Fall Color in Yosemite

We missed the fall color in the high country but a visit to Yosemite at the end of October made up for it.

I'm afraid my images don't do justice to the beauty.

Some of the best color was "drive by" in places I couldn't stop or easily walk to.

Maples were yellow, gold and orange

Dogwood were turning from pale green to yellow to scarlet in the valley sun.

They were more purple up in the Sequoias.

Dogwood is a double delight with their white flowers in the spring and their fall color.

It was a delightful visit to one of our favorite places.

See more views of our marvelous world at Our World, Tuesday

Autumn Sky in Yosemite

The Summer fires that made the air so toxic that much of Yosemite was closed for a few weeks are now gone.  Blue skies and a few high thin clouds greeted us on our recent visit.

Clear blue sky at the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias.

The sun shining clear and bright in the valley.

See more views of the sky a Skywatch, Friday

California's Water

There was plenty of water flowing in Yosemite Falls the end of February.

Water too, in the seasonal Royal Arch Cascade

Unseasonably warm temperatures have caused the Sierra snow pack to melt early making things look better than they are.  In truth, the March snow survey showed the snow pack to be only 83% of average for this time of year.

 The early runoff has brought Don Pedro lake up enough for people to launch small boats but it is easy to see it still has a long way to go, as do all of the reservoirs in California.  We are still in a sever drought.

Don't Feed the Wildlife!

Hubby and were headed out for an evening photo shoot when we came upon a van stopped in the middle of the lane.  What was going on?  A coyote on the side of the road.  I quickly grabbed my camera with no time to check the settings before Jules drove around the other vehicle (when will I learn to leave it in auto mode?)

This is what I found when I downloaded my images, woefully underexposed!  The camera had been in manual mode, set for much more light.  All was not lost, I was shooting in raw.

 Not the beautiful image I would have liked but good enough to make another point.  Not only had the driver stopped in the traffic lane, he was feeding the coyote and inviting it in to his van!  We then heard a woof of a different sort, a ranger pulled up behind.

The driver was pulled over at "Valley View", our first photo stop and I heard the ranger say he was giving a citation for stopping on the road but the "biggie" was the citation for feeding wildlife.  I don't know what this will cost the driver but it can be as much as $5,000.

Human food is not good for animals (much of it isn't good for humans, either).   Feeding wildlife can train them that humans are a source of food and they can become aggressive and dangerous.

Wildlife should not be fed or approached but no matter how hard rangers try, some folks just don't get the message.

See more critters at Camera Critters.

Impressionist Reflections

We saw a great art show while in Yosemite--"Yosemite Renaissance"

 I was inspired to try something a bit different.

Soft light and ripples in the water allowed me to make some interesting, almost painterly, images of the reflections in the Merced River.  

Follow the link above to see what the creative artists of "Yosemite Renaissance" did last year in a variety of mediums.  If you find yourself in Yosemite between now and May 5, stop and see the current exhibit at the museum.  You might find yourself inspired as I did.

See more reflections at Weekend Reflections, hosted for us by James

The Mist Trail

One of the highlights of the hiking season for me is the hike to the top of Nevada Falls in Yosemite via the mist trail.  When we did this two years ago Hubby had a lot of trouble.  People would stop him and ask "are you OK?"  He made it up and down but we decided that would be the last time he would undertake such a demanding hike.  We thought it was his age, he was 75.  We were wrong.

Jules now                                                                                 Jules two years ago

It wasn't his age, it was his weight.  Now, 35 pounds lighter he was ready to try again.

Off we went.  The trail starts out pretty easy, paved with a nice wall to keep one from falling off the edge.  It is a bit steep, even at this point and can be very hot in summer months.

At the first bridge there is a nice view of Vernal Fall.

Then the trail heads up, up some steep steps carved out of the granite.

There can be a bit of a traffic jam.

Finally the trail goes along the cliff  and then up to the top of Vernal Fall.

The reward for making it this far is lunch where Silver Apron flows into Emerald Pool.

After lunch we hit the trail again and cross the Merced River for the second time.

Then it is up more granite steps, some with a view of Nevada Fall.  This is where other hikers became concerned about Hubby's well being on our previous hike.  No problem this time.  Sure, it was strenuous and we felt it, 1,900 feet is a lot of up.

Once at the top we always find it was well worth the effort.

This backpacker even found himself an easy chair!  It looks like he brought along an e-book as well.  All the comforts of home.

Now we cross back to the other side of the Merced.  We didn't want to take the steep Mist Trail back down.  The John Muir trail is gentler but not as interesting.

We look back at Liberty Cap on our way down.  Just one of the many granite domes for which Yosemite is so famous.

A few late autumn flowers still grace a weeping wall along the trail.

And we look back frequently, not wanting to miss the spectacular views of Nevada Fall.

Will we make this hike again next year?  We hope so but the day may come when age will be the factor that keeps us on the valley floor.

You will find more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday.  Hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy and Sylvia.

Trailside Fences

Some fences are built to keep people in, some to keep people out.  Some fences are built to keep people safe.

 The fences I share today are of the latter kind.  I love the mist trail in Yosemite but it is not for the faint of heart.  After climbing some steep steps carved from the granite, one encounters this narrow portion, the last stretch up to the top of Vernal Fall.  I think that few hikers would be willing to climb this portion if not for the fence.

I made it to the top first and got a shot of Jules coming up behind me.

Once at the top of the cliff, the fence continues, protecting people from fall over the edge.

Fences don't always work, though.  This one is intended to to keep people out of the river where they can be swept over the edge.  The Merced River doesn't look like much here but in the spring it can be a raging torrent.  Last year three young people didn't heed the warnings, went beyond the fence and were swept to their death.

I am afraid even I have been known to go beyond the fence for a shot but even now with the river low I still kept well away from the water.

You can find more fences at Friday Fences hosted at "Life According to Jan and Jer.

Hiking to May Lake

It was hot the first week in August, even at 9,000'.  We wanted something different but we didn't want to do one of our lower elevation hikes where it would be even hotter.  We decided to go into Yosemite and try a hike off the Tioga Road.  Forget Mono Pass, every parking space was taken at the trail head.  We headed for May Lake.

Even here, two miles up a narrow one lane with turnouts we were lucky to find a place to park.  No surprise, I guess, this is Yosemite and it's tourist season.  The view from the trail was spectacular.  Cathedral peak on the left and Unicorn to the right of it.  The gray granite, scoured by glaciers has little vegetation.

May Lake lies in a cirque at an elevation of over 9300'.  The hike is not bad, about a mile and a half with less than 500' gain.

 My lens couldn't capture the view so I stitched five images into a panorama.  This is the view that would great you in the morning if you stayed at the May Lake High Sierra Camp.

There are five of these High Sierra Camps spaced 10 miles or less apart.  Guests get a heated tent, a cot, blanket and pillow (may have to share tent with strangers).  Breakfast and dinner are included.

Since this is wilderness, all of the supplies must be packed in and the trash packed out without mechanical devices.  High Sierra Camps are a way for people who don't feel able to carry a heavy backpack to experience the wilderness.

See more views of our magnificent world at Our World, Tuesday.  Hosted for us each week by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy and Sylvia.

Trail Building

The trail to Upper Yosemite Falls is steep and much of it is over easily eroded decomposed granite.  On our recent visit there was a crew working to improve the trail.

It's not an easy job.  First the granite must be cut from large boulders off the trail.

Then hauled by people power to where it is needed.  This is wilderness so no motor driven equipment is used.

They set the blocks in place.

They build a wall, the old fashioned way.

 It's hard work but oh!  What a view!

We do appreciate their hard work, making the trail safer for everyone.

See more of our world at That's Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy and Sylvia.

Where is this?

What a Difference a Day (or Two) Makes

Each year we try to take a Winter trip to Yosemite.  Since the reservations are made far in advance we never know what the weather will be like.  This year we had quite a variety during our three day visit.  I found I had taken similar shots on different days so I paired some of them to show the contrast.

Monday was cold with blowing clouds and a few snow flurries.

Tuesday was beautiful and mostly sunny.  After a morning walk up to Mirror Lake we drove to Tunnel View in the Afternoon.  We were just in time to catch a bit of a rainbow on the distant Bridal Veil Falls.

Wednesday was a different story, we awoke to a Winter Wonderland.

The cliffs and waterfalls had faded behind a curtain of white.

This is what I saw in our world last week, to see what others saw visit Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by     Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Yosemite--The First Days of Autumn

It is time again for another Yosemite post.  I never tire of this place and we try to visit at least twice a year.

In past years our Autumn visit has always found Yosemite Falls dry.  The rocky ground in the high country from which this feature gets its water relies on snow melt.  There is no soil to hold the moisture and release it slowly.  Whether it was due to  the heavy snow pack this year or the late summer thunderstorms, there was still water flowing over the falls.

It was a real treat for the late season tourists and for us as well.

Though not the thundering rush of spring I found the reduced flow to have a charm I don't experience in May or June.

Yosemite Falls was not the only place where water was unexpectedly present.  The "lake"  in Mirror Lake was gone as usual but there was still water flowing through on its way to join the Merced River.

One didn't have to look too hard to find a pool with a reflection.

It may have been the beginning of Autumn, but the park was filled with tourists from all around the world.  I was pleased that for once these late season visitors had not missed out on some of Yosemite's best know wonders.

See more of our world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.