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Bison near Tower-Roosevelt Junction

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Where does a bison cross the road...?

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Bison traffic jam! These guys are as big as an SUV, and surprisingly jaunty. (Although not as fast as an SUV.)

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I guess this is where the bison cross the road

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Chatting with wolf watchers and getting a peek at a couple playful pups in the distance (about a half-mile away) through a spotting scope

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Then onto a steep hike straight up to Specimen Ridge to see the Fossil Forest! These petrified tree stumps are about 50 million years old!

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We kept looking for the forest, but this was about what we saw of the fossilized trees. Ah well, motto is always to keep going up!

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Hmm. Wonder what that ranger is doing next to our car? Turns out he was concerned about vehicle abandonment. We had a nice chat with our Chevy Cruze after the hike about not feeling left behind but rather, being proud to be base ops. As you can see, the hike up was through a lot of sage brush. It smelled so good!

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Pronghorns on Specimen Ridge

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Why is it that the males are always nudging and herding the females to hurry it up?!

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Sage grouse on top of Specimen Ridge

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Spotted!

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Views from Specimen Ridge

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Chilly up here!

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Bison in the valley below

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And back to the Mammoth Hot Springs area for a hike around the Beaver Ponds Loop.

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The Gardiner River below, and the parking area for the Boiling River. The soaking spot is about a half-mile upstream. One evening we saw a herd of elk also taking advantage of the heat. They weren't exactly soaking, but one was napping in the grasses and the others were grazing leisurely. No pics because we didn't want to drop the camera in the water in our steamy stupor.

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More beauty spots

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Little guy came to say hello

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The inside of our cozy cabin in Mammoth Hot Springs

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We spent most evenings sitting out on the porch drinking beer, eating sandwiches and chips, watching the sun set over the Mammoth terraces, and listening to the bugling elks - absolutely perfect!