The trip continues

Leaving behind the falls, we wind down the canyon to the flat land, heading towards Cody, gateway to Yellowstone.  Over-grazing in many places has left sagebrush as the main vegetation and it takes many acres for one cow to graze.  The top ten cash crops in Wyoming are hay, sugar beets, barley, wheat, corn for grain, dry beans, oats, marijuana and potatoes.   The country becomes much more open but in the distance, we can see the mountains that are indicators of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone periodically experiences forest fires.  One year, the fire got very close to the historic lodge near Old Faithful.  The fires cause devastation, but they’re also the natural way to reseed the land.   Fire doesn’t burn the entire tree, leaving behind acres of burned trees likes those below.  Soon, small green plants begin to grow and eventually, small trees are visible.  Eighty percent of the trees in Yellowstone are these lodge pole pines.

After reaching the east entrance to the park, we drive about half an hour until we reach our first driving choice–right or left.  We’ll be heading right, north, but in the meantime, the vastness of Yellowstone Lake stretches to our left.