Yellow (Blackened) Stone
About twenty years ago, Yellowstone National Park, USA was ravaged by wildfires, made worse by the park services policy to always put out fires previously and oversupply of tinder fuel. it filled the entire Jackson Hole area with smoke for months. you couldn't even see the Grand Tetons! this photo was taken shortly thereafter.
10 responses
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judy fouse gave props (31 Dec 2007):
Yes, these look pretty ugly, but I understand it is part of the natural process and the parks now allow natural burns as long as no danger to people. Good photo and good commentary.
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Dennis Blauer said (31 Dec 2007):
yet it is beautiful in its ugliness, no? Yes, i am a proponent, even of controlled burning. Fire is very good, in many ways, for the forests.
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Max Schenk gave props (31 Dec 2007):
I will jump on the conservation bandwagon here and add my note of agreement! Although controversial, the deadliness of the current fires is due, in large part, to the fact that nature was not allowed to do Her thing to keep the forests clear through small, seasonal burns. The intentions were made by good people trying to do a good thing, but the unseen consequences have been costly. OK, I am off my soapbox now! Great Photo Dennis!
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jose gonzalez said (1 Jan 2008):
Excellent B&W....
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James Wei gave props (2 Jan 2008):
Wow, powerful!
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Dennis Blauer said (2 Jan 2008):
thank you Max, Jose, James. Evidence of the fires can still be seen by the casual observer even today! One amazing thing was how quickly the Yellowstone ecology rebounded. within a few weeks, the forest floor in this very picture was carpeted with lush green grasses, which the wildlife loved!
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Audrey Kanekoa-Madrid gave props (6 Jan 2008):
Omg! WHen I was younger, my mom took us on a trip in the winter to Yellowstone after the fires. It was stunning...All b&w, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
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Dennis Blauer said (7 Jan 2008):
Thanks Audrey, for the props and comment. Another cool thing about that time is that, like Florida in the winter, with all the foliage gone, you could see much deeper into the forest!
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Dennis Blauer added a link (20 Feb 2008):
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Dennis Blauer said (4 Apr 2008):
thanks Joycee! it was sad; and scary too!
