Day 4 - May 14

Last night our friends the Dodges join us in Idaho Falls and today we drove into Yellowstone National Park via the West Entrance. The Dodges have been to Yellowstone approximately 17 times and they said they have never seen so much snow. In town and near the entrance the snow was piled six feet high and parking was very difficult.


Shortly after entering the park we became aware of a helicopter hovering overhead and then we saw a cowboy riding up on the ridge. He and the helicopter were driving a herd of Bison (the proper term for buffalo) down from the high country into the meadow lands. Shortly we were stopped by a two ranger cars while they drove the herd down the hillside, across the river, across the road and into a meadow. When most of the herd had crossed the ranger let a group of the cars go. But when we got to him, he stopped us and we spent the next hour waiting for the remainder of the herd to cross the road.

We got to creep forward a few hundred yards and then about five more cowboys started driving the herd back onto the road and across the bridge and then back down into a much bigger meadow. All the while we were sitting or creeping along at about 2 miles per hour. At one point a large male Bison passed right in front of the motor home and stopped at starred at Annie. We were really concerned that it might charge the motor home.Once we got beyond the Bison we saw Elk grazing in the meadows.

We had dinner at the Dodges' and played Hand & Foot without 8 extra feet under the table.