We got to start this trip with a pit stop at Palo Duro Canyon in northern Texas, just a short drive from Amarillo. It’s a state park and is named The Grand Canyon of Texas, as it is the second largest canyon in the US, totaling 120 miles long, averaging 6 miles wide and can reach up to 1000 feet deep. If traveling through the area, this is truly a must see. Hiking has spectacular views and plenty of wildlife to keep you looking over your shoulders. The state park has everything you need and the rangers are top notch.
While I would imagine Texas as being fairly warm this time of year, IT IS NOT. The air temperature was in the teens, wind blowing 35 mph. It took a few days for the sun to shine and the temps to creep out of the 30’s. But when the temps did finally rise, so did the animal activity. Wow. That’s all I’ve got for you.
Now Caprock Canyon is another Texas state park a short drive away from Palo Duro and they are known for their ever increasing resident herd of bison. The road in is the same road out, just one giant loop. Binoculars at the ready, we started through the park creeping around so as not to miss any chance encounter. After 20 minutes of searching, every piece of landscape looked exactly like a bison. Like mushroom hunting, until you find the first one, everything could be a potential sighting. Eyes darting over the landscape, one scrub bush at a time, Could it be….nope. Wait…nope. Oh look…nope. After the first hour I would have sold my first born to see one of these elusive mammals. How hard could they possibly be to find? They weigh in at nearly one ton for an adult, have a mass of brown ratted fur, and they shit EV-ERY-WHERE. We were following the patties as if Hansel and Gretel had left the trail themselves. We rounded the corner to scavenge another campground in the park for leftover firewood and right there in the middle of the road, there they were. A small herd of 20 or so staring back at us in the longest standoff in standoff history. Rob stopped the Jeep, the matriarch stopped the herd. And there we were, staring at each other, one willing the other to keep moving. We got out to take photos, cautiously keeping the Jeep between us and a certain thundering death. We stood completely still as the herd shuffled one giant body in rotation from front to back until the largest male showed himself and he was terrifyingly handsome.
And I’ll say again, one road in, one road out, one giant loop, for good reason. As this mass of bodies is slowly rotating forward, pushing them closer to us is a Honda Fit. Now the only reason we knew there was a car behind them is because of the incessant beeping coming from this hunk of shit tailgating the herd of bison. Not honking, beeping, and I’m being gracious with that description. Because all I can think of as I’m driving through a wildlife preserve is how fast I can speed through and push a herd of bison around. In my Honda Fit. The Lady of the herd had enough of the prodding and honking as she turned and squared off with the tiny toy car riding her ass. Animals have an uncanny way of making their point and telling a Honda Fit just where they can “fit” their car. The car quickly backed away from the mother and her calf, waiting for the next opportunity to squeeze around them by driving through the ditch. And he did just that only beeping his horn after he got away from the threat of being stampeded. Good choice my friend, next time try ‘Fit’n” your Honda well, you guessed it…where the sun don’t shine.
