Lamar Valley
Yang and I had read so much about Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley of the Yellowstone National park. These are known to be THE spots for wildlife viewing at Yellowstone. We somehow managed to scope both valleys at the beginning and end of day four of our travels. Although we spent majority of day four exploring the Yellowstone Canyon, the valleys are a must see spot. We set out on an early morning expedition at 7:00 am (boy that's EARLY on a vacation!) to Lamar Valley. The morning air was so refreshing and the drive was scenic. Check out the views of the purple skies against the glowing morning sun!
We reached Lamar Valley and decided to stroll leisurely to enjoy the views around us. We walked by the flowing river and loved the soothing sound of the water.
I had a good feeling about spotting some wildlife and Yang was pretty keen too. We must admit that there were some interesting sightings along the way. A haggard tree , bison dung, and some bison fur! My dramatic mind kept imagining the weirdest scenarios, wondering if something was going to spring up on us when we least expected it in the middle of this open and vast valley!
Surely enough, there was a bison just around the corner. It was basking in the morning sun while lazing away. I wondered if it had been injured because it didn't move much from it's treasured spot for the longest time. I spent half an hour starting at the majestic beast that was seated against the scenic backdrop.
That was just the beginning. After that, we spotted many bison herds spread out all across Lamar Valley. Take a peek below....bison bison everywhere!
Just when we thought we had seen enough bison for an eternity, we spotted this lone beauty standing by the road side. This was the first time I had seen a pronghorn. These mammals are characterized by white stripes that run down their throat, white stomachs, and prong shaped horns. They are known to be speedy runners and can run at the speed of 53 miles an hour!
Hayden Valley
After visiting the Yellowstone Canyon, we were quite exhausted by the end of our journey and decided to take a pit stop at Hayden Valley to see the sun set, before making our way back to Salt Lake City. We pulled over at an overlook and watched the sun go down at the beautiful valley. Surreal experience to say the least! Yang and I didn't say much to each other. Hand in hand, we watched the beautiful vista before our eyes, appreciating Mother Nature's wonders one more time!
Just when we prepared ourselves to bid adieu to Yellowstone and lethargically started driving back, the most thrilling thing ever happened. Check out the video below!
A huge heard of bison decided to take over the road. Cars from both sides of the road came to a standstill with no where to go. We were the only car facing the bison herd head on. I managed to scoop out my phone and with shivering hands was able to capture this video. You can hear the excitement, yet nervousness in our voices. Thank God for us deciding to stay put and to hush our engines in an attempt to avoid startling the bison. The last thing we wanted was to get caught in the middle of a bison stampede. The herd also had young calves and that made us a little anxious as the mom's are usually protective about their little ones. Whoa...after 10 nerve wrecking minutes, the herd passed by and we were safe! I guess this is the land that just keeps giving!
Last of our Yellowstone Campervan Tales up next lovelies!