Heading to Yosemite tomorrow

[David Karp]

Hi all,

I am heading up to Yosemite tomorrow for a few days. Of course, I forgot to look at any of the webcams today. I see the forecast is for rain toward the end of the week. How is the valley looking now? (Besides dark :) )

[Vaughn]

I haven't looked at the webcams for two days -- but before that there was snow on the Valley floor.

If the weather is too wet to photograph, stop by the Ansel Adams Gallery...there is a B&W show up right now with images by "Ansel Adams, Jeffrey Conley, Charles Cramer, Vaughn Hutchins, Bob Kolbrener and Alan Ross". Don't know who that first guy is, but the others aint too bad.

Looks like your first day or so will be very nice -- and perhaps that rain in the latter part of the week will turn to snow instead of waiting until the weekend as forecasted. Seems to be a rather warm storm to start off with...the weather satellite images look interesting.

A great way to start out the New Year! Have fun!

Vaughn

To see how the light was today on the Valley Floor, check this out:

http://halfdome.net/cams/ahw_movie_01.php

[Merg Ross]

Dave, have a great trip! I know you will, hard to go wrong in that neck of the woods.

Best,
Merg

[David Karp]

Thanks to both of you.

A bit of rain might get some water going in the falls. Then some snow. Perfect. :)

My favorite place. And we do always visit the Gallery. If it is raining hard, maybe we will go for a print viewing. Sounds like a great show.

[John Kasaian]

I'll be up there on wednesday. Supposedly the storm isn't supposed to hit until thursday or so but who can say for sure...? It is supposed to be very foggy in the San Joaquin Valley the next few days (we even have a "dense fog warning") which usually means that in the mountains it will be sunny and clear, so allow for extra time when going up 99 and be sure to take chains or cables along---they'll ask at the gate.

Have a great trip!

[mikemeiers]

hi..new to forum

i was just there 4 days ago. cold. snow. merced is low but flowing. falls are near non-existant this time of year anyway. light arc does not hit the face of half dome anytime right now, but el capitan is hit perfectly.

if youre going to meriposa sequoia (sp?) groves, expect to walk the 2 miles up to trailhead; road is closed just past the 41 entrance.

as a sidenote...both days i was there, jet exhaust streams across the valley were a constant threat. i guess they like to screw up our shots :)

best news..not a lot of people now. dress warm and have fun!

im developing my shots today..

happy new year
mike

[David Karp]

Thanks again all.

John: Chains are ready to go. Thanks for the fog warning. Our reservations are for tomorrow. We will drive up tonight, and if the fog is too bad we will just stop in Tulare or somewhere and get on the road early in the morning.

Mike: Don't you just love those contrails? It is OK. I have been there so much, there are plenty of details to photograph.

Plenty of film packed. Too bad Fotoman's WP holders are not ready yet. I do have 4 though. And I am bringing the Walker too.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Mike, one small correction regarding the light on Half Dome this time of year. It actually does strike the face between 2:30 pm and 5 pm (sunset) when it is clear to the west. It is also some of the most dramatic light that landmark receives, as it is strongly sidelit, highlighting the texture of the cliff face.

It is possible to see this on the various webcams at the halfdome.net that point toward Half Dome, including the one that Vaughn has provided the link for, which is attached to post of my former residence on The Ahwahnee Meadow.

With cameras (all visible at yosemite.org and halfdome.net) in the park pointing east and west, it is possible to get a really good idea of what the light does at specific times, since the webcams also post the local time and temperature.

[Brad Rippe]

Those webcams are the coolest way to see the valley. Also check out halfdome.net for some of the archives. If I could only mount my view camera like that, with a very remote remote.
-Brad

[Harley Goldman]

Storms are supposed to be rolling in. The coldest storm is to hit Sunday and Monday. Be prepared for a lot of snow. I am really jealous! :) I was there on Thurs through Sunday. Got some snow on Thurs night, but I would have been happy with more.

Have a great time.

[mikemeiers]

Keith, thanks for correction! Those webcams are cool. My second day there was mostly in the valley and I kept my eye on half dome throughout the day, lucking out with mostly clear weather (for this time of year). I really never saw a direct hit of light, but youre right - it could be brushing across the face. Either way, there is so much beauty there to shoot, even in the moonlit darkness, that I could have easily missed it!

I plan to head back up probably 1/18-20 and then again in mid-feb. So if anyone else is going, lets have coffee!

Dave: If youre not already gone - again, have a great time!

Mike

[David Karp]

Hi again,

Well, we had some child sitting issues, so we had to come back early. Had two nice days of weather and one of rain. Missed the snow, unfortunately.

Still, we had a great time. I had a chance to get the rust out. Made all of my stupid mistakes. Pulled the darkslide with the lens still open (my favorite :eek:), Left my lenshood in the room, etc. Still, by the time we left I was back in the groove (I hope). It is always great to be in Yosemite.

We had a chance to visit the AA Gallery. Very enjoyable exhibit, including black and white photos by Charles Cramer - The first of his b&w that I have seen. A couple of them were silver gelatin. There were also several beautiful photos hanging over the fireplace by Keith Walklet, and another one on the wall next to the bookshelves. If you see this Keith, I especially enjoyed the two smaller photos on the sides.

There was also a show at the museum by Glen Denny, entitled Yosemite in the Sixties. Not your usual rock photos. I'll let you decide what you think, check out a slide show here: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=17551#sku.bk330. (Note: There are a few photos in this slide show that I believe were not in the exhibit, and at least one, of Galen Rowell before he started photographing, that is not in the slide show.) My wife and I enjoyed this show very much. With all the obsessing we do over equipment, it is interesting to note that his first several years of photos, including many that were in the show, were taken with an old Kodak Retina 35mm camera. Just a reminder that the most important pieces of equipment are an eye and the brain behind it! For what it is worth, later he moved up to a Nikon F with 50mm, 35mm, 105mm, and 200mm lenses.

There was a lot of rain yesterday, so the Yosemite Falls were picking up, and Bridalveil was really going strong. And there were lots of the cool waterfalls that appear all over the rim of the valley when it is raining.

Sorry to have had to leave early, and especially to have missed the snow, but happy to have had the chance to go.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Sounds like a great visit Dave. I just checked the webcam archive for yesterday and you weren't kididng, the falls were kicking. This one

http://www.halfdome.net/cams/ahw_movie_01.php

clearly shows how windy it was and Royal Arches Cascade was boogying (the white streaks coming down the cliff on the left). When Royal Arches Cascade is that big, the rest of the falls must have been running at spring levels.

Thanks also for the kind words about my images. I have to admit I don't know what is on the wall at the moment. As for Charlie's black and white, he has an extraordinary series of what he terms "pale prints" that are especially nice, very ethereal and atmospheric. I find he is one of few photographers that seems to be able to move gracefully between color and black and white, excelling in either medium.

[David Karp]

Keith,

When we left, Yosemite Falls was not at spring level, but there was sure a lot of water flowing elsewhere. It really was quite windy most of the way down the 99 and the 5 to Los Angeles.

None of your photos we saw is included in those shown on the gallery's website. One of your photos was of some trees with fall colors, but hard to describe as different from the larger photo in the center, but clearly different. The photo on the right was a close up of colorful leaves. We enjoyed seeing them.

I think that the Cramer pale prints were the two silver gelatin prints on the wall. Just beautiful.

I am ready to go back.