Tree Obsession

One of the things I (Beth) have been most excited to see 'out west' are the trees. And while we aren't in Sequoia National Park yet, there have been some notables ...

Left: trees (trying) to grow (kinda) out of the sulfur madness that is in Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs. Right: Lodgepole Pines in Yellowstone
... aren't they cool!?!

Like Ponderosa Pines in the Black Hills, Lodgepole Pines are super prevalent in Wyoming. They have really thick bark like the Ponderosas and can handle small fires meant to keep brush under control so larger fires don't start. The bottom of these Lodgepole Pines at Devil's Tower are blackened from protective, managed fires.

It took almost the entire walk around Devil's Tower (a little over a mile) before we saw anything other than pines. These Bur Oaks only grow to 25 or 30 feet & are called Scrub Oak in Texas. (Any Texan want to confirm this?) Being an easterner at heart, I've been missing deciduous trees, so it was refreshing to see some!

In Yellowstone, large forest fires tear through the area every 30 years or so, but there are more regularly lightening started, smaller fires that burn only an acre or 2 at a time. These fires make the landscape look totally different! It's a little creepy at first, but there are so many, most folks probably stop noticing the damage.

This shot is taken across the road from Yellowstone Lake. The gnarley wood tangled with wildflowers is a stark contrast from the more stately pines.

Because there isn't as much forest management in National Parks, some of the forest floors (burned & not) are covered with downed trees that look like match sticks or Pick Up Sticks. In National Forest lands and places like Custer State Park in South Dakota, this "debris" would be picked up & burned to limit the effects of fires.

Besides the great view of the Tetons in the background, this photo shows the line between burned & not burned from a canoe in Jenny Lake. While it was probably something as simple as the wind that blew to the right, it seems crazy that there is such a distinction.

So that's all for now from the tree-hugging nerd in me! Just wait until we get to California ...