February 2013

Getting Away Gardiner, Montana 2013

A raven playing hard to get at the garbage transfer station in Gardiner (one of the more scenic spots I like to visit on a trip to Yellowstone).]]>

Last Stand Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

This tree on a rise above the road in Yellowstone, a victim of the big fires of 1988, has attracted my attention for many years now. I finally stopped to photograph it on this last trip. By the looks of it the base is pretty well rotted; so I figured it might be my last chance.]]>

Making Fossils #5 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

This branch is starting to look like some undersea coral formation.

]]>

Making Fossils #4 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

Terrace patterns formed by travertine deposits in pools of hot water.

]]>

Making Fossils #3 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

With the crusty white coating, these branch ends take on the look of giant snowflakes. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine them as such given all the snow around Mammoth this time of year; at least it wouldn’t be hard if it weren’t for the steaming hot water flowing over them.]]>

Making Fossils #2 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

Some pine cones and part of a tree branch being coated with calcium carbonate deposits in a hot springs pool at Mammoth.]]>

Making Fossils #1 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

Although there is snow on the ground, these trees aren’t drowning in it; rather they are buried in and were killed by the spreading travertine deposits from Canary Springs on the Mammoth Hot Springs Terrace. Travertine is made of limestone and many fossils form in limestone, so it seems like there should be some major tree fossils hidden at Mammoth. But I’ve only seen micro-organism fossils mentioned in discussions of the terrace geology.]]>

Cleaning Up Some Loose Ends Bozeman, Montana 2013

In between dives to the dumpster below, this raven did some preening of his feathers.

]]>

Tough Sledding Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2013

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these beasts from the swift completion of their appointed rounds (eating). It’s quite interesting watching bison digging energetically down through crusty snow by swishing their heads back and forth. They must have pretty tough noses. They don’t necessarily go for the places with the least snow either, instead often choosing to work down through the sometimes deeper snow covering what they know or suspect to be the most choice grasses.]]>

]]>