Day 6 - West Yellowstone to Cody - Part One - to Beartooth Pass - Animal Encounters of the Extremely Close Third Kind

We rose very early at Yellowstone Village so we could get on the road. The village is located at the Western end of Yellowstone and is a very good place to night over while you are in the park. We re-entered the Park - it was a crisp clear morning. At this time of the day Yellowstone revealed another layer of beauty that was not evident to us the day before. It had changed somehow.

You could taste the clean morning park air and everything was just starting to shake off the night and get moving - including the Bison (they are also known as buffalo - think of it like this - deer are also referred to as venison when you eat them and so it goes with Bison and Buffalo).

We rounded a bend and came across two bison grazing near the road. Major camera moment. It is not until you see them in the flesh up close that you really begin to appreciate how damned big these animals really are - and it was about to get much more personal.

Everything was going fine. The big bastard in this photo was very close to the road. The traffic was slowly starting to build and Bo and I were moving very slowly in the line of traffic. The Naikey's had shot down the berm on the side of the road and were some ways ahead of us so they could get some better photos.

I don't know how it happened but we all of a sudden found ourselves between the two Bison as they came up and began casually walking down the road. All I could think of was just how damn big they were and how sharp those horns looked. I felt very vulnerable and then looked behind me to see that one was getting progressively closer to Bo as it approached her from behind. Meanwhile the one in front of me - the biggest one - had stopped and seemed to be waiting for his mate. I then remembered reading the day before that for some reason Bison find the sound of a Harley Davidson sexually attractive and have been known to try and shag them. Now I really felt concerned - the traffic was building up behind us as I desperately looked for an escape path.

At this point two fucking impatient idiots pulled their cars out of the line of traffic and began driving down the wrong side of the road to get past us and the Bison. As they did this the Bison got rattled and the big one closest to me began snorting loudly. Well the first car got passed him but there was no way he was going to let the second one get away. He hit the side of car so hard it travelled sideways and nearly off the road. I briefly thought 'that'll teach the inconsiderate prick when I realised the Bison was now lining me up. I literally had no options. I couldn't take a chance and try and get past him without leaving Bo in his sights.

Before I could process any more I heard a large truck engine fire up and out of the line of traffic behind us a really big dumpster came charging down the wrong side of the road. The driver forced past the first Bison behind Bo and put the truck between us and the big bastard that was without any doubt about to charge at me. Realising what he was doing both Bo and I hauled arse out of there and on to safety. As I looked back in my mirrors I could see the Bison attacking the truck. We watched out for that truck for the rest of the day but never saw it again.

Whoever you are my friend, Bo and I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. I truly believe you saved us that morning from serious injury or even death. God bless you. Shaken and very stirred we proceeded on and successfully got ourselves back into a riding rhythm. We exited the Park with no further incident and rode into the very small mining town of Silver City.

 Here we stopped to put on our riding armour as we were about to take on the formidable Beartooth Pass. Check the link beside the blog for all the detailed information about this riding bucket list opportunity  Hard switchbacks, sheer drops with no road barriers and views to take your breath away. As we were about to set off I jokingly said that following the close encounter of the Bison kind I was ready for anything and I would take the hit for the team as the lead rider. 10 miles further down the road I did - literally! It all began routinely enough. The road was well maintained with plenty of signposts to alert you to dangers like avalanches, rock slides, and - wandering deer.

The last danger seemed relatively benign compared to the first two so I really didn't give it a moments thought - until out of nowhere a great big stag appeared in my peripheral vision and collided with me at nearly 50mph (80 odd kph). All I could see was the antlers as they nearly stabbed me in the leg and stomach and then the damn thing disappeared - vanished! Moreover I am still upright and cruising along as though nothing had happened. I check my mirrors - nothing on the road - and about 50 yards down the road I managed to find somewhere to stop. I check myself - no blood nothing. The lights on the left side of the bike are now at a funny angle but no major damage to the bike either. What the hell had just happened.

The Naikey's arrive and explain what they had just seen. They were following me about 5 car lengths back and saw the deer come running out and onto the road - side on to me. I hit the deer which then shot so high in the air the Naikeys literally rode under it. It then landed on it's back in the grass at the other side of the road. Both Bo and the Naikey's stop to check the deer which they thought was dead. It then sprang up and took off into the bush. When I pointed out that they seemed more concerned about the bloody deer than me everyone agreed that after hitting the deer it looked as though I just kept riding on as though nothing had happened so they thought I was OK. Glenys was even starting to wonder if they had hit the deer and not me. I assure you I did and there is a pair of my underpanst in thde bush about 20 miles out of Silver City on the way to Beartooth Pass to prove it. Enough about me and more about the ride in Part Two of this particular day's journey. LTGTR