is xxxxxx, let yourselves out.” Surreal.
That’s a great story. I’d have been tempted to just stay, I think. I think it’s safe to reconsider hiking in Yellowstone, although I understand the fear, that’s for sure!
They were tempted to stay too, but they had run out of food.
Wow….you’ve captured some amazing shots. Glad you got a chance to enjoy before this government mess!
Yep, me too. I had a suspicion, but I really didn’t think they’d be that dumb!
great photographs.. they make me me dream 🙂