Yosemite National Park, California

Been to Yosemite National Park in California last week. It was beautiful ! I saw great big granite mountains, waterfalls, huge Sequoia trees, meadows and a few deer. There was fog in the morning, covering areas of the mountains; a play of shadows and sunlight on the granite peaks…… black shadows in some valleys and golden sunlight covering some cliffs, it is an amazing sight and one could take a hundred different photos of the exact same spot, at different times of day, night and  weather conditions.

We drove up 7000 feet to see Glacier point. I was amazed to see snow and experience chilly weather  at Glacier point after experiencing about 20 degree Celsius just before we started the climb.

Saw a girl at Glacier point, who, inspite of a board warning people not to go to the edge of the cliff, jump easily and smoothly to the edge and sit there, doing all sorts of antics (going to the very edge, lying down, taking photos, standing). She was watched by me and other tourists, who were pretty annoyed with her and asked if she was crazy. One guy, felt so sick seeing her at the edge of the cliff, he went away, unable to bear the sight! Then she was joined by two young guys, who were prudent enough to avoid the very edge but one guy had more antics up his sleeve than her. He posed on his hands in a horizontal position near the cliff edge!

I loved the smell of .....I am not sure if it was..... grass or if it was the evergreens in Yosemite. It is an amazing smell and I cannot describe it better than that. The water falls too were amazing. We saw the mirror lake and I loved the hundreds of places where water flows by, hitting rocks, creating beautiful white waters. 

The forest fires , on the way to glacier point, had darkened the trees and the colours around us were rich and beautiful…..reddish brown trees, blackened trees, white snow, grey granite cliffs, the evergreens leaves, the grey clouds with silvery sunshine at times, golden sunshine at times and an amazingly coloured sky in the evening dusk. I could not take photos of several things I liked for many reasons….we could not stop or park as we are on a mountain road, light was not good, against the sun, electric wires getting in the photo, the eyes see what the camera cannot capture (like the water drops on the fir trees looking like diamonds to my eyes but just not capture-able by the camera!)

I hope to visit Yosemite again and climb to the top of Vernal falls. I dont think I have what it takes to climb the famous  half dome.......this granite mountain reminds me of the Madhugiri Betta in Madhuguri, Tumkur district of Karnataka, India.

Add caption

Add caption