Lace 'Em Up, Move 'Em Out

Time for this buffalo to roam. Anxious to backpack . . . anywhere. Southern Illinois' River to River Trail is the likely place, sometime in the next couple of weeks. Spent a rain-drenched Thanksgiving weekend at the Garden of the Gods area in southeastern Illinois along the River to River Trail several years ago, but the rain didn't deter from some nice hiking. May go to the same area again.

Sun Bathing, Paw Cleaning

Took this photo yesterday of my cat Maddie at her favorite spot on summer afternoons - the dining room table with the sunlight pouring through the window. Her Majesty woke me up at 4:50 a.m. today with a wet nose stab to the face.

A Rare Look at a Gentle Giant

I received in the mail yesterday a DVD about buffaloes from Roger Brooks, owner of Charlie (above, with Roger's wife Veryl; see June 5 "A Man and His 2000-pound Pet" below). Included in the DVD is fantastic video footage of Charlie growing from a week-old calf to a magnificent bull bison. The big shaggy guy was at times like a family dog, taking walks, licking his owners, even rubbing up to them face to face. At one point Roger calls for Charlie to come to him, and Charlie bounds over to him with head bobbing up and down, just as a happy dog might do. Normally, being face to face with a bull bison is dangerous, but not with this giant. Red Chief (my grandson Ethan) should be very entertained with the video of Charlie.

Paralysis and pneumonia caused Charlie's death at only three years, and the buffalo's passing deeply affected Roger, who now devotes much of his time helping preserve the Yellowstone herd of wild buffalo. From Roger's narrative of the video of Charlie: "We were so very, very fortunate to have shared our lives with this magnificent, gentle, kind and loving giant of an animal. All we have left are warm memories. The most meaningful statement we can make about our great journey with this big bull bison is, Thank you, Charlie."

For photos of Charlie growing up, click on these individual photos. I hope to make copies of the DVD to give to friends and family.

Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy

Water Buffalo: Red Chief Goes Aquatic

Click on the photo to see a closeup of a happy little kid.

Loner in the Wilderness

Dick Proenneke at his cabin door in Alaska.

Building his cabin.

Finished reading last night One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey. What a read. The story of 51-year-old Dick Proenneke, who decided to go to a remote part of Alaska in 1968, build a cabin, and live by himself, letting nature deal him whatever it would. It was his dream, and he lived it. The book, first published in 1973, is in its 26th printing, which vouches for its lasting popularity.

His journal while in Alaska is filled with the feats of this handyman, who could craft practically anything and do it well. In the depths of winter it got down to -55 degrees, and still his cabin, with only a fireplace for heat, would be 45 degrees; cold but warm enough compared to what was outside his door. Also just beyond his front door was the beautiful scenery of lakes, mountains, and forests, and all that go with them in the wilderness: bears, beavers, weasels, moose, caribou, ducks, badgers, and much more. I enjoyed his accounts of growing vegetables and collecting berries, then cooking fantastic meals. At times he was not totally alone, having a friend bring him supplies every few months by plane.

Dick's accounts of nature and how he deals with setbacks, scares, and the pure wonder of what is around him are riveting. Take this account of a night in March, temperature -22 degrees with the awe of the northern lights: "I put on my cold-weather clothes and went out on the ice to watch the show. It was the best I have seen. A weaving curtain of green . . . spreading large one moment and shrinking small the next. Streaks of red, yellow, and green shot like searchlight beams to a point overhead. Clouds of colored light like brilliant fog patches blinked on and off. All alone in the subzero cold, with the heavens on fire and the ice cracking and crashing around me. A savage scene, and one to remember."

Dick's accounts of nights in the deep freeze of Alaska made me shudder. The eerie stillness and solitude were haunting. He must have felt like the only man on earth.

A Man and His 2000-Pound Pet

Finished reading A Buffalo in the House: The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West last night, and early this morning e-mailed one of the book's main subjects, Roger Brooks (above, with his pet buffalo, Charlie), detailing my feelings about the book. Roger, a retired commercial airline pilot who had flown secret missions for the CIA over Laos in the Vietnam era, had a first-degree black belt in karate, and although now in his 60s still plays competitive soccer, is described in the book by author R.D. Rosen as a "handsome, big-boned man, over six feet, thick as a linebacker" and "just the sort of man you'd want by your side in a war or mud slide or barroom brawl." Roger and his wife adopted an orphaned buffalo, whom he named Charlie, that was wandering near Yellowstone National Park in the spring of 2000 and brought the calf to their ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Basically, what was initially going to be a temporary situation turned into many months, and the reddish-orange buffalo calf grew up to be part dog, part kid and close companion to Roger. The book details raising Charlie and having him as a pet, interwoven with a history of the plight of buffalo in American history. There is a sad ending to Charlie, which I found very emotionally tough to read, but today Roger, who was devastated by the loss of Charlie, continues his respect for buffalo by trying to better the situation of the mistreated Yellowstone herd.

Roger returned my e-mail this morning almost immediately, attaching a six-page letter he wrote to the Governor of Montana about problems and solutions of the Yellowstone bison. He also promised to send me a DVD that "parallels" the book about himself and Charlie. I look forward to receiving that.

Saved

The 300 buffaloes of the Yellowstone herd scheduled to be slaughtered today have been spared as a result of a mass of e-mails, faxes, letters and phone calls requesting a halt to the slaughter. The e-mail announcing this development was sent by the Buffalo Field Campaign late Friday, but I just read the announcement early this morning. Makes my day. I am truly thrilled. Last week I fired off e-mails to the Governor of Montana, the Yellowstone superintendent, and other appropriate officials. The fact that there were so many others who did the same shows the power of people united in their concern for a true American icon and a living heritage. Now I must e-mail those same officials and thank them for sparing the bison.

Blue Moon Run

I snapped this photo moments before this group of buffaloes started the first full moon run in July 2000. Pictured are (front row, from left) Hiro Asari (the first MoonMaster, now living in Wisconsin), Speedy Scottish Dave (Dave Scott, now living in Missouri), and Audrey Ishii. Back row, from left, Chris Migotsky (current MoonMaster), Jeff Skibbe, Jeff Riddle, Wes Seitz, Joan Bessman (moved to Iowa), and Scarface (Tony Suttle).


The full moon run last evening at the Mahomet trail was under a blue moon, the second full moon of May. An orange hazy moon, wisps of fog, and fireflies made the scene reminiscent of the first moon run in July 2000, but a brighter moon and more fireflies still make that first moon run the prettiest on record.

Some moon run history:

Dec. 11, 2000 - Chris Migotsky and I ran in a blizzard at the trail. This still ranks as one of my favorites, with a wicked west wind practically stopping us in our tracks and biting snow slapping our faces. Running easterly though, we had quite a shove from the wind at our back.

February 8, 2001 - Big turnout of runners for a mushy run over a trail wet from rain and melted snow. Lightning flashes were around but not close. Tony Suttle is nicked by a thorny tree that refused to get out of his way, thus giving birth to the nickname "Scarface." Wonder Calves Duane Frichtl provides banana moon pies to runners.

With a huge stack of photos and all the Second Wind newsletter back issues, I am compiling a lot of material for a history of the Buffaloes going back to the herd's roots in 1999, and preface material before that. This thing could be the size of a book when finished.

Stay of Execution

The latest from the Buffalo Field Campaign states that 300 buffaloes and calves at Yellowstone National Park have been given a little extra time before they are slaughtered. They were scheduled to be slaughtered today, but now the cruelty is set for Monday. The herd at Yellowstone is the last continuously wild herd in the U.S., a national treasure to be sure. See this Buffalo Field Campaign site for the details, including fantastic photos of buffalo "families." Take a little time to send out some e-mails and help stop the needless deaths.

Dancing in the Street

Your left hoof in
Your left hoof out
Your left hoof in
And shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

Spider Biker and Muddy Buffaloes

Insect on wheels

The "fast shoes"

Goose Buster wades while Devil Dawg washes off mud on the horse trail.

Red Chief these days is into Spiderman, so much so that when the Princess dropped him off at my place this weekend, out from the car came . . . Spiderman (the insect on the bike above). Ethan's Spiderman shoes are the result of his request for "fast shoes" to help him run faster. Believe me, the little guy can run quite fast. He and I had some sprint races in the park and although I wasn't going all out, I wasn't slouching either, and the little guy kept up with me. Those little buffalo legs really move when he wears his "fast shoes."

Had a fine mud run with buffalo buddies Devil Dawg, Cousin Don, Mr. Bill, and Goose Buster this weekend on a horse trail at Middle Fork State Fish & Wildlife Area near Oakwood. A muggy day on a mud-choked trail dotted with manure and who knows what else left behind by horses. Trail running at its best, though, followed by a buffalo pig-out at a truck stop.

The Great Outdoors is Calling

Great run and socializing with the herd last night at the Mahomet trail. Busy weekend ahead with plenty of yardwork, triathlon training, and a run and shoot (photographs) with a small band of the herd at Middle Fork Forest Preserve. Hope to post photos of these activities and adventures with Red Chief and his Spiderman "fast shoes."

A Man in the Wilderness, A Buffalo in the Living Room

Bought a couple of books last night that I can hardly wait to read. One Man's Wilderness, An Alaskan Odyssey first came out in the 1970s and is now in its 26th printing and selling well. It's the story of a self-sufficient craftsman who builds himself a log cabin and endures what nature deals him in an area of the Alaskan wilderness that few humans had passed through.

The other book, A Buffalo in the House: The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West, I happily discovered as I was browsing through animal books. This book was very recently published and I had not heard of it. A review on the dust jacket by a staff writer of The New Yorker magazine describes the book as "riveting . . . I can't remember when I've been instructed so gracefully, or entertained to such deep purpose." After skimming the contents, I knew I had to have it. Details of the book are here.

The Indignity: When a Buffalo is a Hog

Biker beware. That walking Harley upholstery could knock you on your butt.

To some, real buffalo skin on your bike, or hog, is Harley Heaven. Geez.

Protecting America's Herd

Dan Brister, a long-time member and project director of the Buffalo Field Campaign, is handcuffed by law enforcement officials at Yellowstone.

The dedicated folks at the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) recently sent out a press release detailing the arrest of two of its volunteers at Yellowstone while they were videotaping harassment of the buffalo there. At first I was shocked, but not really surprised, when I read of the rough treatment of the volunteers. Everybody is frustrated by what is going on out there with the buffalo. I don't know all the details of the arrests, but I don't like reading about people being knocked to the ground and bloodied, nor do I like reading about cop cars getting windows kicked and shattered. One thing is certain, though, the treatment of the Yellowstone bison is inhumane and unnecessary and the BFC is doing all it can to stop it. One of the arrested volunteers was Dan Brister, who was kind enough to e-mail me a while back and offer to show me around Yellowstone. I can't wait to get out there; it will be an honor to meet Dan and others of the BFC. Take some time to peruse the BFC website; it is truly an eye-opener, a testament to the plight of wildlife and a chronicle of the efforts of those who care about a magnificent animal.

To All Moms: Happy Mother's Day

From American Bison: A Natural History by Dale Lott: "A buffalo's first breath, its first sight of light, comes as it emerges from a warm womb into the brightness of a spring day or the dimness of a spring night. It's not alone. Mom is there, a bit tired from her labor but ready to begin a foundational relationship - mother and child . . . . Love at first sight comes only to those who are ready for it, and this mother is ready. As her womb emptied, her heart filled and her senses absorbed the sight, sound, and smell of what would be, for the months to come, her one and only. The one living thing she will nurture - and sometimes even challenge hungry wolves to protect."

Asleep in the Earth

As I was mowing my lawn a few days ago I noticed what I first thought might be a dead cat in my back yard. To my astonishment as I got closer I discovered it was a red fox, which probably had been dead for no more than a day or two. It was getting dark, so I decided the best thing to do was to bury the little guy near a stand of tall pine trees in the corner of my yard. He was a beautiful animal, looking much like these photos but scrawnier than the fox in the bottom photo. It had a big bushy tail too. I'm not sure what caused his death, although there were tufts of his fur nearby. I didn't see teethmarks or other signs of violence, like what might be caused by a dog. I very rarely see stray dogs in my neighborhood. Whatever happened, the fox now rests, but I was saddened to have made such a discovery.

This is good for me, this is good for me, this is good for me

That's what I must constantly remind myself as I labor through boring swim laps. Al Morris formerly lived in Champaign and was the first president of our local Second Wind Running Club and director of the U.S. Olympic Sports Medicine Research and Education Site at the University of Illinois. He is currently in Washington, DC, and is director of health improvement and physical fitness for the 10,000 uniformed members of the U.S. Border Patrol. Al has this to say about swimming:

"Unlike running and cycling, which provide aerobic activity benefit but strengthen only some muscle groups, swimming can provide a vigorous total-body aerobic workout. Swimming provides a full-body exercise and is an excellent conditioner for the cardiovascular system. Also, researchers have found that swimmers are injured less often while exercising when compared to runners."

Bad Hair Day

Continued Harassment of an American Icon

Buffalo calf and Mom, Yellowstone National Park

The latest from the Buffalo Field Campaign, protectors of the 3600 wild buffalo at Yellowstone National Park:

"The wild Yellowstone buffalo are at the peak of their calving season, an extremely sensitive time of year for the gentle buffalo who have survived a long winter and must find good grasses and quiet places to give birth and raise their young. In the midst of the big, chocolaty brown buffalo are beautiful, tiny, red, delicate babies using their brand new senses to greet the earth for the first time, their little, wobbly legs walk with their proud, protective mothers, and are soon able to jump and play with the welcoming family members in the herd. Of course, after a few minutes of exploring and hopping around, very frequent naps in mama's protective warmth are a must.

Unfortunately, so many of these baby buffalos' first steps have been taken in fright, fleeing government-backed cowboy cops, trying to keep up with their moms and the herd, as they are run off of their native habitat for many miles back into Yellowstone.

This week, the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL), Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (FS) have been engaged, every single day, in pushing nearly all the buffalo they can find out of Montana, back into Yellowstone National Park. Contrary to a DOL/FWP press release issued Monday night that said buffalo would be "safely and humanely" hazed "off of private land," using horses, trucks and ATVs, the agents forced buffalo out from everywhere; including public land where they were supposed be allowed to live in peace through May 15th. This, according to the IBMP agency's own "tolerance" agreement, which they have broken again and again. There is nothing "safe" or "humane" about forcing wildlife off of their chosen ground. Now, not only is the agreement broken and there is no tolerance for wild buffalo anywhere in Montana, the agencies have stated that the May 15th date has been set for lethal removal if any buffalo set foot in Montana."

A Shark I'm Not

Swim training for triathlons is not going well. June 2 is the Tri Shark triathlon at Moraine View State Park near Bloomington. Signed up for it months ago. Right now my only hope for a good swim in a race is to grow fins.

The Bloody Peanut

You want a good sandwich? Try peanut butter and tomato. Jelly is overrated.

I Like Spring

Anxious to hear Red Chief's report about his visit to Brookfield Zoo near Chicago yesterday. The Princess Mother reports he couldn't stop talking about it last night. Apparently he has a lot to tell me about the buffaloes he saw at the zoo.

I've always been a big fan of "The Amazing Race" on CBS. Next Sunday is the finale for this season. I'm rooting for the "beauty queens" to win the million.

In the Works

I have been assembling a history of the Buffaloes with hundreds of photos I have taken of my running buddies over the past eight years and a lot of fun memories. This is taking a while because I have so much material to choose from, but it will get done.

When Trail Mix Just Isn't Enough

Note to self: Near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border on the Appalachian Trail, a place called Rocky's New York Pizza will deliver to a state park on the trail.

A Weekend Outside

Ethan in his wagon, Wally, hunting aliens with his ray gun.

The Chief and his bike, Buffalo, on the concrete prairie. Early triathlon training.

Didn't do as much swimming, biking and running as I would have liked this weekend but the weather was fantastic for taking the Chief to the park and cooking out on an open fire.

On Sunday morning I ran the Allerton trail with buffalo buddies Dr. Rose, S&M, and the Riddler. Weather couldn't have been nicer for a good 6-mile run. The Riddler always asks me about my planned Appalachian Trail backpacking adventures: I'm seriously thinking of doing an out-and-back from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, near the Maryland border, and heading north on the 41 miles of trail through Maryland, then hoofing it a bit in Pennsylvania before going off-trail 11 miles to Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania and back. Backpacker magazine's latest issue has an article on the entire stretch of the trail in Maryland. This area is rich in history and very scenic, with much of the trail on the South Mountain range. There are no bears on that stretch of the Appalachian Trail and it is an easier hike than Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, which I did last summer. Yellowstone is still in the plans for this year too.

Weekend Menu - Will Try All

Saturday: Swim, Bike, Run, Yardwork
Saturday Night: Adventures with Red Chief
Sunday: Swim, Bike, Run, Yardwork

Franchises Available

Send me your life savings and we'll get you set up.

Moving Dirt for a Different Animal

Aerial photo showing my office building (circled, lower left) and the site of the amphitheater construction (marked by X). Drawn in to the right of the X is the future hotel/restaurant complex. The big white disk is the Assembly Hall.

I can't help but notice what is going on outside my office window these days at the UI Research Park. Construction just east of my office building is going full tilt with earth-moving for an amphitheater just below my office and the hotel/convention center/restaurant complex across the street (First St.) to the east. The old South Farms just ain't what they used to be. Bricks and concrete will replace pigs, horses, and other critters.

Helping with Trail Tribulation

Buffaloes (left to right) Wonder Calves, Dr. Rose, Devil Dawg, and the Fire Marshal at the aid station campfire at McNaughton Park near Pekin.

Limey (my buffalo buddy Tracy Thomas), always a colorful character, in a not-so-subtle hat.

Twelve-year-old Jessica, daughter of the Fire Marshal and Party Marty, pauses while sawing wood for our campfire. We were accused of violating child labor laws, but she insisted on working.
Duane Frichtl, the revered Wonder Calves, one of the founding fathers of the Buffaloes.

It is always rewarding to see other runners trying to reach their goals, so the trail race at McNaughton Park near Pekin was a special event this weekend as the buffaloes manned an aid station on the course. Arrived there Friday evening and handed out food, drink and words of encouragement to runners until almost 6 a.m. Saturday morning. When I finally did get to sleep in my tent, the sound of raindrops woke me up after about an hour and a half of sleep. My tent passed the test with no leakage. A continuous campfire and an always interesting array of weary runners through the night made the time go surprisingly fast. Mohawk and Dr. Rose were entertaining conversationists throughout the night by our campfire. I also worked the aid station much of the day Saturday. Some of the Buffaloes finished the 50- and 100-mile distances. None of the herd was entered in the 150-miler, the first of its kind in the U.S., but of those runners entered, several managed to finish. Amazingly crazy people.

I had a chuckle Sunday morning after getting a good nights' sleep at home after the race. I had placed my buffalo hat on a bench by the front door to air it out after campfire smoke had permeated it. A guy with political flyers walked up to my door and took a long glance at the furry object on the bench. He left the flyers at the door and walked away, still staring at the hat. The horns couldn't be seen, so it looked like a furry animal of some sort.

Snips and Snails and Buffalo Tails

That's what little boys should made of. And speaking of little guys, the planned rendezvous with the herd and the trail baptism of Red Chief tonight will have to be postponed until better weather is here. Besides, the Chief has told his mom that he needs "fast shoes" for running. I ran the trail last night, and as expected it was a swamp in places, which was fun.

Big gathering of the herd this weekend at Pekin for the McNaughton ultra trail run. Many of the herd will be working the aid station "Heaven's Gate" at the race. Some of the buffalo are running the race, which has distances of 50, 100, and 150 miles. 150 miles. Good luck with that. I hope to post photos of this event soon.

Easter Dudes

Grandson Ethan (Buffalo nickname=Red Chief) in a rare still moment at Easter dinner. I may bring him out to the Buffalo Holy Thursday trail run this week and introduce him to the herd and trail running.

My son the Timster with his Easter basket. He's still my baby boy. His big sister, the Princess, worn-out mother of the raucous Red Chief, was camera shy.

How to Stop a Running Buffalo: Turn on "Grey's Anatomy"

Bully! Queen and Prince Meet America's King

Moonlight on the Buffalo Trace Trail

The only shows for the full moon run last night were Cuzzin Don and me. I figured everyone else was watching the NCAA championship game or recovering from the 30-mile Clinton trail run. Too bad no one else was there because they really missed a show. I am an avid basketball fan at tournament time but the real show was out on the trail in a cloudless, moonlit setting. A group of deer in an open field fully illuminated by the moon was spectacular. The bright night and the always stimulating conversation of the crazy Cuz made for a fun time.

Crash and Burn . . . but Smiling

Just before the start of the race with my buffalo buddies Worm (left) and Scarface.

Well, I managed to finish 20 miles of the 30-mile trail race yesterday. Next year I'll train properly and the anguish won't be so bad. My longest training run was 10 miles; that won't make it for a 30-mile race on a hilly course. My quads tightened up so much that I could barely get up the hills at some points. The trail around Clinton Lake is the toughest trail I have run, nastier even than Forest Glen. A lot more ups and downs. And I like running in mud, but there was so much that it eventually got on my nerves. Had a great time with fellow Buffaloes.