Return to the Burn

Last week in Yellowstone I found myself photographing the same location I had photographed over 22 years ago -- the day after it had burned in the great Yellowstone fire of 1988. Here are the before and after images.

Wheel of Life & Death in Yellowstone

The wheel of life and death is close to the surface this time of year in Yellowstone. And not just because most winter visitors tend to be retirees well into their social security years. All the animals are in survival mode, expending as little energy as possible to make it through until spring.

On my first morning in Yellowstone last week I encountered three coyotes working over the remains of an elk that wolves or weather had killed the day before. The formation of the ravens waiting for their piece of the kill created a kind of wheel of life mandala. By the time I left 4 days later, there was not enough left to interest the ravens.