National Bison Range

July 8, 2013 Monday
I can now scratch one more item off my bucket list. I visited the National Bison Range in Montana. http://www.fws.gov/refuge/national_bison_range/

Bison Conservation

All it takes is the sight of red calves dotting the early spring landscape to understand that the Fish and Wildlife Service mission “for future generations” does not just refer to people.

I arrived at the National Bison Range on an overcast drizzly morning. My photo expectations were pretty low. I stopped at the visitor center and retrieved a map of the refuge. On the first loop I found a couple of small deer. I was able to get close enough to use my faster 180mm lens in the low light. I then started the drive up the mountain to the highest point on the road at 4,700 feet. The road was a narrow gravel road only wide enough for one car with occasional pull outs. There were no side rails. On the way up the clouds began to part and the sun would come out from behind the clouds now and then. The views on the way up and at the summit were very nice, but I only saw one Pronghorn Antelope and couple of solitary bison. During my descent I was beginning to wonder if they put the wildlife away during the day. When I reached the flats I found a few more Pronghorn. Just when I was about to give up on finding any bison I saw a couple of cars stopped on the road ahead. I approached slowly and found myself surrounded by a large herd of bison. Many were laying down resting. Some were standing about and a few mothers were nursing their young. I must have sat there for an hour as other cars came and went. I was just enjoying being in the presence of such power and beauty. As I was sitting there the clouds began to gather again and then the lightning and thunder started. The bison did not seem to be bothered. Then it started to hail. The hail size was about that of half a marble, but it came down so fast and furious I could hardly see the bison. The sound of the hail on my truck was so loud I failed to hear the thunder of hoofs as the bison all got up at once and began to run. I was in the middle of a stampede. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! It all lasted for only about 10 minutes if that. The hail stopped and the bison stopped running about a half mile away. Do to the density of the hail I did not really get good shots of the stampede, but I will remember this adventure for the rest of my life.

Here We Go

I found this big male pronghorn as I began my journey to the summit

I don't know why she felt she had to stick her tongue out at me

Chipmonk

Elk Antlers

Single Bison watching the Flathead River

The view looking west as I approached the summit

View of the Mission Valley and Mission Mountains from the summit

I found a couple of Red-shafted Northern Flickers near the summit

Western Meadowlark

Yellow-headed blackbird

The clouds are forming again

What a big boy

This must be the nursery

Dinner Time

I think I have the cutest baby

Portrait of a proud legend 

Taking a dust bath to try to get rid of insects

When the hail started the bison all got up at once and started running. It was a stampede. YIPES!!!

There they go running away in the hail

Hail Stones covered the ground.

The hail stopped and the bison stopped about a half mile away

Glacier National Park

June 30 – July 7, 2013
After spending the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Missoula MT because all the RV parks I called in the area were full, I drove to Glacier National Park and found one of the few remaining camp sites in the park. WOW it’s a busy time up here. The Wal-Mart parking lot was quite full. The first few nights in Montana were unusually warm for this part of the country, but it cooled down mid week.
Glacier National Park is a beautiful place.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
Whether you drive your own car or ride in one of the many tour buses, the Going-to-the-Sun-Drive is a must see if you plan a visit to the park. I took most of the photos I’m sharing with you on this road. It is a 50 mile road that hangs on the side of the mountains, but takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery. No vehicles over 20 feet long or 8 feet wide are allowed on this road. I also explored the area on the east side of the park. I did not have time to make it to the Canadian part of the park, but everyone I talked to that had been there said it was worth the trip. So here we go with some scenes and wild critters I found in the park.

Let's start with the critters.

Bighorn Sheep Watching His Herd From Above

Big Boy Shedding His Winter Coat

Columbian Ground Squirrel Gathering Nest Building Material

Columbian Ground Squirrel Eating Pine Cone

Chipmonk Glacier NP

Mountain Goat Male

Wait I have an itch

A Western Tanager Came to Visit Me at My Campsite

View at the East Entrance of the Park

Looking into the Park from the St Mary visitor center

Early Morning at St Mary Visitor Center

A Glacier Carved Valley

Waterfall Glacier NP

A Glacier Carved Valley

This mountain has it's own weather

Water and Mountains All Around

Behind Logan Pass Visitor Center

I wasn't supposed to stop here, but how could I not take this photo

Red Tour Bus on the Going-To-The-Sun-Road

Red Tour Bus Driving Over a Water Fall

The Red Tour Bus stops and heads pop up

Horse Back Riding Near the Many Glacier Entrance

Lower St Mary Lake

A herd of horses walking through a burned out area that is coming back to life near the Many Glacier Entrance

Ruby Lake NWR NV

Here are the images of water fowl I referred to in my last post. The Ruby Lake NWR is not as easy to get to as the Lamoille Canyon. We traveled 30 miles of paved road, 20 miles of washboard loose gravel, and a couple of miles on a hard packed dirt road. It was well worth the trip. As I mentioned in my last post, I would love to return in the spring. This is the first NWR I have visited that has a campground. Of course for those of us with trailers that means pulling the trailer over several miles of dirt road.

Canvasback Female with Young

Canvasback Ducklings

White-faded Ibis

Double-crested Cormorant

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Great Blue Heron

Willet

Homestead Cabin Relocated to the Ruby Lake NWR