Yosemite
All of our recent trips to Yosemite have been snow trips in February, so we have been staying on Highway 99 to Merced and then taking the easier route into Yosemite from the West. Today, we took the more scenic route north out of Fresno and through Coarsegold and Oakdale. There was lots of traffic, but everyone was going the same speed, and we made good time until we were about 2.5 miles from the entrance. Then, it took is 1.5 hours to drive the final 2.5 miles. Even with 3 entrance lanes open, the cars were backed up all the way back down the mountain. People were getting out of their cars and walking along the highway to break the boredom and see what the delay was. They walked all the way up to the entrance station and then back to their cars to share the news with those still in line.
Once, we got into the park, it was an easy drive down into Yosemite Valley where we were greeted with a huge renovation project around Bridal Veil Falls and a new traffic pattern with barriers to separate lanes that had changed directions. Even the entrance into Yosemite Lodge had changed. We had to hang around for a couple of hours before our room was ready, but there was lots of shade and temperatures were pretty comfortable. It only took us 20 trips to get all our gear and food into the room. Luckily, we had a parking place close to Elderberry, and it was a short haul.
After lunch and our afternoon siesta, we grabbed our camera gear to check out the lighting in the Valley during the late afternoon and evening. One thing was painfully obvious, the water levels in the Valley were at an all-time low for this time of year. The river had a small fraction of the normal flow, and the waterfalls were pathetic. Our first stop was Valley View to shoot Bridalveil Falls and the reflections in the river. We met a serious photogapher who had been sleeping in his hammock next to the river. He is into astronomical photography. He shared with us some of his latest adventures and showed us some of his amazing images. He was originally from Guatamala and now lives in Mammoth. He is extremely talented.
Tunnel View and the Night Sky
Our second stop was Tunnel View--probably the most iconic location in Yosemite. The good light was gone by the time we got there, but it was a beautiful night so we just hung out and talked to other tourists. There were probably 75 people sitting along the front wall looking down into Yosemite Valley. When the sun dropped below the ridge behind us and the Valley wasn't lit any longer, people started leaving. The half moon shining from behind us provided some lighting on the granite walls, but the lighting was much more subtle. After about an hour, we noticed the same guy we had seen at Valley View. I walked over and asked him what he was going to photograph. He explained that the Milky Way was going to arch across the sky in front of us, and he was watching for the stars that would provide clues about how much longer he had to wait. He wanted the moon behind us to continue to light the Valley and walls, but for the sky to darken more to bring out the stars. Carol joined us, and we enjoyed the gorgeous evening for a couple of hours while we waited. About 9:00, we started seeing the flashlights of the climbers on El Capitan and by 10:00 the sky was a sea of stars. We photographed until about midnight when the moon dropped behind the ridge and the Valley was no longer lit by the moonlight. We were looking at only the tail end of the Milky Way, so it wasn't as distinct as we had hoped. If it wasn't for the guy we met at Valley View, we probably would have missed shooting the Milky Way. By the time we got back to the room and downloaded all of our images, it was nearly 2:00 a.m., but it was a good first day.
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