Yosemite: a landscape photographer's paradise made famous by Ansel Adams. The views are ...well... there aren't enough adjectives to describe them. All I know is I had fun. Like no other place I've been, the time of day, weather conditions, and the light can make the mood and the color of the scene completely different. Weather also resulted in something largely missing from our time in Yosemite, and that was waterfalls. This summer Yosemite had only one rain event of over one hour in duration from June through mid-October (after which they had sufficient rainfall to put water back in Yosemite Falls--we missed it by two days). The long California drought is also causing other notable changes in the park and surrounding areas. Pines trees are dying at an alarming rate. We were amazed at the number of dead trees in Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite National Park is the third oldest national park in the U.S. (Yellowstone and Sequoia are older). It is most well known and recognized by the glacially-carved valley and soaring granite cliffs like El Capitan and Half Dome. The high Sierra and Sequoia groves are two other examples of Yosemite's grandeur. One could spend weeks hiking its hundreds of miles of trails. Each of the four seasons bring something different to make the park spectacular. I can't wait to go back.
Tunnel View: Early Afternoon
Tunnel View: Early Morning Fog in the Valley
Three Brothers Reflected in the Merced River
Valley View Under Clear Skies
Valley View Reflection
Bridalveil Falls: A Wisp of Water in the Wind
Half Dome from Cook's Meadow
Late Afternoon Half Dome
Half Dome Sunset and Moonrise
Half Dome from Glacier Point
Half Dome Sunset from Olmsted Point
El Capitan Reflected in the Merced River
Cathedral Rocks
Waving from Taft Point
Granite Tree
Autumn Drive
Colorful Curve
Aspens
Tenaya Lake
Lembert Dome and the Tuolumne River
Tunnel View by "Dansel Adams"