The
morning sunlight reflects off Yosemite Valley's North rim, lights up the
spring flooded valley floor, is captured by an digital camera and time
transported to you. You can see the curving river course and roads
at the corners of the photo. As I hike up you can see more and more,
such as Yosemite Falls and the western Yosemite Valley.
not
really good photos, but here they are
not
really good photos, but here they are
Many
colors catch my eye as I stroll up the trail and I need to stop, look and
try to take a photo.
The
sky is clear and the sun rises fast over Yosemite. I reach Glacier Point,
the road up here opened two days before. I spot an older look out
below the new lookout, it faces north. I never knew that was there
and make a mental note to check it out next time.
Spring
blooms are everywhere and I see two deer on the Illilouette Falls trail.
This is Ribes roezlii, Sierra Gooseberry. The genus is ancient Arabic
for plants of this type and the berries are edible. I would like
to try them if the deer will leave some for me.
Manzanita
blooms.
This
is a pretty good view of a very swollen Illilouette Falls. Its only
2 miles from Glacier Point but there is no railing here and it is dangerous
trying to get a view.
Oak
bushes sprout tiny new red leaves.
On
the Panorama Trail I snap this photo of Nevada Falls.
This
is from the bridge that crosses the top of Nevada Falls.
More
red colors in the forest. This is a very common and impressive plant
commonly called Snow Plant. This photo does not show the blooms and
it's scientific name is Sarcodes snaguinea, Greek for flesh like quality
and Latin for blood red. This plant does not emerge from snow and
does not photosynthesize. It relies on a symbiotic relationship with
a soil fungi. Native Americans dried and ground this plant into a
powder for a tooth pain or mouth pain remedy.
Another
plant just sprouting from the forest floor.
I
am hot, tired and thirsty. The snow provides cold compresses for
my hands and neck. I break for lunch and snap some more photos.
This is of course Half Dome from just below Clouds Rest.
On
the way down I pass below Nevada Falls as the Merced River leaps out and
turns white.
Some
nice plants among the granite boulders look like formal arrangements.
Fern and Red Paintbrush, or Athyrium fillix-femina var. cyclosorum and
Castelleja miniata. ;-)
Vernal
Falls looks spectacular today as I stand soaked by my descent of the Mist
Trail. I didn't expect to see seven deer or all the spring booms.
I feel so lucky to have experienced so much beauty in one day and look
forward to sharing some of it with these photos.