A driver recently learned something that all of us that have lived in Wyoming already knew. Some traffic jams here don't move. Or, maybe I should say "moo-ve".
Before the Jackson Hole area was discovered by celebrities like Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock, it was ruled by a different species. A video that's over 80 years old shows it was an elk town back in those days.
An elk has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in an area of northwestern Wyoming where the animals congregate during the winter at feedgrounds.
Wyoming has different traffic issues than other parts of America. Sure, many other places have slowdowns caused by construction. Here our day can come to a cold stop by miles and miles of elk just like it did recently in the western part of our state.
It's not easy being a wolf in Yellowstone. Your pack takes down an elk and thinks it has a quiet dinner only to be interrupted by a very angry grizzly.
As fall turns to winter, numerous animals are leaving their higher-elevation levels to prepare for the oncoming season. Because of this, they are traveling more than usual, and are crossing highways at a higher rate.
Sometimes it's the simple joys in life that you learn to appreciate the most. That's probably why I've found a peculiar joy watching an elk herd frolicking in a pond in Wapiti, Wyoming.