Yellowstone has its own grand loops of highway, a figure eight that crisscrosses through the developed area of the park. Disappointed by moose, we continued south down the northwest loop, then cut eastward across the middle of the figure eight. Our next destination was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the famous waterfalls.
On both sides of the road, forest fires had ravaged the park. In 1988, uncontrolled fires incinerated almost 800,000 acres, more than a third of the forests of Yellowstone. Blackened ground and burned out husks of trees still dominated vast areas of the park.
Fire is considered an important tool in park management (by park management, not the animals and plants, I imagine). Since 1988, the role of fire in the life cycle of the wilderness had been debated (I won’t say hotly). Experts tell us that forest fires return minerals to the soil and create new lairs and food sources for birds and animals. Pinecones burst in the intense heat, spreading seeds across the forest floor. This cycle was visible even from the road.
In the shelter of torched remnants, saplings beyond count had emerged, thrusting through the charcoal earth. Most were only a few inches high. But the forest was healing itself.
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