Hiking, Exploring & Travel

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

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 46 (Tuolumne Meadows)

Jeff

Tuolumne Meadows viewed from the Lembert Dome TrailTuolumne Meadows viewed from the Lembert Dome Trail

After a full day of hiking, we were descending from our trek to Lembert Dome and Dog Lake when we came upon this pretty view of Tuolumne Meadows. Cathedral Peak can be seen just to the right of the photo. As we were nearing the parking area, we thought we saw a beaver go scampering across a snowy patch in the distance, but as we later decided, it must have been a marmot.

 
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 46 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 4:42:24 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/16
Focal Length: 22mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 45 (Half Dome at Sunset)

Jeff

Half Dome Meadow at SunsetHalf Dome Meadow at Sunset

While Half Dome is always impressive as it rises up from a multitude of vantage points at Yosemite, during the sunrise and sunset hours it takes on a special majesty. I particularly like this photograph with the contrasting dark colors of green and some purple highlights among the wildflowers in the foreground.

This field was only a short walk from our lodging and it was difficult to get enough of this view!

Fact: Did you know that the North Face outdoor company uses a stylized version of Half Dome as their Logo?

North Face Logo 

The North Face Logo is a Copyrighted and Registered Trademark

 
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 45 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 7:06:37 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/20 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 44 (Rocks Along the Mirror Lake Trail)

Jeff

rocky part of the trail to Mirror LakeThe Yosemite Park trails are maintained, but there are rough spots

Many of the trails at Yosemite lead hikers through a variety of ecosystems, i.e. wooded, meadow, open, etc. Generally the trails are quite passable, but one needs to look where they are going as there are sections that crop up now and again with large embedded rocks that seem to grab at the toes of hiking shoes.

The picture above is one bend in the trail to Mirror Lake that is indicative of this type of terrain. Footing can be tricky so hikers are advised to step cautiously.

 
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 44 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 10:08:46 AM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
Exposure: 1/13 sec @ f/7.1
Focal Length: 5.8mm
ISO 200
Canon PowerShot A590 IS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 42 (Dog Lake near Tuolumne Meadows)

Jeff

Picturesque Dog LakePicturesque Dog Lake

Dog Lake is located in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite and is one of the popular day hikes. Many hikers combine the Dog Lake hike with that of Lembert Dome as there are junctions for each vantage point along the main trail.

The view of the lake is very pretty and the snow capped mountains lend an addition flare to the scene.

NOTE: “In 1898 Robert Marshall of the US Geological Survey visited the lake and found an abandoned sheepdog with a litter of puppies” and thus the lake received its somewhat unimaginative name. ( source )

 
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 42 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0320.CR2
Capture time: 3:07:07 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/8
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 100
Canon SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 41 (Cathedral Rock and Spires)

Jeff

Cathedral Rock and spiresCathedral Rock and the Spires

While hiking toward El Capitan along the Valley Loop Trail, there are plenty of other views to impress park visitors. This picture of Cathedral Rock and the spires is just one small part of the panorama.

It is interesting to note that most of the spires, rocks and hills you may see generally have names. You can click HERE to visit a web page that has many of them labeled.

 
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 41 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0308
Capture time: 1:23:18 AM
Capture date: June 8, 2016
Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/11
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 200
Nikon D3300

CATS: Nature, Hiking, YOY, Photography

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 39 (View from Sentinel Dome)

Jeff

View of Half Dome from atop Sentinel DomeHalf Dome viewed from the top of Sentinel Dome

After hiking the trail to Sentinel Dome (elevation 8,122 feet), the dome itself may look a bit steep, but if you are in good physical condition for hiking, I encourage you to try it. The surface of the rock is not slick and good hiking shoes will grab onto the surface ridges. There is an “established path” that the hikers on the left of the picture are following.

Once on top of the dome, the valley opens up with El Capitan, the Merced River and meadows to the northwest and Half Dome and the falls to the northeast. It is truly impressive.

 
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 39 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0358.NEF
Capture time: 12:01:03 AM/PM
Capture date: June 9, 2016
Exposure: 1/80 sec @ f/18
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

CATS: Nature, Hiking, YOY, Photography

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 36 (El Capitan Puzzle Solution)

Jeff

Spoiler Alert If you want to try to answer the puzzle, see yesterday’s YOY #35 and return to this post after that.

If you don’t care to take a guess, then click HERE to go to today’s Yosemite picture(s).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above is yesterday’s picture with the hint circled. Do you see that red object?

Rock climbers on El CapitanRock climbers on the face of El Capitan

We were very surprised to learn that the park service allows rock climbers to mount El Capitan since it is such an iconic landmark. There were a number of climbers trying to ascend during our visit and onlookers were lined up under trees in nearby fields to watch the climbers make their way to the top.

We were told that the climb can take between three and six days depending on a variety of factors. Climbers must bring everything with them to sustain them during this feat. Plans need to be made for sleeping, eating, etc.

The red item is one of the bags used to carry supplies and below that there appears to be a pail and a weight. Above the bag there are two climbers with additional supplies. This may be hard to discern so I enlarged a portion of the picture which appears below.

Rock climbers on El Capitan 

Rock climbers on the face of El Capitan Close Up

 
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 36 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0363.CR2
Capture time: 11:20 AM
Capture date: June 8, 2016
Exposure: 1/160 sec @ f/6.3
Focal Length: 34.5mm
ISO 125
Canon SX50 HS

CATS: Nature, Hiking, YOY, Photography

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 35 (El Capitan Puzzle)

Jeff

El Capitan PuzzleDoe you see anything unusual in this picture?

We were hiking past El Capitan on this day and we noticed something different. We hadn’t seen this before in our numerous trips by the mountain.

HINT – Look carefully near the middle of the photo. It has been cropped to make it larger even though it isn’t large.

Enter your answer/guess in the comments and “stay tuned” for the answer.

SUPER HINT – I know the picture above is small so if you want even more of a hint, click HERE to look at a larger picture which should make the discovery easier.

 
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 35 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0304.NEF
Capture time: 11:15:59 AM
Capture date: June 8, 2016
Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 48mm
ISO 240
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 34 (Gentle, Smaller Waterfall)

Jeff

Small, gentle waterfall at YosemiteSmall waterfall with its own understated charm

One of the major attractions at Yosemite during the spring and early summer is the abundance of impressive waterfalls. Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, Bridalveil Falls and Vernal Falls quickly come to mind.

There are numerous other, smaller and quite gentle waterfalls that trickle their way through the woods and sometimes intersect pathways that orchestrate their own magic. They are pretty and interesting in their own right as you can see above. What the picture cannot show is the pretty sound and soothing motion of the water while birds chirp in the background. It is a simple pleasure proffered to those who hike Yosemite.

 
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 34 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0134.NEF
Capture time: 9:31:16 AM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
Exposure: 1/15 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 55mm
ISO 800
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 33 (El Cap and Half Dome – Tunnel View

Jeff

El Capitan and Half Dome from Tunnel View 

El Capitan and Half Dome from Tunnel View

It was hard to resist stopping every time we passed the Tunnel View pull off. The panoramas were stunning even if the time of day was not quite right for a photograph. To see El Capitan (mid-left) and Half Dome playing off of each other was very special.

NOTE – This tends to be one of the more crowded areas of the park when it comes to finding parking spaces. Many people want to stop to see this view and so do the tour buses. Plan to be patient and leave enough time.

 
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 33 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0331.CR2
Capture time: 1:56:03 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/200 sec @ f/8
Focal Length: 43mm
ISO 100
Canon SX50 HS