[Leica] Yosemite report

[Adam Bridge]

We drove up to Yosemite on Sunday via Rt 140 from Merced. There wasn’t much color along the river below 3,000 feet but there was a healthy flow in the Merced which was very nice to see.

We arrived in the park under heavy overcast. Lots of yellows to be seen in the under-story that just popped in the gray light.

Tons of water flowing over the falls throughout the park.BridalVeil Fall was really flowing well.

We jogged up to Tunnel View - I was sad to see the number of dead trees from that vantage. The drought has severely stressed the trees which have then succumbed to bark beetles.

Then a deluge hit us as we headed to the Lodge. Traffic was a bit of a mess. The normal flow around the valley has been impacted by work in Yosemite Village. The normal one-way traffic pattern is now two-way. You have a choice about staying on the south side of the valley or shifting over to the north side. There’s only one place to do that. So if you head up be sure to know where you want to go and to read the signs!

The dogwood are in the early-middle phase of changing - lots of wonderful pastels.

We left the park on Rt 120 (our normal way but Rt 140 was closed due to a rock slide. They were going to have to dynamite the mini-van sized boulders that were blocking the road. Should be open as I write this, I hope.) As we climbed the dogwood became more and more vivid. Definitely some fine stands on the fringes of the fire areas!

The park was very quiet. Maybe it was the weather to some extent, but I think the park is just low-use in the later autumn. The hotels didn’t seem full, the restaurants were only seating half the available seats.

We both road our recumbent trikes which are wonderful photo vehicles to travel the park - but NOT on the roads. Being two-way and with no shoulders we judged them too hazardous for the likes of us.

In short: a great time to visit Yosemite. Lots of water in all the falls and in the rivers and streams. Seemed more like early spring in terms of water.

I’ll post a few snaps when I have something to share.

Thanks for reading!

Adam Bridge
Davis, CA