What’s More Crazy: Running with the Bulls or Showering with the Bison?

We had... shall I say... a very exciting afternoon here in Roosevelt National Park!  


After we made the wildlife loop looking for animals, David and I decided to get our little shower unit out and clean up.  The park was fairly empty, so we figured that it was the perfect opportunity.  We joked that there was a bison herd across the road and about 100 yards from the camp.  Were they too close?  Little did we know…

I took my shower without a hitch.  During David's shower, however, we had a little "incident."  

Just after David got into the privy tent, I noticed that the bison herd was moving closer.  Unbeknownst to us, our campsite was located right on their grazing path.  Mid-shower, I warned David that the herd was now grazing about 20 yards from our camp.  

About that time, a fellow from Minnesota that we had chatted with earlier in the day came into our site to take photos of the bison gathering around us.  I tried to discreetly tell him that David was showering.  He was kind enough to move off, however, in the process, he startled the herd.  The bison began trotting into the meadow next to us.

By now, the bison were only ten feet from me, most of them looking very nervous.  I told David, “Now would be a very good time to be finished.”

He thought I was kidding.  I unzipped the tent a little so he could see for himself.  Looking out between my legs, all David saw was bison.  Needless to say, he finished his shower in record time!

Thankfully, Roxanne was in the back of the truck, but the hatch was open.  Not sure where I was needed most, I figured that David was basically in a blind inside the little tent, but Rox was exposed.  As most of you know, Rox has a special affinity for bison.  Should she decide to jump out of the truck to join them, I figured that things could get nasty in a hurry.  I quickly handed a towel to David and snuck over to drop the hatch on Rox.  

About that time, the entire herd moved into our site, probably 40-50 of these enormous beasts.  I’m now tossing clothing over the privy tent.  David is dressing as quickly as he can inside, while I'm standing in front of his little "blind," totally exposed.  Let me tell you, when a massive, 2,500 pound beast stares you down, it can really get the adrenaline going!

David now had his pants on, and I handed him his T-shirt.  He said, "Forget the shirt," grabbed it, and we both edged behind the shower and under the awning of the camper.  

Bison were flowing on both sides of the camper now, as we were trying to edge ourselves closer to the protection of the truck.  

Then a wacky Californian lady drove up in her Volkswagen van to take a picture, cutting the herd off from one of their routes. David yelled at her that she was pushing the herd into the camp.  She just laughed and started taking pictures.  

It was really getting dicey now, because the herd's only other escape route was less that fifteen feet wide... right between the truck and the trees where we had the little privy tent and straight through Oz's awning... with us in the midst of it all!

Our campsite... the privy tent, with Oz behind it and the Xterra to the left.

We started yelling at the woman to move on... she was very perturbed, but did roll forward.  About that time, the gentleman from the trailer across the road from us stepped out to take photos.  Unfortunately, he was wearing red.  The herd spooked totally at this point and started running through our camp.  Thank heavens, they chose to go around the picnic table rather than through Oz's awning!  

The remaining herd continued to flow on either side of our camper.  Bulls stopped to grunt warnings at us.  Several mothers stared us down.  After about fifteen minutes, however, it was all over. 

To get a little idea of how close the bison came, here is a short video that David took of the stragglers in the herd:

My family seems to be aficionados of bovine this year.  Our nephew ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, this summer.  Now we’ve showered with the bison in Roosevelt.  Talk about an adrenaline rush!  Wow! 

A member of our bison herd... up close and personal... with a face full of cockleburs.

Tonight we’re feeling glad to be alive and happy.  I just LOVE a good adventure!  :)