North of Salt Lake City, and about an hour and a half from my home is a Utah hidden gem called Antelope Island. Its an island in the Great Salt Lake, and the coolest thing about it is its large population of American Bison.
Seems kind of random, right? The bison have been on the island since 1893 and have remained there for bison breeding and conservation purposes.
I first visited the island a few years ago for a trail adventure with friends, and have been back many times since.
Winter is the ideal time to go because the Island doesnt get a terrible amount of snow, and because of the salt water, summer on the island is completely bug infested.
It has miles and miles of single track trails and dirt roads to explore. This time, the bison claimed much of the dirt roads, so we did a lot of bush-wacking and curcumnavigating to avoid getting dangerously close to them.
Sarah and I went to do a birthday trail adventure for her 40th birthday! We have made it kind of a tradition, and I love it.
2022 was a year filled with a lot of health problems and injuries for me, and trails seemed to take a huge toll on my body. Because of that, much of my running lately has been on pavement. I was hesitant going into this run, unsure of how I would feel. Well… I felt like it was my birthday too because I felt so good! My body and my legs were so kind to me, and I had zero pain. I truly loved every second. And really, any adventure with Sarah is my favorite.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Have you heard the story of the bison in the storm? Bear with me.
I’ve become fascinated by bison (they are bison, not buffalo. Buffalo are not found on the North American continent. #yourewelcome ) since Sarah and I went on our first adventure to Antelope Island in January. What is a more iconic symbol of the great American West than that of the American Bison?
When a storm is brewing, typically forming West and rolling into the East, a cow instinctively heads East trying to out-run the storm. Cows aren’t very fast, which typically causes them to travel WITH the storm instead of running out ahead of it. Each step they take, they step further into the storm suffering the elements all along the way.
Bison, on the other hand, charge the storm head on charging directly into it’s path. While they may suffer the storm for a short moment, it passes over them heading in the other direction, minimizing their exposure to the elements of the storm.
What do we as human beings do in the “storms” of life? Do we try to out-run them, avoiding them, hoping they disappear or make a silent exit from our life?
Or…
Do we charge them head on? Do we suffer for a small time while doing everything we can to get through/on the other side of the storm?
We have a CHOICE. Storms are inevitable. They are part of life. And really, we don’t choose most of the storms we have to weather. But whatever they are, however they come, we ultimately have the choice of wether we run from them, or face them head on.
Neither choice is without pain or suffering. The point is not to avoid that part altogether. That’s not how it works. But, it seems that one choice gets us to an easier way of life sooner than another.
Additionally, besides Earl, don’t you most often see Bison in a herd? I assume it’s easier to face a storm packed together as a unit, rather than alone. Yep- you get where I’m going. Find your people. Suffer your storms together; that’s how it’s meant to be.
