Not what I was expecting...
I generally avoid Yosemite Valley in the summertime, and I try to avoid Saturdays especially, but I was a glutton for punishment; we hadn't been to the valley since last spring and were kind of curious about how it would be. We expected crowds and dryness and dust.
That's not what we found. In September, the meadows are often brown and the waterfalls dry. Instead, Bridalveil Meadow was green and filled with wildflowers, and Bridalveil Fall, while not roaring by any means, was flowing nicely. The wind occasionally picked up and blew the water in odd directions.
Even Yosemite Falls had a trickle. I don't know if it was left over from the spring, or if it was from the recent thunderstorms, but it was nice to see.
Half Dome is spectacular, no matter the time of year. The afternoon cumulus cloud buildup provided a nice backdrop.
Sentinel Rock is another towering cliff that is an incredible sight no matter the season. It's one of those rocks on the "wrong" side of the valley that is not noticed as often because it is opposite of Yosemite Falls. If it were anywhere else on the planet besides Yosemite, it would be a national landmark all on its own.
A late afternoon treat is the Valley View at the west end of Bridalveil Meadow. There's a small pullout, but it is often ignored by people rushing home from their day in the valley. We found a spot despite the traffic, and simply sat for awhile.
The wonderful thing about late summer is that the low water on the Merced River is often calm and provides a wonderful reflective surface. It was gorgeous and serene.
And that's the way it was...
It didn't take long for Eric and most of the others to figure out the location of Sunday's Snapshot. It is indeed at Yosemite (and come on, regular readers, is that any surprise?), taken on a late January afternoon in 2007 at the Gateway View, a spot that sometimes gets short shrift by Yosemite visitors (but not the photographers). It is a small parking lot at the west end of the valley that most people pass while on their way out of the valley, tired, running late, and all "sceneried" out.
The Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Fall dominate the view on the right, while El Capitan looms over the left. The 'Gateway' refers to the narrow constriction of the valley formed by the cliffs of El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks. Both cliffs are primarily composed of El Capitan granite, which is relatively unjointed and therefore was resistant to plucking and quarrying by glaciers.
It was plenty cold and a mist was rising on Bridalveil Meadow.
El Capitan dominates the west end of the valley with a 3,000 foot sheer cliff. You wouldn't have the calm water if you visited Yosemite Valley this week...it was a cool month during May and the snowpack was melting slowly until a series of hot days this last week. The Merced River is flowing at close to 7,000 cubic feet per second, a bit above flood stage (normal for early June is around 2,000 cfs). Check out the Yosemite Nature Notes Blog for some up to the moment reports on the status of the rivers and runoff.
