Wapiti Royale – Yellowstone.

This trip began with our return to Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. From there, we traveled to, hiked through, and explored Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park.

We’ve been blessed to visit many National Parks and while we have a great appreciation for all of them, Glacier Park is exceptionally raw and breathtaking.  Our last visit was a few years ago during the second week of July.  The week before our trip, an avalanche buried Going-to-the-Sun Road, covering it with 15′ of snow – making it impassable.

On this trip, we were once again shown just how unpredictable the mountains can be. The road was closed shortly before our visit and then again just after we left. The brief window of opportunity we were given allowed us to travel this world wonder three times, each journey offering a different perspective of the vast and extraordinary beauty of Glacier National Park.

Being able to travel Going-to-the-Sun Road under these circumstances felt like a rare gift. With towering peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls, and endless wildlife surrounding us, it is a place that is truly unlike anywhere else.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks were equally amazing. The golden aspens lit the mountains and valleys with brilliant autumn color, the elk were bugling, and we enjoyed many incredible hikes throughout Montana and Wyoming.  The Cowboy State’s slogan, “Like No Place On Earth” is certainly tough to disagree with!

As we made our way further east, we visited the Wind River Reservation. This incredible landscape spans 2.2 million acres and is home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Our visit also held special personal significance for me, as this is where we completed our final project – a 50 tons capacity, custom-designed hydraulic jacking system for an oil rig.

Wind River is breathtaking in every direction, with Wind River Canyon standing out for its exceptional beauty.

Our final stop in Wyoming was our return to Devils Tower National Monument. After hiking around the monument and taking in the beauty, we continued east, into Spearfish Canyon and the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.

Exploring these mountains, hiking to remote lakes and rivers, while sharing time together in these incredible places is truly difficult to put into words. Along the way, we were fortunate to take in amazing sunrises, sunsets, see bighorn sheep, mountain goats, hundreds of buffalo and elk, more than a dozen moose, black and grizzly bears, mule and white-tailed deer, Merriam turkeys, and, of course – prairie dogs!

Experiences like these are an incredible gift – memories of adventure, wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and time together that we will cherish forever.

It’s exciting to share more of these adventures – Experiences that have inspired us, strengthened our faith, and shown us the awe-inspiring beauty of the world around us!

Our hope is that these journeys will inspire and uplift you, and maybe even spark a few adventures of your own!

– Buffalo Hydraulic