Snow Day

Snowy Fall Morning on the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

November 2012

There's snow in the forecast for the mountains this weekend. Roaming around a freshly snowed-on landscape in Yosemite Valley is among the best experiences I've ever had.

The city noises of San Francisco have been left far behind. Now the soft munching of deer browsing a few feet away competes with the soft patter of snowflakes landing in the surrounding woods.

Although you can't help stopping at Tunnel View to take in the grand vista...

...it's also great to roam around quietly to hear the landscape's more intimate voices.

The beauty of an early snowstorm is having color in the trees instead of bare branches.

Cloak of Ferns

Gates of the Valley

Riverside Brushstrokes

Sealed in Ice

Dipper Catches a Morsel

Snow Pillows in the Merced

El Capitan Fog Factory

November Morning

Scouring Rush

Yosemite Valley

Not even a memory of summer crowds.

* * *

Yosemite is Open

Yosemite Valley

November 1, 2013

 

Now that the park has lifted entry restrictions it feels tempting to head on up for a couple of days. Judging by the park's webcams it doesn't appear that fall color is as advanced yet as these images show from this date several years ago.

Another difference is that the air quality is probably not as good. I was a little disheartened this morning to see that Bay Area air quality has deteriorated a bit even since yesterday's disappointingly high numbers.

This seems more like a year of wistful memories of clean air and beautiful landscapes.

The month is young, though, and things might be looking a lot better before November fades.

Might as well be optimistic.

These two webcam screenshots were taken at about the same time this morning. Not sure why El Capitan looks so funky while Half Dome looks fine.

* * *

A Walk in the Park

 

Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Golden Gate Park, October 2009

Reaching for the Prize

Birdy Num-Nums

Yellow-Rumper in the Manzanita

Townsend's Warbler

Heading for the Border

Black-Throated Gray Warbler

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Fox Sparrow

Orange-Crowned Warbler

Fluffy Goldfinch

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

* * *

Pt. Reyes Medley

Sunrise at White House Pool

Elk Bull Scents the Sunrise

Dawn at Pierce Ranch

Cypress in Sun & Fog

Abbott's Lagoon

Lagunitas Creek

Bull Between Bugles

Making Some Noise

Sculptured Beach

Feeding Phalanx of Starfish

Sense of Direction

Tomales Point

Moon Unit

* * *

Marsh Critters

White Pelicans at Corte Madera Marsh
October 2010

 

When I ride the short boardwalk over Bothin Marsh on my way up to Mt. Tam I often see a pair of black-necked stilts and think I'd like to bring my camera down there to photograph them sometime. I took these pictures around sunrise which explains the magenta cast. I wasn't sure I liked it natural, so I took it out of the top image.

Snowy Egret & Pickleweed

Snowy Reflection

The tide was pretty high by the time I headed home yesterday. I knew it was going to peak at something like 6.5 feet and had been wondering if the boardwalk would actually flood. I've often seen high-tide flooding in the little bowl-section of Shoreline Highway near the Manzanita Park and Ride Lot. I was glad I didn't have to ride through saltwater or even brackish water, especially on an e-bike.

* * *