YOSEMITE....

I've always been a fan of Ansel Adams, and vowed to visit Yosemite, and after forty or so years, the time has come! Although Ansel was hired by the Parks Service to take photos of all of the "western" national parks, he is probably most remembered for those fabulous images taken at Yosemite. Quite interestingly, many of the views that he documented are no longer available. Over the years, fire suppression and the removal of a natural dam that flooded the river meadow has allowed many huge conifers to grow thoughout the valley. Not only does this block the best views of those famous peaks, but the elimination of the large meadow "mirror pool" leaves todays photographers with only a small version of the past.

Nonetheless, the visit was an enjoyable one, and we learned many interesting things about Ansel and the history of the Park.

The only campground that was open for "large RV's" (yes, we are now one of those!) was Wawona, just a short drive past the old Park hotel bearing the same name. We arrived late in the day to find the place virtually deserted, leaving the prime spot next to the Merced River available! Just how nice a site this was was evident early the next morning, as I hiked along the large boulders lining the picturesque River.


The drive to the Valley from Wawona is quite long, almost 20 miles, steep in places and very curvey. So, for those of you visiting and staying at the Wawona, plan a full day on each drive in. A picnic lunch would be a good idea, although the $6 sandwiches at the cafe were excellent and enough for two. For those of you that prefer to stay in the Valley, the Lodge is a good choice, or if you care to spend $500-$1000 a night, the historical Ahwahnee is it!

We stopped at Tunnel View numerous times over the three days, but the light & conditions never favored a pix, so our first real glimpse of the falls were not until we reached the valley. Fortunately for us, the Park had a heavy, early snow with the ensuing melt timed perfectly for our visit, providing an unusually high flow for this time of year.

And while you're driving in, you can get a rather classic view of El Capitan.....

Our second day was highlighted by the short hike up to Mirror Lake. Again, the early snow helped us, filling the small pools with just enough runoff to get a fwe of those "reflection" shots that the Park is known for!


On the late evening return hike, we shared a small bridge crossing with this nice buck, who passed within five feet of us without ever so much as slowing down or glancing up....

While you're there, you shpould definitely spend some time in the Ansel Adams Museum, next to the Valley Visitor's Center. And be sure to sign up for their free 2-hour morning photography walk. Even if you don't take a camera, the views and history of the Park are well worth the stroll. Along with your camera, you'll want to be sure to bring a tripod, and a ballhead if you have one.


The light thoughout the Meadow is very low both in the mornings & evenings, calling for long exposures, evident in another couple of reflection shots of Yosemite Falls, taken alongside the crystal clear Merced.



As the morning light brightened, we shifted our attention to the Meadow. While most of our group gave their attention to the towering peaks.....

I decided that the fall colors and textures made equally rich subjects....






Chris, the photo walk leader, also coached us on where to be for those sunset pictures that the Park is so famous for.... especially those of Half Dome and Valley overlooks driving back to Wawona....