Things change, fast

The Yellowstone Park Foundation recently posted this message on their Facebook page:

It seems like just yesterday the whole park was blanketed in snow, but now fire danger has been labeled HIGH due to warm temps, low humidity, and high winds. Please take all measures to prevent fires!

While perhaps not yesterday, it was less than a month ago that the Firehole Rangers were on our annual pilgrimage to the park, and as you know from a post-trip post, conditions were very different for us than they apparently are now. Let’s hope that things cool off a bit and the fire danger lessens. The park doesn’t need another fire.

Because I’m hundreds of miles away, there’s little I can do to prevent fires in Yellowstone. However, I feel compelled to do what I can, so I am officially sending cold, wet thoughts that way. Maybe these photos, which I have not previously posted, will help cool things off a bit.

Rookie Ranger checks in at the Ho Hum. Gag Reflex? Check.

After a breakfast of champions, we would enter the park.

Recently parolled from Alcatraz, Goosemeister is ready to fish.

Firehole Rangers, ready to ride.

Snowshoes would have come in handy.

The Goose ponders another bad knot.

31 degrees. A lovely Spring morning on the Firehole.

The Goose with a very nice Firehole Brown.

Closeup of Goosemeister’s hawg brown.

The snow took a break, just in time for our lunch break.

After lunch it got downright pleasant.

But then it would rain. Hard.

The next day was even colder, and windy. Goose and Jimmy prepare to “spoon” during a horizontal snow storm.

So–Yellowstone, if you’re listening–let this serve as a reminder of your recent past. Don’t get all hot and bothered so soon. Cool off. Remember what you were like less than a month ago. Chill.

Please.

(P.S.- there’s something wrong with WordPress right now. Photo captions are not displaying correctly so please accept my apology until I am able to remedy the issue)