.All Trips / Central USA / North America / Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park’s beautiful Hayden Valley!

00 Hayden Valley

There are many beautiful valleys in Wyoming, but this one deserves a closer look.  Hayden Valley contains the outflow of Lake Yellowstone, with its Yellowstone River continuing north to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, then on towards the Missouri River.  The valley is named in honor of Ferdinand Hayden who did important early geologic surveys in the Yellowstone region.
The valley was known to pioneer trappers and explorers who made their way to Yellowstone Lake along the Yellowstone River.  Today it’s best known for a migrating herd of bison, which my wife and I have seen every time we’ve visited Hayden Valley.

(Bison herd, Hayden Valley)

If you’re lucky you might spot a grizzly or black bear, fox, coyote or wolf.  Elk, …

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“Pic of the Week”, August 8, 2014: African Buffalo, Sandibe concession, Botswana

2014 32b Aug 8, 2014  Buffalo, Sandibe

One of the most memorable half hours I’ve ever spent on safari was watching this herd of buffalo cross the Okavango Delta.  It was just before sunset and the light was soft and magical, what John Steinbeck liked to call, “the hour of the pearl”.  We approached the buffalo herd downwind so they couldn’t pick up our scent, but they were aware of our presence.  The larger, stronger animals came to the front of the herd and made a living wall between us and the smaller and weaker buffalo.  There they stood, trying to see us (they have bad vision) and smell us, and we sat back taking it all in, enjoying this magnificent spectacle of nature!

(Click on thumbnails to …

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.All Trips / Central USA / Montana / North America

National Bison Refuge

National Bison Refuge

The National Bison Refuge provides an excellent opportunity to see bison in their natural setting — the hilly grasslands of Montana. The Refuge is located just under an hour’s drive northwest of Missoula and is close to the road one drives from Missoula to Glacier National Park. The refuge includes a small visitor center, picnic area, limited hiking trails (walking in the refuge is regulated and mostly prohibited as the animals pose a danger to tourists), and a one way drive. The National Bison Refuge was established in 1908 and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; there is a modest admission fee of $5.00.

Highlights of …

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