Iebomr(at)cadvision.com writes:
<< Just for the record, (and those of us who sweated through the two hours +
of
traffic) the road was really blocked by a herd of tourae, all of whom were
trying to get a picture of ONE buffalo standing near the road and scratching
him/her self on a tree. About a mile further on, there was a whole herd, but
interest appeared to be worn off by then.
Ron Tebo >>
Ron,
I'm sure you are right. The first animal inside the park is always a big
attraction. Maybe tourists think it is the only one they will see. Two days
earlier in the same location it was an elk stopping traffic but not nearly so
badly.
The "herd in the middle of the road" theory was what the Tiger group at the
wayside had been told, apparently by someone coming from the other direction.
After we left the wayside we started to move just a bit faster than before
and after a while we got to where the herd was. At that time the herd was
well off the road and not causing any problem. I supposed they had finally
crossed the road.
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, my wife and I also went to the park. On the
way out, at just about the same location the traffic came to a stop and no
cars at all were coming from the opposite direction. After a while I
spotted buffalo in the eastbound lane about 5-6 car lenghts in front headed
our way at a slow walk. Not wanting a herd of 1000 pound bull buffalo
thinking my white Alpine was an albino cow I decided to try to drive around
on the right shoulder. I pulled to the right but one buffalo was standing
between two cars with his/her? front half blocking the narrow shoulder of the
road. After a minute the buffalo backed up just off the shoulder and I was
trying to decide whether I could get by him (would he step forward again???).
My indecision was resolved by seeing the first of the herd in the other lane
coming around the truck just ahead of me. My head was below his eye level
as he gazed at me from about 8 feet away so the shoulder of the road became
my destination of choice. As it turned out there were only about 12-15 cars
ahead of me and past the first in line of those cars it was clear sailing
back to Big Sky.
Man, what a great trip! SUNI IV in 2004 (someplace), see ya there!
Rob Carpenter
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 08:41:44 CDT