I got back a couple days ago from a week long camping trip with the family in Yosemite Valley. I’ll be honest, of all the times I’ve been to the Valley, this is the first time in over a decade that I’ve spent a night or more in the Pines Campground. We had to break down camp and move to a new site once during our stay, but otherwise the camping part was blissfully uneventful.
But the one thing all my photography friends want to know is, “What was the Valley like?”
Last week we experienced quite a powerful and cold storm move through the Sierra, complete with winter storm warnings and chain controls. Up high, at 6,500′ near Crane Flat along 120, there was still lots of snow, and full winter conditions remain. Down in the Valley, the storm started as a day of endless rain showers, and around 1:00am snow began to fall in the Valley. The next morning, the Valley was in full winter regalia, with several inches of fresh snow throughout all the meadows. By mid-afternoon, all the snow was gone; melted away faster than it fell from the sky.
What remained after the snow vanished was a Valley very much still in the grip of winter. Meadows were still matted with new green grass just starting to push through last years brown matted carpet of dead foliage. There were no flowers. The dogwoods, and most of the seasonal trees hadn’t even sprouted new leaves, much less any flowers. In fact, the dogwoods near the Merced at the Entrance to the Valley were still barren branches with only the smallest of buds. The best place to find any sign of spring was along the 140 entrance route west of El Portal.
The waterfalls are definitely flowing, but nowhere near peaking. A few weeks of warm sun should bring the Valley to a point one might normally expect during the first week of April. I expect Spring will eventually spring in the next few weeks, with the first few weeks of May being a great time to get out and shoot.
BTW – For you campers, I don’t know what’s with the NPS concessionaire, but try vacating a campsite by the mandatory 10:00am checkout with two little kids; yeah, like that’ll happen. Several nights during mid-week we’d see the FULL sign in front of the campground, only to see a dozen or so vacant sites. Leave it to the Gov’t to be accurate. (Not!)
Gary, I was also there last week in Upper Pines from the 17th to the 23rd. I think I arrived just a day or two after the storm that left snow on the Valley floor. I was a bit dissapointed to see so much brown, but still had a great time as always in Yosemite. Got some free goodies on Earth day and heard Walter’s talk on Ansel at the Gallery. (he did a very nice job)
I found an update that you can make for your next edition of your photographing Yosemite guidebook. I took Incline Rd. in El Portal as far as I could, and in your book you say to go past where it turns to dirt. Unfortunately there is now a gate where the pavement ends. Next time I’ll take my bike.
I also thought it was odd about the campgrounds saying full when they were not. My favorite site in Upper Pines sat empty all week, however I wasn’t able to reserve it when I made my reservations. Strange.
Don’t tease us anymore! Show us the image you created!
Rodney Ninow
Interesting weather this year from what I’ve heard. One of my photographer friends was in the Valley camping last week as well and said everything was bare. She was disappointed but I guess it’s all about what you make of the situation.
Rodney:
Thanks for the comment – As posted over on CalPhoto – I think you’re mixing up my Yosemite & Eastern Sierra Book with Michael Frye’s book, Photographing Yosemite.
Gary, you are so right. It is Michael’s book. Somehow I got the two of you confused. I have to admit, I thought it was odd reading that you camped in the Valley, since you live in the Valley, errrr, that is, Michael lives in the valley. Now I realize why I thought it was odd.
I would like to see a continuation of the topic