Okay, here's the buffalo story. I'm 18 and I'm hitchhiking around America. I'm riding in a VW bug with this guy who has a broken foot and we're in the most incredible valley I think I've ever seen. It's in Yellowstone National Park. A little snow is still on the ground and the bear are waking up. We see evidence of a fresh kill. I say almost to be polite, "Too bad your foot is broken or I'd suggest climbing that hill over there." In the middle of this valley there is an incredible hill sort of the size of Mt. Tabor. The guy is incredibly cool and he says, "If you want to climb it, I'll just pull over and wait." That put me in an awkward position as I'd be leaving my backpack and virtually everything I had with me - something I'd never normally do. Buried in the pack was an American Express card, and my passport and lots of stuff. But I played a hunch that I could trust the guy. Frankly it had to do with those times as compared to - I don't know - now. I started up the hill and saw a huge set of antlers. The guy had some kind of connection to the park and he had explained that you can't take anything out of there. He also said the buffalo could be trouble and that an occasional visitor gets gored by getting too close, like the dumb-asses in the link. So, I'm climbing up the side of the hill and there's an indentation that you can't see from the road. As I come over the rise, I'm face to face with a buffalo and it looks pissed off.
I back up slowly for a couple of yards and then I turn and run. When I look back, the buffalo is standing where I had been. I get back to the car and the guy says he saw the whole situation unfolding and had tried to yell and get my attention. So that's the buffalo story. A few nights later I was sleeping in someone's yard in Seattle. The hitchhiking years were pretty cool.

Thanks for the link. You made my day/evening.

One more buffalo anecdote: while I was working in the park a coworker told me a story about what one of them did to another worker's station wagon. Smashed it up pretty bad. I wish I could still remember the details, regardless of their validity.

I wish I could still remember the details, regardless of their validity.

Lines like that are why we love ya, guy.

[Posted as indicated; restored later.]