Upper end of Yosemite Valley from the Four Mile Trail, July 22, 2020

 

Here's a photo taken in Yosemite National Park showing Tenaya Canyon to the left and the Merced River Canyon to the right with Half Dome in the center. On the right, you can see Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. Rick took this photo from the Four Mile Trail during what he calls his "Overnight Day Trip." He was able to get to Yosemite from Fresno by taking the YARTS bus. He didn't have the chance to get a day-use permit or an overnight permit, but you can still get into Yosemite if you arrive on the YARTS bus. The Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point is actually about 4 and a half miles long. The view opens up to the east after 3 to 4 miles up what is a relentlessly uphill climb. This was Rick's first time on this trail despite all the times he's been to Yosemite over the years (more than 180 visits). He expects to hike this trail again soon. He accidentally got his shadow in the picture at the lower right. It was after 6 pm and the sun was getting low enough in the sky to make that happen.

This image is the result of two images being merged together. Each image was taken with a Motorola z4 smartphone, merged, and then processed for brightness and contrast in Digikam on a Linux computer. 

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

National Trails Day, June 3, 2017

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

Vernal Falls in Yosemite with a double rainbow

Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park with a double rainbow in the mist.  This was in early June with California in its fourth year of drought, but fortunately there was enough water flow to create the mist that causes the rainbows to appear.  This view is from the aptly-named Mist Trail. While I positioned myself to get the photos of the double rainbow, Rick stepped farther back on the trail and got a photo with the rainbow beside me.

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

Vernal Falls and rainbow

A view of an imposing granite wall that the Merced River tumbles over to form Vernal Falls.  A rainbow crosses in front of the waterfall, nearly every afternoon since this wall faces west.  This view is from the Mist Trail, a popular hike for visitors to Yosemite Valley.  Hikers on this trail often wear ponchos or other rain gear to keep from getting thoroughly soaked by the mist, especially in the spring and early summer.  It always amazes us how trees can seem to cling and grow in seemingly hostile places. Just down from the brink, you can see a conifer growing on a ledge, just above the upper end of the rainbow.

The trail eventually reaches the top of the falls via stone steps with railings. The railing extends from the trail to the brink of the falls and slightly upstream along the Merced River.  It's important to keep behind the railing.  Some people who have chosen not to have been swept over the edge to their death.  Although we refer to Yosemite as a park, it is still a wild place with inherent dangers that need to be respected.

Remember, it's not just a photo, it's a story!