Yellowstone September 15, 2012

Last full day in the Park(s) for this trip.

I started the day by heading east over the Norris-Canyon Road.  I took the Virginia Cascades drive and stopped for another morning photo from the meadow above the cascades.  On this morning, fog and smoke from the Cygnet Complex fires combined for a surreal sunrise.

Smoke from the Cygnet Complex Fires combines with morning fog and frost for a surreal sunrise over a meadow along the Virginia Cascades Drive.

Thus the theme of the day was established – FIRE.

I found foliage mimicking tongues of flame.

Fall plumage in the yellow, orange and red colors of flames

Fiery fireweed stood like torches on an island on Sylvan Lake.

Fiery fireweed on an island in Sylvan Lake

The Cygnet Complex fire was actively burning along the Norris-Canyon road, up to the power line corridor.

Flames of the Cygnet Complex of wild fires - September 2012

By mid-afternoon I found myself back in the meadow above Virginia Cascades, watching the active Cygnet Complex fires from where I could watch the smoke plumes without being socked in smoke. I was mesmerized by the braiding of the white, gray and black streams of smoke. Over the 9 minutes in the video below, the fire grew considerably.

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