natural beauty

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 154 (Four Mile Trail 4/5 – Half Dome Peek-A-Boo)

Jeff

Half Dome as seen along the Four Mile Trail

After Hiking along the Four Mile Trail for a while, Half Dome became visible

Imagine this scenario…We were hiking along the Four Mile Trail for more than twenty minutes. At the beginning, the woods were deep and we were in the shade with little visibility beyond the trees. Soon we moved to the outside of the mountain and started to descend the switchbacks.

From time-to-time, there would be a break in the tree line and we could peer over the edge of the mountain to get our bearings and see the vistas before us. After each look, we returned to the hiking and resumed our downward path. This was repeated many, many times because we didn’t want to “miss anything!”

Then, without any inkling of what we were about to see next, we looked out from between the trees and saw Half Dome (see photo above) in all its glory. I had no idea it would be that visible or that clear of impediments.

Half Dome was bathed in the sun, the valley spread out beneath it and the surrounding cliffs provided the frame. Isn’t that a magnificent site?

 
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 154 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 5:13:22 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/500 sec @ f/7
Focal Length: 4.3mm
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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 153 (Four Mile Trail 3/5 – Penstemon Wildflower)

Jeff

Pink Penstemon along the Four Mile Trail

Mountain Pride clings to the rock face along the Four Mile Trail

How amazing are wildflowers? All they need is a small foothold and they create a home between the spaces in the rocks. The pink penstemon featured above is Mountain Pride (Penstemon newberryi) and was prevalent along quite a few of the trails.

Against the gray rocks and the dark shade background, the penstemon created quite a flare as it was highlighted by the sun’s setting rays. It was difficult to show restraint by keeping my camera at bay.

You can read more about Penstemon newberryi at iNaturalist.org

 
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 153 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 5:07:49 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/30 sec @ f/5
Focal Length: 45mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 152 (Four Mile Trail 2/5 – El Capitan)

Jeff

El Capitan as seen from the Four Mile Trail

El Capitan viewed from the Four Mile Trail in late afternoon

As we started down the Four Mile Trail, we couldn’t help but stop every few feet. This was especially true at the very beginning of the hike as there were many gaps between the trees which allowed us to “pull back the curtain” a bit and see the magnificent views. We were high, but in spite of that, the key players loomed large.

We were hiking into the sun so much of the detail is not presented in the picture of El Capitan, but the overall vista is portrayed well. Given another crack at this, I would take an early morning hike to try to catch the sun bathing El Cap, but as you will soon see, this would leave Half Dome in the shade.

As a matter of reference, Tunnel View is somewhere out there past the break in the mountains beyond El Capitan.

 
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 152 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 4:45:46 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 151 (Four Mile Trail 1/5 – Yosemite Falls)

Jeff

NOTE – This is the first photograph in a series of five that will be presented over the following days to give readers a sense of what it was like to hike the four Mile Trail. Previous Year of Yosemite photographs and descriptions were mostly individual presentations without providing a narrative to portray the essence of the hike.

Yosemite Falls from GP

Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point just before we begin our hike

After spending some time at Glacier Point, we moved toward the Four Mile Trail trailhead. On the way, I stopped for one last picture of Yosemite Falls. We were far away, but the falls were so overwhelming that they made their presence felt.

We read about the Four Mile Trail and we were excited to begin our adventure. No matter how much one reads about certain trails, being there can still take your breath away. While we “heard” that Half Dome and El Cap could be seen from the trail, the reality of how much, how close and how amazing the views would be could not be anticipated.

Even though the Four Mile Trail from Glacier Point is downhill, there are numerous switchbacks and the footing can be slow in places so be prepared.

 
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 151 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 4:33:37 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 48mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 150 (Yosemite – Mountain Range)

Jeff

A multitude of mountain tops seen from Glacier Point

This is another view from Glacier Point – a multitude of mountain tops
See Duplicate Without Numbers Below

 

A multitude of mountain tops seen from Glacier Point

In yesterday’s post (click HERE) we talked about Liberty Cap Mountain, which would be just out of the frame to the left of this photograph. Vernal Fall is still being used as an anchor in the bottom left of the photograph, the peak with the reference #1 (top photo), reaching into a cloud is Mount Clark. That tall peak all the way to the right under reference #2 is Mount Starr King

The view was breathtaking and confusing as it was difficult to grasp all the individual mountains one could view at a single glance. Well, actually I don’t think anyone could just glance at the sight. It would be more like a stare! There is probably a book somewhere that includes the history explaining how each mountain received its name. Some are obvious, but others are less so.

 
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 150 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0169.NEF
Capture time: 2:59:12 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/13
Focal Length: 34mm
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Nikon D3300

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 147 (Lest We Forget-Homage to Stephen Mather)

Jeff

Homage to the Founders of the National Park System

We honor those who laid the groundwork for our National Park System

As we hiked the various paths and trails of the park, we entered the Happy Isles section on an overcast day. We enjoyed the more tranquil walks in this area which also bordered the Merced River. Along the way, we came across this memorial to Stephen T. Mather who has been credited for laying the groundwork for our National Park System.

The inscription may be hard to read, but it says:

“He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved, unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good he has done . . .”

We need to honor those people who saw America’s need for these valuable resources, put politics aside and acted as statesmen.

 
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 147 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 12:53:30 PM
Capture date: June 10, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/16
Focal Length: 25mm
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Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 146 (Rustic Touches – Majestic Yosemite Hotel)

Jeff

The former Ahwahnee, now the Majestic Yosemite Hotel,has Rustic Touches

There were many “rustic touches” in and around the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, formerly the Ahwahnee

If you visit Yosemite, even if you do not stay at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, it is a stop you should plan to make. There are so many beautiful areas you can visit. We had planned to have a glass of wine in the lounge/bar area, but it was under renovation during the time we visited. The rear meadow with woods and the river provide a delightful area for a stroll and to take some photographs

The picture above is my attempt to capture the rustic nature of the building. The lights, wood and stones look so very old. If you look closely, you can see some hardware to the left of the lamp housing. If the building was constructed today, I believe these mechanisms would be internal.

Processing the Photograph – To add to the rustic look, I used Lightroom to apply significant contrast and some detail enhancement to bring out the lines and colors.


This (above) is the original photograph prior to applying the filters in Lightroom



Which of the two pictures do you like better?

 
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 146 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0162.NEF
Capture time: 10:09:21 AM/PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 55mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300

 

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 145 (Half Dome Old vs New)

Jeff

Half Dome Old Look

Half Dome was given an old fashioned look for this post

As most photography buffs and National Park aficionados will note, Ansel Adams chronicled the major sites of Yosemite National Park. His technique of spending hours in the darkroom is legendary. He was an expert craftsman.

I am not comparing myself to Ansel Adams or any other accomplished photographer, but from this post forward and from time-to-time, I thought I would put a different spin on some of the Yosemite scenes. There will, of course, be some that may be similar to those I have shared in prior posts.

This will provide a different perspective and style to the pictures captured. I hope JBRish readers will enjoy them. The picture above has had a number of filters applied via Lightroom to give Half Dome that old fashioned appearance.

For the sake of interest, I will also post the original picture at the end of the descriptions for comparison purposes and to validate the Meta Data provided.


Half Dome Old Look

This (above) is the original photograph prior to applying the filters in Lightroom



Which of the two pictures do you like better?

 
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 145 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 3:39:40 AM/PM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
Exposure: 1/1250 sec @ f/7
Focal Length: 10mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot A590 IS

 

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 144 (Hetch Hetchy Perspective Change)

Jeff

Hetch Hetchy House Closser

A closer view of the house-like building on the cliff at Hetch Hetchy

Yesterday’s post showed a picture of a building we spotted on the way back from the Wapama Falls hike. We hadn’t noticed the building on the way in, but as I noted in the previous post, the views are often quite different when hiking in the opposite direction, i.e. returning along the same path.

To add to this, I changed the perspective a bit by zooming in with my bridge camera. After all, if you have a large zoom, why not use it? Here the house is more of the main subject and not just an object of interest. You can decide which picture better portrays the scene, but I think they both have merit for different reasons.

I guess the point I am trying to convey is…try more than one perspective if you have that ability. I didn’t have a true wide angle lens, but that might have given a different impression/view as well. In the era of digital photography, the cost of “trying” something different is really minimal so give it a try!

 
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 144 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: _0441.CR2
Capture time: 3:18:52 PM
Capture date: June 11, 2016
Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 68mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 143 (Hetch Hetchy Surprise)

Jeff

House at Hetch Hetchy

A House-like Building at Hetch Hetchy

I was taught that when taking photographs, always look all around. Occasionally there is a great scene waiting to be captured, but it is behind the photographer.

That can also be somewhat true of hiking. When returning along the same trail, if it is not a loop, the scenes usually look different. It may be the lighting or the way the branches of a particular tree align with the background, but there is something along the twice trodden path that makes it different when viewed in the opposite direction.

We were leaving Hetch Hetchy as the sky was threatening and on the way out, across the lake, I noticed the scene above. There was something there I hadn’t noticed prior to the return trip. A house was beautifully positioned at the edge of the cliff; a lakefront view. It is nestled so nicely among the ledge and the trees that it blends well with the surroundings. (right-hand side about 1/5 of the way left of the margin)

I wouldn’t mind spending some time in there, but then again, who would?

 
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 143 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0440.CR2
Capture time: 3:18:42 AM/PM
Capture date: June 11, 2016
Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 31mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS