One of the many wildflowers at Yosemite during the spring
The Clarkia is particularly attractive with its multi-color petals. This variety is very showy because of the dark purple claret cup shape on each of the pink petals and the white bottom border. It is truly a beauty. The Owl’s Clover can be seen at the center left completing the pink theme. The photo was taken along the Wapama Falls Trail, Hetch Hetchy.
NOTE – Similar pictures have been labeled as Clarkia williamsonii, but I could not definitively identify this specific variety as such. Any clarification would be appreciated and this post would then be modified if appropriate.
You can read more about the Clarkia family of wildflowers at the link below:
Yosemite Falls can be seen from many points along the Valley Loop Trail
As the other iconic sites at the park, Yosemite Falls looms over a large area and can be seen from many places. Part of the fun and excitement of hiking in Yosemite is to see how different these beautiful natural wonders look at different distances and from different angles.
Seen from the Valley, the falls have a large, almost intimidating persona. When viewed from Glacier Point, which is quite a distance away and much higher, it looks totally different, but still impressive in comparison to the other falls seen from the outlook.
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.
Yosemite Falls proved to be the loudest and perhaps most powerful of all the waterfalls we saw
If you are fortunate enough to visit Yosemite when the waterfalls are flowing well, Yosemite Falls will astound you! The sound alone is enough to foretell the power of this cascade. Note the narrow stream of plunging water at the top of the falls as it widens into a curtain of power expanding outward as it travels down the rock face of the mountain.
Our lodging was just a short walk from this waterfall and we could hear the low rumble throughout the night. It was calming. Each day as we walked to the food court for breakfast and/or dinner, we would pass the waterfall and I think I stopped to look at every time. It was captivating. Our pass by Yosemite Falls this time however, was when we were on the Valley Loop Trail!
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.
This is one area of the Merced River that was calm after all the rains and ice melt
The Valley Loop Trail skirts the Swinging Bridge Picnic Area where the picture above was snapped. There had been people floating by on inner tubes and rafts while others took the opportunity to go kayaking.
In the distance two people have left their boat and are walking along the far edge of the sandbar. Picnickers and hikers alike were enjoying this calm section of the Merced River of Yosemite National Park.
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.
El Capitan viewed from a filed near Bridalveil Fall
Thus far, I may have portrayed hiking in Yosemite as nearly ideal and this is not really my intent. Yosemite (and all of the National Parks I have visited) are beautiful places with special qualities. They each have their own “personality” if that word can be used in this context. Arches is unlike most of the others and remains near the top of my favorites list. Zion is so vast and varied; truly a marvel. I could go on and on, but I think I have made the point.
We must keep in mind that whenever and wherever we have crowds of people, there will be the less glamorous side of the experience and our National Parks are not immune. Someone has to take care of the trash, the porta-potties, etc. and this is not always done to our personal preferences. We must remember that it is not possible or desirable to have a flush toilet on the top of Half Dome. There are some decent bathrooms, when considering park standards, at Glacier Point and other out-of-the-way locales.
As we hiked through the many trails at Yosemite, we would come across certain areas that were less than scenic or may have had some recent litter. The parks need to rely on everyone to carry their trash out and most comply. There are always exceptions.
Not every inch of the park can be groomed. It is a natural environment so there are going to be fallen trees, rocks and boulders in places that become inconvenient and trails that may be a bit circuitous. We need to keep in mind that this is nature. Natural environments are not necessarily the most comfortable for humans.
The picture above is a field across from Bridalveil Fall which sits directly opposite of El Capitan. El Cap looms so large that it often looks closer than it is. This field was a wild place with fallen trees and large rocks that can be seen in the foreground. It is perhaps a bit unsightly, but El Capitan still manages to provide an umbrella of grandeur over the area.
We always need to remind ourselves that this is not a man-made amusement park. It is a place of nature with all the attributes that encompasses.
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.
Jeff pauses to have his picture taking while hiking along the Wapama Falls Trail
I was very impressed to come across such large ferns as we hiked the Wapama Falls Trail at Hetch Hetchy. I am nearly six feet tall so we could surmise that the ferns were more than four feet high. They were lush and full. The wet spring and probably accounts for some of the height.
BTW, this is my usual get-up for hiking and photography. My two cameras basically at the ready with my JPEG-only camera tucked into one of the side pockets of the belly pack. There is a variety of supplies inside the belly pack. If you are interested, you can read more about it in my previous post:
A scene along the Wapama Falls Trail – Hetch Hetchy
When we plan to hike, we plan to hike. Unless there is a deluge or lighting or hail, etc., we hike. We spent a week hiking in the Grand Tetons where it rained on us at some point every day for a week. The best weather day was the day we left for home. Only one day was a complete wash out because we thought it would not be safe to hike in a solid downpour. We took that opportunity to refresh ourselves. The highlight for us that day was a visit to the local Dairy Queen where they were replaying the movie Shane in a continuous loop.
The day we left Yosemite Valley for Hetch Hetchy, the weather was partly sunny. We understood that the forecast, which we always check, was calling for cloudy weather with the possibility of rain. We always carry a poncho or some sort of rain gear so let it rain! Shortly after we arrived at the Wapama Falls Trail, the clouds started to roll in.
Clouds can be helpful to the hiking photographer because it tends to difuse the light and it can provide a dramatic sky. The picture above is a simple JPEG taken with my oldest camera with the least resolution, but I like it anyway. That simple little camera does and adequate job of recording the scene. I favor the golden tones against the dreariness of the overall vista.
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 135 YOY – Year of Yosemite
File Name: 3594.JPG
Capture time: 2:49:56 PM
Capture date: June 11, 2016
Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/4
Focal Length: 5.8mm
ISO 80
Canon PowerShot A590 IS
“Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.” – Theodore Roethke
This quote in particular speaks to some of the sentiments I have shared over the past week or so when I spoke of my exhilaration when discovering nature’s miracles large and small. Roethke sums it up quite well in his quote.
**NOTE** – I will provide the Metadata for the picture below, but it isn’t as applicable as it might have been because the photograph was converted to black and white via Lightroom. It was originally captured as a color image.
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 134 YOY – Year of Yosemite
File Name: 0373.CR2
Capture time: 10:05:19 AM
Capture date: June 9, 2016
Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/8
Focal Length: 42mm
ISO 125
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
The sun begins to set and the light on Half Dome turns golden
The last several posts were focused around Lembert Dome, but today’s post is of Yosemite’s most famous feature, Half Dome. We were fortunate to be in residence within walking distance of this field and I was drawn to it on a number of occasions.
Recent rains left a bevy of puddles in the low lying areas, to the delight of photographers seeking to capture reflections of the iconic rock as it loomed over the meadow. It is hard to get tired of this view!
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 133 YOY – Year of Yosemite
File Name: 0284.NEF
Capture time: 7:09:24 AM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/8
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO 320
Nikon D3300
On top of Lembert’s Dome, hikers were resting and having a snack
This picture is a screen shot from part of a panorama. Of course I could have just singled out the one photo with the couple in the middle, but I had the pano handy. Because this is a section of a panorama, some of the people might have slight distortions.
**NOTE** when merging a number of photos into a panorama, items that are moving (i.e. people) have a tendency to be distorted.
It was absolutely breathtaking to stand on Lembert Dome and to slowly move in 360 degrees and view the total magnificence of the surrounding mountains. The sky was beautifully blue and clear with a few puffy clouds.
The feeling was exhilarating; trust me!
If you want to see the entire pano from a larger file click on the link below. Kindly keep in mind that as a courtesy, I have altered the faces of those who might be recognizable.
** Because this is part of a panorama, I have provided the Metadata for the one picture that makes up the central part of the image. The other images would have similar specs.
