Yosemite.

I was given the opportunity for a weekend at Yosemite. My GPS took me a different way in, that lead me up the river instead of over the mountains. It was also half an hour longer. The wierd thing was that it then took me home across the mountains ... Go figure.

The river was actually very scenic and the morning was great.


It also meant the I went into the park through a different entrance. A very different entrance.


The river here was a bit calmer and very green.


I was soon back in familiar territory. Anyone recognise this rock ?


This tree was looking more forlorn and cold.


One more winter comparision.


The snow looked like it was water lapping around the fallen leaves.


There was a lot more water coming over the Upper Yosemite Falls and there was snow at the bottom.


I finally made it to Camp Curry and checked in. This is the tent. Note the large heater on the back right wall.


This is the entrance to the tent complete with bear locker, although it looked too small to fit a bear in, and it was bare.


The cloud had closed in by this stage and it was bright overcast, not ideal for photos. I walked the Lower Yosemite Falls trail which was an easy 1.6 km wheelchair accessible trail. The high point was the bridge over the river, looking downstream was this.


And upstream was the Lower Yosemite Falls.


I scrambled around the rocks to the right and got reasonably close to the base of the falls, not as close as some though.


I was trying to get a shot where you could see both falls, but I was up against the fence next to the bridge and I couldn't quite make it. The upper falls come through the vee in the top right.


I set off back down the track to the car and found an amazing rock covered in thick moss.


There was a great 3D map of the tracks around the falls and I decide to attempt the track to the upper falls the next day. The track I was just on, is the circular one to the left of the sign on the map.


I got a much better shot of both waterfalls nearer to the road. you'd almost think the trees had been felled in line with the falls ...


I saw a note about frazil ice on one of the signs and looked it up as I had heard the term before. There's a Youtube video here that explains what it is. Looks like I'll be going back in March or April to try and see some.


I kept exploring and found a very cool flooded meadow.


The trees and their reflections were even better.


I turned around and realised that I was in front of El Capitan. I couldn't see any climbers though.


There was a thin trickle of water down El Capitan, which I worked out was Horsetail Falls and that the trees and their reflection were in El Capitan meadow.


After eating a late lunch, I found a great place to shoot the sunset, but that's for tomorrow ... ;)