Yosemite in April?

[Keith S. Walklet]

The diving board is a vertical gain of about 3,000 feet, almost like getting to the rim of Yosemite Valley. There is no official trail, just climber paths. I spent the night up there once unexpectedly over the 4th of July weekend because the final approach is so sketchy that I didn't want to risk going off trail in the dark. Covered myself in rain gear tried to sleep. Had mice and ants crawling on me all night. But it is an awesome view. It seems most climbers go the route up Grizzly Peak gully, but I never have. Instead, I typically take the Mist Trail, circle around from the top of Nevada to Lost Lake, or the gully between Liberty Cap and Broderick, which is an adventure.

At Lost Lake, skirt the south side and then head up the slabs to the base of the rounded portion of Half Dome and across, thrash through the manzanita and up to the Diving Board. It is a grunt, to say the least, and there is no water at the top.

April visits to that spot would really depend on snow skills, endurance, and appetite for adventure.

The attached image is one of my favorites from my many visits.

[Ron Marshall]

How crowded are the high country camps during May-June, September? I was there in mid-April a couple of years ago, and the valley was already bumper-to-bumper.

[Keith S. Walklet]

The High Sierra Camps, (if that is what you are curious about) don't open until late June in a low snow year, July in a heavier year) and are fairly full. Individuals can sometimes fit themselves into gaps, since most people are moving from camp to camp, and some camps are larger than others. Likewise, campgrounds in the high country don't open until after the Glacier Point and Tioga Roads open, and NPS gets the water and sewer systems inspected/running. September is a better option for both High Sierra Camps and campgrounds. It is the very end of the season, but the visitation has usually eased a bit and the light is better.

[Chris Strobel]

The diving board is a vertical gain of about 3,000 feet, almost like getting to the rim of Yosemite Valley. There is no official trail, just climber paths. I spent the night up there once unexpectedly over the 4th of July weekend because the final approach is so sketchy that I didn't want to risk going off trail in the dark. Covered myself in rain gear tried to sleep. Had mice and ants crawling on me all night. But it is an awesome view. It seems most climbers go the route up Grizzly Peak gully, but I never have. Instead, I typically take the Mist Trail, circle around from the top of Nevada to Lost Lake, or the gully between Liberty Cap and Broderick, which is an adventure.

At Lost Lake, skirt the south side and then head up the slabs to the base of the rounded portion of Half Dome and across, thrash through the manzanita and up to the Diving Board. It is a grunt, to say the least, and there is no water at the top.

April visits to that spot would really depend on snow skills, endurance, and appetite for adventure.

The attached image is one of my favorites from my many visits.

Keith, how many hours does it take you to get there.Sounds like more than a casual stroll with a Ries slung over ones shoulder.Do they happen to have Sherpa rentals up there BTW nice image!Teases you a bit wondering whats over that boulder eh!

[Keith S. Walklet]

When I was buff, it would take me three to four hours to get there. I'm sure in my present squishy condition, it would be more like five to six. So, not a casual stroll, no. But, if you know someone who is strong and eager, you might coax them into being your Sherpa. Though I don't know for certain, a call to the mountaineering school (cross-country ski school this time of year) might help track down someone local to assist you.

And that boulder is the diving board. In fact, I can see the crack in your photo if I am not mistaken. So, what's over the boulder is a doozy of a 3,000 foot step straight down to Mirror Lake.

In one of Ansel's early images titled On the Heights made the same day as Monolith, it shows Virginia perched on the edge of the cliff.

See attached screen grab from your snap.

BTW, which P&S were you using? The image looks to be HDR, but regardless, it is nice and sharp for what I know to be a telephoto image from Glacier Point.

[drew.saunders]

I first visited Yosemite in April of '02. Over four days the weather went from almost summer-like on the first day, to two days of spring, then it snowed and I had a little winter thrown in to top it all off. The falls will be quite full and the tourist levels will be lower than summer. If you're lucky, you'll get there before the mosquitoes start to hatch.

None of these are LF, even though I brought the Tachihara and shot a few polaroids, I mostly shot 35mm: http://www.stanford.edu/~dru/yosemite2002/

[John Kasaian]

April is a fine time. My Cub Scouts will be cleaning up Cascade Picnic area on the 4th. I chose April because the moquitos don't seem to be in full force yet, usually anyway!

BTW, A low snowfall is expected tonight--there is lots of lightning in the mountains Norht of Fresno right now.

My favorite place to camp in the Valley is the Housekeeping Camp (Camp 16.) Not really camping unless you consider DP camps "camping" but if you get a river site there is nothing like waking up at first light with the Merced a stones throw from your front door/flap. I wouldn't trade that for a suite at the Ahwanee.

If the Glacier Point road is open, consider Bridalvail campground up near the South rim. It is a nice campground and usually not as crowded in the Summer (and you've already got most of the elevation behind you for exploring the South rim when sugar anting around with a big heavy camera!)

I wouldn't plan on Tioga until the road is open.

Sonora Pass has in the past openend before Tioga. You might consider an "end run" around to 395 and Virginia Lakes. Last Spring I went there and it was still snowed in big time. I'm not an expert but the thought of avalanche did cross my mind, so I made a retreat to the Whoa Nellie Deli and enjoyed an excellent lunch instead.

[Chris Strobel]

BTW, which P&S were you using? The image looks to be HDR, but regardless, it is nice and sharp for what I know to be a telephoto image from Glacier Point.

It was a Canon S3 I borrowed from my mother, zoomed all the way in of course.No HDR, just played with the shadow/highlight adjustment in photoshop.Prints ok on an 8.5x11" piece of paper, and of course I have a zillion different versions.I don't have a lens long enough for my 8x10 nor 4x5 to recreate the shot from Glacier nor an open road to get there, so thats why I'm exploring the diving board.I know its a cliche shot, but when I was at the AA museum there, I saw a big color diving board shot hanging there done by I think Michael Frye, and it was just awesome.I never tire of that shot.There is a big Ansel Monolith photo hanging in the local Mcdonalds fast food here, and I often go eat there just to look at it and the other Ansel prints they have hanging up.I'd like one hanging in my house, but can't afford Adams or Frye The widest lens I have for the 810 is a 240mm G-Clarion, is that going to be wide enough for a monolith clone shot?

[Eric Leppanen]

The widest lens I have for the 810 is a 240mm G-Clarion, is that going to be wide enough for a monolith clone shot?

In The Making of 40 Photographs, Ansel says he used a 6.5 x 8.5 inch Korona camera and "a slightly wide-angle Tessar formula lens of about 8 1/2 inch [216mm] focal length" set at f/22 for his Monolith shot. Sounds like your 240mm will be just fine.

Ansel also says that "the image is especially effective in a very large (40x50 inch) print." Perfect for an 8x10!

[Keith S. Walklet]

I know its a cliche shot, but when I was at the AA museum there, I saw a big color diving board shot hanging there done by I think Michael Frye, and it was just awesome.

If you make the effort to get there, there is nothing cliche about it. It is an amazing spot. Even if you leave your camera at home, you'll never forget being there.

While Michael has many nice images, I believe the image of the diving board that inspired you is a color poster by Fred Leykham. He hiked up there with Charlie Cramer in the late 1990s and made that photograph with his 4x5 Linhoff.

In addition to Fred's poster, there is a 40x50 print of the same image in the Mountain Room Restaurant, too. It's interesting to note that Charlie's image from the diving board made the same day is quite different...a tightly framed image of a small pine growing out of the face of the cliff. Very Charlie.

And to clarify road openings a bit. The Glacier Point Road usually opens a week before the Tioga Road, which NPS tries to get open for Memorial Day Weekend in a normal snow year. Heavy snowfall years, it opens later. Then the campgrounds, etc. have to prepped and inspected before opening, water turned on...So, at best, the earliest camping on either of those roads is typically sometime in June. It varies year to year.