Yellowstone National Park

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I don’t know if I ever told you guys about this, but when I went to UNSW I completed a double major in English/History. If there was such a thing, I would actually have a triple major including Film Studies, I had enough credits, but that doesn’t exist and to become a teacher it was more important to do History. Anyway, I somehow specialised in American History, especially in Environmental History and know quite a bit about the start of preservation and conservation in this country (or used to). I don’t want to put you to sleep here, but John Muir and the Sierra Club (I hope I’m getting this right, it’s been a while) started to voice their opinion about 150 years ago to put areas of interest and beauty aside for nature and animals and recreation. I’m not sure if Yellowstone is the first NP, I think there is one in California who takes that claim, but it most certainly is the most impressive. I stayed for three days walking, driving and watching Bison, Elk, Moose, Grizzly Bears (a female with two last year’s cubs and a male), Proghorn Antelopes, Osprey, Bighorn Sheep, Bald Eagles, Coyotes and I swear I think I saw a wolf. I let you be the judge of that. I will show you the photo when I get home. And you know what? Two nights in a row I saw that bloody super moon light up the sky and my camera is so shitty it wouldn’t take a proper photo of it. BUGGER!

But as I said, I do believe I’m the luckiest person alive right now because on the third day I woke up and it had snowed overnight and everything looked like it was coated with white powder sugar. I meant to leave that morning but stayed another day, taking photos of Bison sitting next to geysers with snow on their fur. So cool. Apparently they are responsible for the most accidents in Yellowstone because they look rather placid but get really ticked off during mating season and people get too close to take photos and they charge at them and can run as fast as a horse. There are pretty strict regulations about how close one should get to the animals, but I’ve seen a few people disregarding those rules and I remember wondering if I would help those idiots in case they get injured. I suppose I would, but not mouth-to-mouth. That’s where I draw the line.

In case a Grizzly should attack one should use bear spray (I didn’t even know that existed – it’s pepper spray) and get down on the floor and play dead so the bear doesn’t think you are a threat. In case the bear thinks you are food, I guess, that’s pretty much it then. Asta la vista, baby. Have a look at a documentary by Werner Herzog called ‘Grizzly Man’. It doesn’t end well, but it is an amazing film about Grizzly bears and this guy, I think his name was Treadwell, who loved them so much he spent a few summers with them in Alaska. Oh yeah, and the BBC documentary ‘Yellowstone’ is also a must. In case we have a couple of lessons for a short documentary film study at the end of this year, we might watch it in class. I cannot imagine how many years it took to shoot the footage, but it is amazing.

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