Hiking, Exploring & Travel

Personal adventures in hiking and exploring various countries, cities and geographical areas.

Highway Stonework – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 190

Jeff

Stonework along the highway at Yosemite

Stonework along the highway at Yosemite

When one considers the ages of some of our national parks, it is astounding that the details created so very long ago still remain intact and in good repair. On the return trip to Yosemite Valley from Hetch Hetchy, we passed this stonework on a bridge that was part of the major thoroughfare.

What struck me are the details used in the building of this safety barrier. The wooden beams could have been set straight across, but instead they are placed on the diagonal to add an artistic flare. Most of the tops of the columns are pyramidal in shape and each vertical column stands as a “pop out.”

The contrast of the gray and brown against the green foliage made for a striking scene. We should be very proud of and pleased with our national parks!

BTW – The National Park Service has put out a list of their Fee Free Days for 2017 and a couple of them cover weekends. You can check out the list of fee free days here:

National Park Service Announces Fee Free Days for 2017

Just keep in mind that the parks are likely to be crowded on these days so make arrangements early!

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 189 (Hetch Hetchy Tunnel)

Jeff

Hetch Hetchy Tunnel

Hetch Hetchy Tunnel

Parking is limited in the main hiking area of Hetch Hetchy, but once a parking space is secured, hikers must walk across the dam and through a tunnel to reach the Wapama Falls Trail and other hiking paths.

The tunnel is quite dark even though there are lights. After rains and snow melt, water seeps into the walls of the tunnel and onto the floor which can call for puddle hopping!

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Hetch Hetchy Rainbow – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 188

Jeff

Water release creates a rainbow

A rainbow was visible in the mist of the water release

As the sun became weaker and started to fade away, it made one last attempt to provide a special display by creating a rainbow in the mist generated by the large volume water release.

If you look closely at the middle, lower portion of the photograph you may be able to make out the somewhat weak rainbow in the mist.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 188 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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(Hetch Hetchy – O’Shaughnessy Dam Overflow) – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 187

Jeff

O’Shaughnessy Dam Overflow

Water release at the Hetch Hetch reservoir

We followed the weather forecast for a couple of weeks prior to our visit to Yosemite so we understood that there had been much precipitaton. We were glad because we wanted the waterfalls to be at their full-flowing best.

With such abundance of water, the O’Shaughnessy Dam seemed to be very full and they were releasing water to maintain the “balance” of the reservoir. As you will note, there is a large, forceful stream of water being released. More rain was anticipated on this hiking day as well so this photograph represents the sunniest time we had at Hetch Hetchy.

Also notice the curved railing and walkway atop the dam. At the very left of the railing and walkway is the entrance to the tunnel passageway.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 187 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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(Hetch Hetchy – O’Shaughnessy Dam) – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 186

Jeff

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Walking from the parking area near the main hiking trails, hikers will soon see the entrance to the pathway and the O’Shaughnessy Dam which corrals the Tuolumne River to create the reservoir. According to Wikipedia, Hetch Hetchy provides water for more than two million people in the San Francisco area.

The creation of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir was controversial and there is a movement today to try to restore it to its original splendor. You can find out more about this effort by visiting Restore Hetch Hetchy. They have a photograph of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley before it was flooded.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 186 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 185 (Off to Hetch Hetchy)

Jeff

Entrance to Hetch Hetchy

Hetch Hetchy Welcoming Archway

If you are heading north from Yosemite Valley to the more remote Hetch Hetchy area, you will come to this wooden “gateway” welcoming visitors. This is not to be confused with the official entrance where the rangers greet visitors entering the district. This is primarily a decorative archway that adds to the ambiance.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 185 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 184 ( El Capitan Photo – Better)

Jeff

A better photo of El Capitan

A wider view of El Capitan

The photograph of El Capitan above is certainly more visually pleasing than the photograph posted yesterday as part of YOY Day 183. The differences are obvious. The trees can be easily used as a “yardstick” to gain a sense of scale. The orientation of the frame, i.e. portrait mode accentuates the vertical height of El Capitan.

This is not to say that this is a dramatic photograph of El Capitan, but it is certainly better as a measure of the strength, size and grandeur of the mountain.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 184 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 182 (Sentinel Rock from the Meadow Area)

Jeff

Sentinel Rock

Sentinel Rock as seen from the meadow area

One of the amazing features of Yosemite National Park is that it offers so many perspectives of the wonderful natural formations. As we have been discussing, perspective and context tend to influence how we perceive something. This picture (above) of Sentinel Rock taken from the meadow area presents a much different view of the spire than the views from above the valley where it tends to get lost among the other mountain tops.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 182 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 181 (Half Dome as Waldo is Found)

Jeff

Half Dome a closer context

Showing Half Dome with more context

In yesterday’s post, I tried to demonstrate how the context or environment in which the main subject or focal point of the picture is placed has much to do with defining that main subject. If it is too small, or without other elements to lend perspective, the photograph is likely to be less successful.

Context, i.e. the surroundings of the object, helps to stress the main interest when the composition is well done. In addition, making sure that the main subject is large enough and distinguishable enough increases the overall effectiveness.

In the picture above, there is a leading line going from the bottom left angled upward to the right to Half Dome. This leads the viewer’s eye toward the main subject.

You can see yesterday’s picture of Half Dome and how insignificant it appears in the composition and context. Click HERE

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 181 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 180 (Half Dome Plays Where’s Waldo)

Jeff

Half Dome hides among other features

Half Dome is Lost among the myriad of structures seen from Olmsted Point

In the picture above it is difficult to pick out Half Dome from among all of the other features sticking up against the skyline at Olmsted Point. It is nature’s version of “Where’s Waldo.”

A casual onlooker who had no prior knowledge and no guides, but just pulled off of the road because of the scenic overlook, they would probably be hard pressed to tell what it was they were seeing. Half Dome is just another distant mountain.

Our iconization of certain natural wonders is all about context. We need to see the overwhelming beauty of a feature set in an appropriate environment. I suppose that is why we have picture frames for even the most beautiful paintings.

Half Dome hides among other features

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 180 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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