Monday, April 15, 2013

Half Dome and Clouds Rest in a winter alpenglow light from Washburn Point, Yosemite



We've traveled the Glacier Point Road during its winter closure more than 20 times on cross-country skis, sometimes even snow camping near a source of water along the way. The distance from Badger Pass ski area to Glacier Point is about 10.5 miles. We've done the whole 21 miles out and back several times, including the occasion when we got this shot of Half Dome as the sun was setting.

We spent some time in the valley before heading up to Badger Pass, so the skiing portion of our trip started a bit later than it should have. Bob doesn't get to Yosemite as often as Rick does, so on this trip, he insisted on skiing all the way to Glacier Point, even if it meant skiing out in the dark. During moonlit nights, the trip isn't that bad, since you're skiing along a road and the snow makes the moonlight much brighter. We reached Glacier Point while there was still daylight. On the way back, we were passing Washburn Point and were struck by the overarching pink glow of the sky by the low sun. During the summer, you can park at Washburn Point and get a view of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and part of Tenaya Canyon and Yosemite Valley. For this image, we used the trees to frame Half Dome and Clouds Rest.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

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