National Park Stories

A friend suggested we share some personal stories on the site, so here's what we came up with.  They may not make Reader's Digest, but I hope they keep you entertained!

Sorry, This Car is Full!
Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, July 1999

Most of you know that Yellowstone National Park has a large herd of bison.  We knew this too, but we didn't quite know they enjoy being lap pets!  One day, seven of us were crammed into a minivan driving through Yellowstone when we noticed a herd of bison walking alongside the road.    Like everyone else in the park, we slowed down to take a closer look.   As we slowed to a crawl, one of the bison was just walking right alongside us about six feet away. 

What an awesome experience!  Six feet from a wild bison!  Well, having a door and windows between us and the wildlife seemed silly at the time, and it was blocking the view, so somebody (I can't remember who) decided it was good idea to open the sliding door.  Brilliant!  Now we had a clear shot of the bison and video cameras were rolling.  All was well until my mom (closest to the door) pointed out, "Lee (that's my dad), he's getting closer. . . Lee. . . LEE. . . AAAAAAH!!!" 

My mom and her sister then proceeded yelling alternating "AAAAAHHH!!"s as the animal was now veering slowly toward the open door of the van.  His eyeball loomed HUGE, now just inches away from us, until my dad finally put on the brakes and gave him the right-of-way.  While we nearly die laughing every time we watch the video, the only photo we got was this nice, suitable-for-framing shot of his backside!

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Crunch, Crunch, Poof!
Kenai Fjords NP, Alaska, May 2000

It was a warm May day in Alaska, so my wife and I put on our shorts and tennis shoes and set out to Kenai Fjords.  Now, the highlight of a visit to Kenai Fjords is a hike to the face of Exit Glacier, so we left our car and set out on the nice, paved trail.  It sounded simple, but when we got halfway there, snow at least two feet deep blocked our path.  Not to be detered, I said, "come on, Honey, we can walk on top of the snow!" We scrambled up the snow bank, stood on top, and gingerly made our way onto the snow. It worked!  It was icy enough that it held our weight with no problems. . . at first. After a hundred yards or so, the steady "crunch, crunch" of our steps in the snow turned to a loud "poof" as the snow gave way underneath me!  I sank right up to my knees, which wouldn't have been so bad except I was wearing shorts. I wasn't about to let this situation get the best of me, so I climbed out and continued on. The rest of the hike sounded like "crunch, crunch, poof! crunch, crunch, crunch, poof!" Angie, being the wiser one, followed in my footsteps to avoid the problems I was having. It was slow going, but we made it--a little wet, a little cold, but having fun nonetheless.

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The Most Helpful Ranger
Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP, California, April 2004

While perusing the Grant Grove gift shop in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation between a young couple and the old Park Ranger behind the counter. The couple, looking for tips on what trails to take and areas to see, asked the Ranger, "we're going to the giant sequoias in Grant Grove, what can we expect to see?"

The Ranger, being perfectly serious, looked at the couple and said matter-of-factly "very big trees."

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