Yosemite Views and Vistas

Since my last blog entry (March 9, 2018) was about the General Store in Fish Camp, just outside the south border to Yosemite National Park on CA Rt 41, this entry is on famous views and vistas within Yosemite valley. Two of the most famous are at the west end of the valley. The first is "Tunnel View", an elevated perspective looking east from the parking area just after exiting the tunnel as you enter the valley on CA Rt 41 (also known as Wawona Road). The photo is framed by the canyon's high granite walls. On the right is Bridalveil Fall coming off Cathedral Rock (6,600 ft) and on the left El Capitan (7,600 ft). The second is "Valley View," also looking east from the west end of the Yosemite Valley, but this perspective is from a lower elevation; from the banks of the Merced River that runs the length of the valley floor out of the high Sierra Mountains in the far distant east. Again, El Capitan is on the left and Cathedral Rock on the right. Third is an up-close view of the southwest face of El Capitan. This mountain-sized granite rock is so massive that it barely fit into the frame of my 18mm lens from a quarter mile away, my feet in the Merced River. Climbers on its face are specks viewed best through telescopes. The next photos is of the 2,400 foot tall Yosemite Falls on the north side at the west end of the valley, the source of which is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From the valley floor, the upper and lower falls segments are visible, but there are multiple smaller falls (referred to as a cascade) in between. The name Half-Dome accurately describes the shape of this 4,700 ft tall mound of granite. The shear side faces west as per the photo. The climb to the top and back down takes 12 hours and involves a dangerous climb and descent of the rounded east face using anchored cables - simply unbelievable (check it out on YouTube). From Glacier Point, a 7,200 ft view point high on the south wall, the vista is quite different. In the first of these two photos you can see the extend of the middle cascade section on Yosemite Falls. In the middle of the last photo is Vernal Fall and above it Nevada Fall (see March 9, 2018 blog entry). On the far left is the south side of Half-Dome. These photos were taken in mid-May, and the one from Glacier Point within a couple of hours of the 16 mile road opening for the season - judged safe for the public to drive.