Yosemite has become famous for what's called the firefall effect. In mid to late February the setting sun's last rays of light turn red and shine on the eastern flank of El Capitan right on a spot where an ephemeral waterfall is flowing, provided there's enough runoff from its small 40-acre watershed. Of course, the effect also requires a clear horizon in the West.
This image, taken on February 16, 2019, shows the spot on El Capitan where the setting sun's reddening light shines during this time of year. Although the Horsetail Falls' watershed had lots of snow in it, the weather had been cold enough that not a lot of it was melting off and flowing into the waterfall. Some water was flowing in the fall, but there were also some spots where snow and ice was stuck on this cliff and would occasionally break off and avalanche. In the vertical stripe of red above, the separate dash of red on the right near the bottom is actually an avalanche catching the setting sun's burning light.
We didn't catch this image with our still cameras. This is actually a still frame from the video we shot of the firefall. We didn't see this avalanche when it happened, but we saw it on our video clips after we left. From our spot on the south side of the Merced River, we could hear an occasional avalanche, but by the time we heard them, they were done with, since the sound took so long to reach us.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
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