My Experiences with the Wildlife of the West

My husband and I went on a wonderful motorcycle trip in the West. We visited the Black Hills of South Dakota; Red Lodge, Montana; saw lots of Wyoming including Cody, Jackson, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons hidden in the rain; then south to the National Parks in Utah (Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef); then headed home through Colorado. The beauty of the land doesn’t show in our photos. The landscapes that go on forever are overwhelming at times. The red rocks of Utah were a stark contrast to the green of Colorado Rockies. I am in awe of “America the Beautiful.” At times I was speechless and had tears of gratitude.

We saw lots of wildlife in Custer State Park (from a truck on a cold windy day) including pronghorn, bison standing in the road, prairie dogs, and the very friendly burros. In Yellowstone, the bison stood at the side of the road as we rode by on the motorcycle. Someplace in Colorado, I saw an elk eating by the side of a mountain road – he wasn’t concerned about us riding by. At Bear Tooth Pass, MT (10,947 feet – the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies) and Flaming Gorge, WY (the Green River), the chipmunks were scurrying around and liked the nuts we gave them. We saw wild turkeys, hawks, and other birds of prey. I also saw a blue bird. In the ranch land, we saw lots of cattle, horses, and llamas. We even saw an ostrich ranch!

Bison in Custer State Park

Burro in Custer State Park

Unlike other motorcycle trips, the animals didn’t call to me. I remember in Sonoma, California riding by a herd of horses one called me. Suddenly I heard in my headset, “Hey you.” I realized it wasn’t John speaking to me and replied “yes.” The horse wanted to know where 50 motorcycles were going. I told him we were visiting and enjoying the scenery. He said to have a great ride as we rode on. I always smile when I remember the surprise animal communication.

This trip was part of my “Bucket List” and I highly recommend it to all. Our country is so beautiful and diverse.

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