Nov 9 - White Rock Bay Trail (Antelope Island)

Well, today I was ready to climb Frary Peak (Antelope Island's highest point - I know 6595 is not a huge mountain but the 2000ft climb in 3.5 miles makes it a bit challenging.)

Got to the island, drove down the east side to the parking area .... and it was packed. Some Buffalo Run today; lots people heading up the trail; so I'm heading back down to road to walk the Sentry Trail.

On the way to the ranch, there is a good size herd of bison off the road --- returning to normal life after being penned up for over a week for their physicals.

I past the ranch and head down the dirt road to the small parking area for the Sentry Trail. I see bison near the trail. Nope, they're actually on the trail. I've walked past them (nervously) on this trail several months ago but at least they were grazing off the trail (except for 3-4 bison). But these guys are mostly on the trail. Ok, time for plan C -- and I'm not sure what that is....yet.

I turn my car around and start heading back down the dirt road -- shoot, there's a herd of pronghorn!! I've always seen them as solos or in pairs. They are paralleling the road going the opposite direction (not sure how I missed them before). Coincidently, I just read this morning that in the Fall, the pronghorn form harems and sure enough here it is! They are in a straight line marching south. They blend in with the dry grass. I turn my car around and head back to the parking area, get out and watch. They stop for a bit and look my direction;

I'm so hoping they don't run off. Then they return to their southward march.They cross the Sentry Trail in front of the bison.

I count 20 animals (but there may be a few more). There's a young male with one little horn on the left side of head (looks like a devil's horn).

Another car comes down the dirt road and continues south. This spooks some of the prongies and they start to run (and other keep plugging along). Now, that was pretty cool!!

I figure out my only option is the White Rock Loop Trail which is about 6 miles and is on the west side of the island (I've never been on this trail before so it should be fun). I drove north back up the east side of the island and then west/south towards the White Rock campground. I'm not sure where the trail parking is but I drive down the road thru the campground until I find a small parking area around for the trail -- there's a bigger parking lot for cars w/ horse trails. (Think I'll see any horses today??)

The trailhead is immediately south of Bison Point -- I actually have a cool pix during the winter toward White Rock Bay (just didn't know it until now :))

Its a loop trail so I decide to go clockwise. There are 3 bison off the trail to the right but they're far enough off that I'm not worried about them.  The views to the west are great --- there's a very visible inversion layer over the lake (a clean inversion layer for a change).

I'm heading south following the shore (though I'm pretty far from the shore -- if I went counterclockwise, I'd be near the shore.) I start to climb and angling back towards the shore, and above the bison. After a good rocky viewpoint, the trail starts back to the east continuing up. The views to the north are incredible! And they get better with each step higher. Just golden grassland in the foreground, the lake, mountains in the background. I can clearly see the bison pens, bison point..... (but the lake to the west disappears).

As I get to what could be the "top", there are 2 bison just off the trail. There are flocks of birds hanging around them. And some of the birds decide the bison make a good perch.

The trail continues up and heading southeast. Lots of large rocks here -- some of the rocks on Antelope Island are from the Precambrian period and are actually the oldest rocks in the US (even older than the rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon). Not sure if I'm looking at any of these oldest rocks but there's definitely is a possibility.

I can now clearly see the east coast and White Rock Bay (on the west side). There is a beautiful plain in the middle. At about this point, I meet a group of boy scouts going the opposite direction. One of the leaders tell me that there is a herd of pronghorn on plains -- I'm 300-400 feet above the plains so I'll have to be patient.

I get to a bench where the views looking south, east and west are wonderful.

Beacon Hill is above me. Frary Peak (my original destination) is directly south - I can see the parking lot. White Rock Bay to the west. Great spot from a quick lunch (the pronghorn await).

I notice far below are 2 people heading in my direction but they stopped - I wonder if the pronghorn are close. I pull out the binoculars and see the people are looking west. I check west and there are pronghorn down there. Not marching like the others, just grazing. OK that ends lunch. I'll eat my cookies on the way down the hill.

I figured I'd meet the 2 people but I have no idea where they went. There was also a biker heading my direction, and they disappeared as well. Hmmmm... I get to where I saw the 2 folks were looking down the plains and it really isn't a good view to see anything but grass. So I continue. I find the biker below -- she was doing something with the bike. And I spot 2 people much further down the trail -- perhaps they turned around.

I'm heading back west down the valley toward White Rock Bay. And I'm looking for pronghorn. Yes, I finally spot the white backsides of the pronghorn. This herd is definitely larger than the ones earlier. But they are pretty far off. Definitely, grazing very slowly down the valley towards the water.

I can see 4 bison below and near the trail (I see people riding horses and bikes going past them). I continue down towards the bison.

There's a car heading up the dirt road -- not sure why anyone is driving on the trail. The car stops near the bison where 3 guys get out; 2 of which are taking bison pictures. They are still there as I arrive and I do my own picture taking because the setting is gorgeous.

One of the bison decides to stop eating and stare at me -- not sure this is a good sign, so I move a little closer to the 3 guys (and their car).

One of the guys is a Trail Guide. The guide asks how far I hiked and I told him I'm just finishing up the loop (he's says I went the reverse direction -- pays to be different sometimes). I tell him about the pronghorn up the valley and the ones I saw near the Sentry Trail. He wanted to know #s; I'm sure he would be reporting them back at the station.

Just about a mile left of shoreline walking. Great views of Bison Point!

The 3 bison I passed at the start of the trail are still there. Two are laying down (afternoon nap I think) and the other is still grazing.

What a fantastic day!

Nov 3 - 1st Snow in Salt Lake City

OK, it wasn't much (and it melted quickly) but it still was the 1st snow in SLC (my home) for the season!

Nov 2 - Bison Physicals

Last week-end was the bison round-up on Antelope Island (I was tempted to go but went elsewhere). This is where staff/DNR/State Wildlife folks and normal horse-owning folks can spend the day herding the bison on the island into corrals. They let them settle for a week and then the next week they do their yearly physicals (weight, shots, pregnancy tests (for females of course), etc). To manage the herd at about 700 bison, they select ~200 bison (young and old) for auction.

Today is Day 1 of Bison physical day (next week is the auction). So heading there to it check out. The day is beautiful; going to be 70 today -- before crashing Sunday morning (maybe snow).

The corrals are setup behind the Park Office. (I've always wondered what was behind the office -- there are supposed to be hiking trails but I've been afraid to go behind the building because it just looks like a dead-end.)

Once crossing the causeway, I head directly to the corrals. I notice a few bison along the road and I'm curious to know why/how these guys escaped the corralling process.

Its still early and although there are people here - I think I'm beating the crowds. :)

There is fencing and small groups of bison everywhere. I go to the main "building" where the physicals are being performed. There is a small viewing deck from which I can see (head on) the vets and other staff taking care of the front end of each bison. The bison definitely does NOT care to be in the confined chute. There's a lot of snorting, kicking the metal chute and heavy breathing. But the process looks efficient and quick.

The bison goes into the "physical" chute w/ the metal "football" helmet down. I guess this protects the bison and the humans both. Two other plates squeeze the  head in place -- the helmet comes up at this point.

One guy puts a metal ring in the bison's nose and pulls its head to the side.

Then the front end of the physical begins -- if the bison has never been tagged/chipped, this happens here. In the back of the chute, there are trap doors for the bison to receive its shots, etc. When the physical is complete, the nose ring is removed, the humans leave and then the head lock on the bison lifts and the bison shoots out like a bullet to freedom. :)

Actually pretty impressive to watch.

From the deck, there are smaller corrals holding only a bison or two. These are the holding areas for the bison selected for auction next week.

I asked one of the volunteers why there are bison outside of the corrals and she said that they are old bulls that just don't hang out with the herd anymore so they just don't bother them (lucky them!).

I walk to the other end before the chutes which  holds the next the set of "patients". And there are several more holding pens (the bison move from pen to pen until they complete their physicals). Before I get to the holding pen before the physical chutes, they are driving the next set of bison into the "physical chutes" which holds 6 bison. The first bison gets checked out and released, and then the remaining move up. Lots of banging inside. And I learn that bison can actually jump pretty high as the walls are a good 7-8 feet and I can still see the head of a jumping bison.

I hook up with one of the volunteers for the tour and we head immediately for the holding pens (these are the bison next up for the physical chutes). There is a viewing platform over the pen. These bison are driven down from the holding pen a bit up the hill -- humans just scare them down. They are pretty freaked out when they get in here and the guide says not to lean over the pen -- jumping bison (and I've already seen it so I'm not taking any chances). They stay tight in their little group of six. It is a mixture of young and old, bulls and females. There are some feisty ones. In one case, this one bison was a kicker and just kicked one of the other bison in the head -- that was a big thump and everyone from the viewing platform gave a big "ooooo". (That had to hurt.) When its time to move these bison into the "physical" chutes, they open the gate to the "physical" chutes and then drive the bison in with a backhoe retrofitted with a big metal fence (and 2 people yelling) and the backhoe honking its horn and pushing toward the chutes. Some go willing and others try to stand their ground but ultimately the backhoe wins.

The backhoes backs out and the next set of the bison come running in ...

the backhoe then blocks their way out.

The volunteer was ready to move on but I told him to leave me on the platform as I wanted to watch a few more herds come through.

One of the "herds" I watched was just a mom and her little calf (they don't separate the Mom's and calves). She was not happy -- her eyes were red, she was drooling a ton and she looked like she would kill anyone/thing that got near her calf.

The little guy was a cutey.  Little button horns, still a little brown.

Hung really tight to Mom. He tried to nurse once and Mom was having nothing to do with it as she was in full protect mode. When the time came for the backhoe to drive them into the physical chutes, she stood her ground and wouldn't budge -- finally after a lot of honking, yelling, waving, she turned and ran down the chute. I asked a new guide (who noticed I had been on the platform for a while) if they do physicals on them; he said that he was told they just let the Mom and calf run right through -- that was exactly what I wanted to hear -- enough stress for them for one day.

The next set of bison had one with a crocked horn. At that point I left (w/ the new guide). We visited the area that took care of the physicals from the back/side end -- shots etc. Then we went back to the platform where I started -- looking at the head of the bison. And guess what, it was crooked horn turn!

Once they let him free, I left and headed off to Bison Point Overlook. (And the crowds are definitely growing now.)

I tried climbing up to Bison Point once -- in Feb in 3 feet of snow and didn't get too far. But today, I climb the 300ft (0.4 miles) to the top. Its beautiful on top. Full 360 of the island and great views of the south end. The causeway, west/north/east coast of the Salt Lake. Unbelievable!

Time to head out -- what a great day!!