The bones of the planet are laid bare, the skin stripped away. The only east to west mountain range in the country. The terraces of stone cradle more than 500 lakes, feeding creeks which cascade from level to level. Woodworkers and their art. The shops windows are often ablaze on winter nights.
Light spills across the frozen roadway, and shrieks of sharp steel and hard wood make an eerie echo.
Blue light exposed crystals of ice, suspended in the frigid air like frozen smoke, which swirled as we skied toward the high peaks. Prismatic colors sparked like fireflies around us. Aviation took a major role in the Yellowstone fires. Enthralled tourists lined the street watching the wall of flame and smoke, which glowed from the intense fire, reddened by the low angle of the sun. The smoke rose and formed towering cumulus clouds up to 30,000 feet, a backdrop to the town's defense.