9/22
A later start to the day than we had planned, but a nice day nonetheless. We stopped that the Yellowstone Association park store before beginning our trip into the park. It's a newly renovated building, which once was a mercantile store built in 1904. It's situated just before going through the Roosevelt Arch ( north entrance ) into the park, and at that time, it carried just about everything you can imagine. Now, it houses offices for the association, serves as an information center and has a very nice gift store. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We got the skinny on where to find wildlife. Oh, to see wolves-- that's our hope!
The weather is wonderful out here, and the park still has many visitors, so traffic can be a bit snarly. Our first glimpse of wildlife was in the little town of mammoth hot springs, where elk grazed everywhere from the town hall, to the lawns. They were oblivious to the traffic that was jamming up, and some of them simply lounged on the lawns.
Of course, this got Xian going, and we were rapidly closing the windows and pulling away from the crowds as a ranger came over, probably to tell us to move the Voice Box on!
Of course, this got Xian going, and we were rapidly closing the windows and pulling away from the crowds as a ranger came over, probably to tell us to move the Voice Box on!
The day was spent mainly in the area called Black Tail, and though we didn't see a lot of wildlife, we did see some gorgeous country, stopping many times for photos, and to give Xian some play time. What fascinated me most was the sun shining behind the aspen trees and setting them afire.
Sometimes appearing in an entire stand, sometime contrasting with the deep green of the pines, the aspens shimmered and trembled in flaming gold-- took my breath away. I kept taking pictures and more pictures, but the camera simply did not capture what I saw in the way that I saw it. Look at the photos and then pump up the gold about ten times!! (I think Bill has some better photos which I can show you later.)
Sometimes appearing in an entire stand, sometime contrasting with the deep green of the pines, the aspens shimmered and trembled in flaming gold-- took my breath away. I kept taking pictures and more pictures, but the camera simply did not capture what I saw in the way that I saw it. Look at the photos and then pump up the gold about ten times!! (I think Bill has some better photos which I can show you later.)
We saw plumes of smoke from a lightning fire in an area called Antelope-- the road has been closed there for almost a week.
It's always sad to see the burned areas in a forest, but I have to remember that what comes up as a result of more sunlight provides food for animals who will return to that area. again. Trees reseed quickly. Lodgepole pines in particular germinate quickly after a fire. Lodgepoles are thick in this area from a fire in 1988. There's also a stark beauty to what's left behind.
And these bare poles, a lot having fallen, provide food for insects and a habitat for small mammals and birds. In the life of a forest, fire is a regular visitor, and a new Phoenix arises from the ashes every time
It's always sad to see the burned areas in a forest, but I have to remember that what comes up as a result of more sunlight provides food for animals who will return to that area. again. Trees reseed quickly. Lodgepole pines in particular germinate quickly after a fire. Lodgepoles are thick in this area from a fire in 1988. There's also a stark beauty to what's left behind.
And these bare poles, a lot having fallen, provide food for insects and a habitat for small mammals and birds. In the life of a forest, fire is a regular visitor, and a new Phoenix arises from the ashes every time
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