I’ve never related to a bison more.
Sometimes the road less traveled is actually that way for a reason. All potentially inspiring quotes aside, the best way to move forward is often the road that everyone else is using… and the one’s that already been cleared of the three-feet-deep snow.
This video out of Yellowstone National Park is as funny as outdoors videos get. One bison in the herd was trying to be a trendsetter, attempting to veer off the beaten path for… whiter pastures. However, that bravery didn’t last very long. As soon as it found out how dense the snow was just off the road the herd was walking on, it quickly joined back with the group and continued on down the road.
There wasn’t even enough time for a, “Hey guys, follow me!”
That being said, there’s a reason why bison are considered to be some of the toughest animals on the planet, and why they can handle and traverse snow-covered land better than most. When its just them versus nature, bison are built to last. Whether they’re facing blustery winters or extreme cold temperatures, the 2,000 pound beasts can adapt to and overcome nearly any weather you throw at them.
A bison’s coat thickens up as it heads into the winter season to counter the frigid temperatures and blankets of snow that often fall in their North Americans habitats. Their wooly coats play an intricate role in keeping them warm through the winter, and allegedly create such a layer of insulation that snow that lands on their coat will not melt from the heat the bison’s skin gives off.
You’ve also possibly already heard about how bison handle snowstorms, but for those that haven’t, lean in for one second. While other animals will walk away from heavy blizzards, bison have been observed walking right into the direction these storms are coming from. It’s believed that they instinctively do this, knowing that trudging right into the wind will cut down on the time they spend in the storm.
And though appearance doesn’t matter much out in the wild, I do have to point out that any picture or video of a bison battling through snow looks badass. Bison standing strong in 50 MPH blizzard conditions? That’s sick. A rare white bison majestically thundering down an icy road? Priceless. Or what about a bison casually walking around in negative 37 degrees? There’s really nothing like them.
And as you’ll see in the video below, they’re smart as can be too when it comes to traveling in winter weather. They’ve been observed walking in single-file lines to get through the fallen wintry precipitation (and they’ve been called “nature’s snowplows”), but if they can avoid expending energy trudging through the snow, they will.
Why barrel and battle through the snow to create your own route when there’s a wide open one ready to be taken advantage of? “Make your own path” would obviously be better for a motivational poster, but “use the road that’s open” works too, and that’s what this bison herd in Yellowstone National Park decided to do.
Check it out:
