Fall Exploration of Antelope Island and the Bison Herd

Beatrix, Zoe & Ruth-E on Sep 23rd

Beatrix has decided what she wants to do for her birthday:  Go on a buffalo hunt!  Sounds great, but where does one find a herd of American Bison near a big city like Salt Lake?  Well...Beatrix' Daddy seemed to know where to head...and the 5 sisters strapped themselves in the adventure-mobile and headed toward the mysterious Great Salt Lake and it's largest island.  As unlikely as it seems...the very first thing to be seen on Antelope Island was a large bison bull.  Everyone in the van was bouncing up and down exclaiming:  "Beatrix found her buffalo!" ...and he was right by the van!

How convenient...especially since Beatrix' newest sister was a tiny baby and not really hiking yet.  The van did the hiking...following the big bison about with a game warden nearby watching Beatrix' family to make sure they don't start something with the big one.

What else did Beatrix want to do?  Well, first a picnic and then some climbing on 2.5+ billion year old Precambrian basement rocks called Gneiss.  This is how granite looks if you bury it deep enough and torture it with enough heat and pressure.

These rocks are older than those found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon!  Climbing higher gave some great views of the lake and its nearby mountain ranges.

The trails are intriging and testify of how harsh life is on the island.

The highest UV radiation index reading in the west delivered these results:  A totally bleached out Bison!

The family hastens to the Visitor Center for liquid refreshment and protection from the sun's bleach-rays.
Then the Bison (Buffalo) Hunt continues.....


Could that be the herd?   This requires closer inspection.

Yes!...how and as icing on the birthday cake, there were 5 Antelope on the nearby slope.  A buck bounded across the road right in front of the van and somehow had the incredible energy to run right up the mountainside to join the females.  Oh, to run like a wild Antelope.  But that's a wish for another birthday.  Happy #8, Beatrix!