Year of Yosemite

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 17 – (Hetch Hetchy)

Jeff

Yosemite NP - Hetch Hetchy Valley

The main Hetch Hetchy Valley view seen from the Wapama Falls Trail


Yesterday I showed a picture of the beautiful white Triteleia hyacinthina flower head we saw as we hiked at Hetch Hetchy. Today I thought I would post a photograph of one of the main views of the area.

Hetch Hetchy Valley is a beautiful and often overlooked part of Yosemite. On this day we had overcast conditions, but the scenery was still dramatic and beautiful. While it functions as a reservoir, the trails and waterfalls provide plenty to see for those who like to explore nature and/or hike.

The National Park Service has a one page Hetch Hetchy pamphlet from which I have excerpted the paragraph below. You can find out more by clicking the link above.

Hidden in Yosemite National Park’s peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. In spring, two of North America’s tallest waterfalls plummet spectacularly over thousand-foot granite cliffs. The dramatic cliffs surrounding these waterfalls add to the grandeur that John Muir compared to the more well known Yosemite Valley. In 1870, Muir called Hetch Hetchy Valley “a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite.” In the early spring through late fall, visitors have easy access to a vast wilderness filled with high-country lakes, streams, and wildlife. A rare snowy winter day gives adventuresome visitors a chance to explore on skis or snowshoes.

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 17 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 0456.NEF
Capture time: 11:59:30 AM
Capture date: June 11, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/22
Focal Length: 22mm
ISO 140
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 16

Jeff

Beautiful White Wildflower

White wildflower (Triteleia hyacinthina) photographed along the trail at Hetch Hechy

On Saturday we anticipated that Yosemite Valley would be more crowded so we headed north to Hetch Hetchy to hike the Wapama Falls Trail. Hetch Hetchy is a man-made dam created by flooding one of Yosemite’s other pretty valleys. This was a controversial move at the time. You can read The Drowning of Hetch Hetchy—and What Was Lost to find out more (scroll down on the page).

Nevertheless, there was an abundance of wildflowers along the trail on this day and this white beauty flowering against a darkened puddle made for a very pretty shot.

Wikipedia Information about the flower:

Triteleia hyacinthina is a species of flowering plant known by the common names white brodiaea, white tripletlily, hyacinth brodiaea, and fool’s onion.

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 16 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: IMG_0431.CR2
Capture time: 12:23:13 PM
Capture date: June 11, 2016
Exposure: 1/160 sec @ f6.5
Focal Length: 215mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 15

Jeff

stone structure

Stone structures provide an “earthy” feel to Yosemite

Yosemite has many stone structures because stone was abundant at the time the park was being developed. The design of the stone structure above stood out as unique. Do you want to venture a guess regarding its purpose? I will give you a hint…it was near the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee). [ The answer will be given in a later post ]

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 15 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: DSC_0131.NEF
Capture time: 8:38:28 AM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
Exposure: 1/15 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 40mm
ISO 800
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 14

Jeff

Half Dome under the setting sun

“Half Dome Cast with the Setting Sun”

As I indicated in the introduction, you will see numerous photographs of Half Dome and El Capitan. These two iconic features of Yosemite call to visitors from many different venues and beckon to take their picture. This photo was snapped after a day of hiking as we were returning to our lodging to relax a bit before dinner.

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 14 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: IMG_0346.CR2
Capture time: 7:11:32 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/160 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 11mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 13

Jeff

Vernal and Nevada Falls

“Vernal Falls (lower) and Nevada Falls of Yosemite as seen from Glacier Point”

Below is a closer view of the same picture cropped to show the falls more clearly

Vernal and Nevada Falls

Yosemite has domes, mountains and rock formations of alls shapes and sizes, but to add to its character, it has an abundance of waterfalls. The above view from Glacier point taken near Washburn Point show the lower Vernal Falls and the upper Nevada Falls. They were flowing with vigor during the time we were there!

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 13 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: IMG_0283.CR2
Capture time: 3:03:45 PM
Capture date: June 6, 2016
Exposure: 1/400 sec @ f/6.3
Focal Length: 6mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 12

Jeff

Rock spires near Cathedral Rock

There were numerous spires to be viewed near Cathedral Rock

There are so many rock formations at Yosemite and they all seem to have names. While we couldn’t single out all of them, the spires (as they are known) certainly add a beauty of their own. This shot of the spires just past the tree line with the gold and green meadow in front was captivating.

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 12 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: 00326.NEF
Capture time: 2:06:41 PM
Capture date: June 8, 2016
Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/18
Focal Length: 34mm
ISO 200
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 11

Jeff

Hang Glider over Cliff

“As we were approaching Mirror Lake, we saw this hang glider.”

It was interesting to note how relatively “open” Yosemite is to a variety of sports such as hang gliding. I didn’t expect to see anything like this in such an iconic location.

 
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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 11 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: IMG_0268.CR2
Capture time: 8:14:50 AM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 82mm
ISO 80
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 10

Jeff

Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center

Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center formerly known as the The LeConte Memorial Lodge

The LeConte Memorial Lodge was built by the Sierra Club in 1903 in memory of Joseph LeConte, one of the founding members of the Sierra Club. The US$4,500 cost to build the Lodge was contributed by students, alumni and faculty from the University of California and Stanford University, San Francisco businesses, and friends and relatives of LeConte. The Sierra Club levied a $1.00 assessment on each of its members to help raise the funds.

The Lodge was constructed at the base of Glacier Point in Curry Village and was dedicated on July 3, 1904. In 1919, the lodge was moved west in the Yosemite Valley to its current location across from Housekeeping Camp. For four years from 1920, Ansel Adams served as the lodge’s summer custodian.

EXCERPTED FROM WIKIPEDIA

 

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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 10 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: DSC_0422.NEF
Capture time: 2:52:22 PM
Capture date: June 10, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/16
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 500
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 9

Jeff

Tenaya Lake

“Just off of State Route 120, Tenaya Lake creates postcard pictures from many Yosemite vantage points.”

Tanaya Lake was named after a Native American Indian chief who was later forced to flee the area. Unlike this episode in history, the lake often appears very serene and peaceful. This is perhaps one of the most scenic of the lakes in Yosemite!

 

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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 9 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: DSC_0210.NEF
Capture time: 10:15:37 AM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/4000 sec @ f/3.5
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 220
Nikon D3300

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 8

Jeff

El Capitan as seen from the western side

“El Capitan is another of Yosemite’s iconic features. Not only for lovers of beautiful scenery, but for mountaineers as well.”

Yosemite’s El Capitan, Captain, is a 3,000 foot high and 1.5 mile wide wall of granite and it is one of the most coveted walls for rock climbers.

 

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.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 8 YOY – Year of Yosemite

File Name: DSC_0255.NEF
Capture time: 6:24:16 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/40 sec @ f/16
Focal Length: 34mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300