Cougar Creek Bison

When the bison move out of Yellowstone to the west, this is part of one of their major routes. Here in June 2011, after a very heavy snowpack and late meltout, the bison are moving back into the park after a winter in West Yellowstone. This is also a quintessential Yellowstone image for me. Sagebrush and grassland, lodgepole regrowth dating to 1988, scattered survivor trees, mountains in background, abundant wildlife. Location is the Cougar Creek drainage, off-trail to the north and east of the Gneiss Creek Trail - Cougar Creek Trail junction.