Forgotten River Towns Tour
Send this Article to a FriendTHE RIDE, DAY TWO: WEST YELLOWSTONE TO RED LODGE, MONTANA
(day two map: part 1, part 2)
I have long held the moose as my favorite animal, loving the huge majestic antlers and stature of the Bull Moose, and respecting the fierce attitude they are rumored to have. Even the word, "Moose" is fun to say. Go on, I can see you pursing your little lips right now, trying not to smile. It is so much fun to say the word Mooooose! And yet I had never seen an actual live moose in person. Little did I know, as we rode into Yellowstone National Park that today would be the day!
I think we have all heard the name Yellowstone National Park all our lives, at least if we live in America and stick our head out from under our rock once in a while. Maybe you spell it Jellystone and have Yogi Bear associations, but it probably still rings a bell right? I had heard of it, but wow... I had no idea what was in store for me- or just HOW much was in store for me in those 2.2 million acres of park.
We saw wildlife up close and personal around many corners, boiling springs, geysers, and extraordinary views that made me proud to live in a country that took such pride in preserving this phenomenal natural habitat for us to visit and experience.
I pulled over to wait for a big lumpy camper to drive out of my photo range, and as I put my kickstand down, I noticed some wildlife step out of the trees. It was two young female moose and they were heading our way!
Ignoring every moose aggression story I have ever read, I jumped off my bike and walked toward them snapping off photos as I approached. At 50 yards away, I just sat down on the side of the highway and continued shooting photos- delighting in my first experience of being near a live moose. Apparently, the one moose was just as delighted to be experiencing my presence because she did not stop her approach. As I sat on the side of the road grinning like a kid being handed her first puppy, I vaguely remembering my husband telling me I was too close. He was taking my photo WITH the moose being too close for safety, but I still had my helmet on, so if there was a viscous attack by this sweet-faced female moose, my head would have been protected AND we could have it on film!
I knew who was boss on the side of that road. I slowly backed away, silently singing to myself, "I saw a Mooooose, I saw a Moooooose!" and aching to call everyone who had been buying me Moose slippers and Moose magnets and Moose tshirts and stuffed Moose toys all these years to share my excitement with them.
The ride truly was incredible. The boiling springs were magical to come upon in the morning light. The cold air I might whine about, most likely contributed to the spectral twisting of mist that rose from the creek running away from the boiling spring. It made for incredible photographs.
We stayed on the Grand Loop heading up the West Side of Yellowstone that entire day. We did not make a great deal of mileage, but we did create a lot of memories. Our destination for that evening was Red Lodge, Montana. we stayed at a fascinating hotel called The Pollard that has a list of former guests such as Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. The entire town is chocked full of Old West charm, which we spent that evening soaking up.
As we sat down to dinner that night, after a full day of unrivalled riding, magnificent scenery, boiling springs, wildlife ranging from buffalo to bears to deer and elk, my dear husband asked me what my favorite part of the day was - I shout out the word "MOOSE!" without a second thought. Even he had to shake his head, I rode the most beautiful roads in the country and what stands at the forefront of my mind is a five minute encounter with a moose. To each his own I guess.
