What an Embarrassment, “Come Monday” Yellowstone Half Open

-Jimmy Buffet, "Come Monday"

Remember the night in Montana when
We said there'd be no room for doubt.

I hope you're enjoyin' the scenery,
I know that it's pretty up there.
We can go hikin on Tuesday,
With you I'd walk anywhere.

Jimmy Buffett probably isn't spending "four lonely days in a brown LA haze," but if he wants to go "hikin on Tuesday" he better go to Wyoming.

Why? Well, "Come Monday" Yellowstone National Park will be open, on the Wyoming side at least. Yellowstone National Park basically got the green light from Wyoming's governor to open up, so the Wyoming gates and the Southern half of the park will be open. Since the liberal governor of Montana still wants to keep the shutdown going, the Montana gates and the northern half of Yellowstone National Park will be closed.

What an embarrassment. Isn't Big Sky Country supposed to be bigger than this? Shouldn't we be the land of the free and the home of the brave? Folks in Wyoming can access their so-called public lands, but if Montanans want access to their so-called public lands, we have to drive to Wyoming.

If you look closely at the photo above that I took recently in Gardiner, Montana you'll notice the Roosevelt Arch is inscribed with the words "For the benefit and enjoyment of the people." I guess we should add "of Wyoming" at the end of the inscription.

The Yellowstone gateway community of Gardiner was largely empty on a recent weekend due to the COVID-19 shutdowns: