Wayne and I were in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone. It was getting to be mid morning, and we had been at it since before day break.

One the far end of Lamar Valley, there stands a humongous “rock” right next to the road. It is an interesting rock made of red magma about 50 yards in diameter. On one side is the road and the remainder is surrounded by the yellow prairie grasses of the valley. The rock itself would have been an interesting shoot, but because there were a few big bull bison scattered around it made it doubly so. I was working the bison bulls from the road and the biggest bull was barely seen because of an outcrop of the rock.

I decided I would try to crawl on the rock to capture the big guy. I walked around the rock and behold a path leading around the rock. This is too easy. I took the path and it led right where I wanted to be. I took my images and was on the way back to the road. From where I was, I could see all the other visitors huddled behind the cars as another bull was coming down the road. I snickered to myself, “Glad I am not there.”

The next thing I remember was the bull bison turned onto the path on which I was standing ( for the sake of description this path was not wide enough for me to carry my tripod with legs open, let alone for me and a bison to pass a “how do you do” and go our separate ways). This was not planned. I thought to myself, I wonder who has the right of way…….I doubt if he can turn around …..so I guess he does. I wish I was there now.  It is amazing how fast these things can fly though ones mind.

Fortunately, he stopped when he saw me. I looked and saw two small outcrops and a ledge next to me at about head high, and I looked back at the bison. He had not moved. Now the people on the road were glad they were not in my position.  All were trying to help by yelling advice to me.  Most of it consisted of one word, “RUN”.

I scrambled up the two steps to the ledge with my camera. The bull came passed. As he approached the ledge (about 5 feet above the path) he stopped again (I was about 10 feet from his horns) and looked at me. The red in his eyeballs told me I should maybe look to go higher. However, he jaunted past me. That is the most I have ever been afraid on any of my trips.