SoulofYoSemite

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FALCONGUIDES®

Copyright©2011byEdCooper

ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.No part of this bookmay be reproduced ortransmittedinanyformbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyany informationstorageandretrievalsystem, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from thepublisher.RequestsforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtoGlobePequotPress,Attn:RightsandPermissionsDepartment,P.O.Box480,Guilford,CT06437.

FalconGuidesisanimprintofGlobePequotPress.Falcon,FalconGuides,andOutfitYourMindareregisteredtrademarksofMorrisBookPublishing,LLC.

All interiorphotosbyEdCooperexcept thatof theauthoronpage108takenbyparkvisitor.

Textdesign:ClaireZoghbProjecteditor:JulieMarshLayoutartist:MelissaEvartsMapbyDanielLloyd©MorrisBookPublishing,LLC

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataCooper,Ed,1937—SoulofYosemite:portraitsoflightandstone/EdCooper.

p.cm.--(FalconGuides)ISBN978-0-7627-6995-71.YosemiteNationalPark(Calif.)—Pictorialworks.2.YosemiteNationalPark (Calif.)—Description and travel. 3. Yosemite Valley (Calif.)—Pictorial works. 4. Yosemite Valley (Calif.)—Description and travel. I.Title.

F868.Y6C6652011

979.4’47—dc222010040569

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica10987654321

Theauthor andGlobePequotPressassumenoliability for accidents happening to, or injuriessustainedby,readerswhoengageintheactivitiesdescribedinthisbook.

Owl’s clover and Granite Domes near the west end of TuolumneMeadows.

CONTENTS

Introduction

1SouthsideDrive

2EastofYosemiteVillage

3TenayaCanyon

4MiscellaneousViewsintheValley

5NorthsideDrive

6GlacierPointRoad

7TiogaPassRoad

8HetchHetchy

9EasternPeriphery

10ClimbingImages

11TrailsandHikingViews

12TheValleyfromAbove

13WawonaTunnelRoad

AbouttheAuthor

INTRODUCTION

MyfirstviewofYosemiteValleywasshort, takingperhaps twohours. IarrivedinthevalleyinoneofthemanyclunkercarsIownedthen,duringaspringbreak fromcollege.The timewasMarch, itwas raining lightly,andonlythelowerpartsof thegreatrockformationswerevisible. Ihadheard of climber Warren Harding’s attempt to ascend the nose of ElCapitan,buthewasnotontherockasfarasIcouldsee.IhadnotevenheardofCamp4,thecampwhererockclimbershungout.Theyearwas1958.

IamremindedofHowardCarter’scommenttohispatronLordCarnarvononNovember22,1922,whenCarnarvonaskedCarterifhesawanythingupon first peering into the entrance to the burial chamber of KingTutankhamen:“Yes,Iseewonderfulthings.”ThatwasmyfeelingduringtheshorttimeIspentinYosemiteValleybackthen.

Hardingfinishedhisclimbof theNose,alongwithWayneMerryandGeorgeWhitmore,inNovember1958.ItwasnotuntilfouryearslaterthatIreturnedtoYosemiteValley,firsttoclimb,thentoenterintoaromancewithrecordingimagesofoneofthemostfantasticplacesonthisplanet.

TheworkingtitleofthisbookwasSoulofRock,whichmighthaveledreaderstoimagineithadsomethingtodowithmusic.That’snotreallyfaroff themark,becauseYosemite is, Ibelieve,asymphony instone.ThethemeofthisbookistherockofYosemiteinitsmanyshapesandforms,whetheraloneorincombinationwithotherelements.YosemiteValleyisonly about 7 miles long (about 11km) and averages about 0.7 mile inwidth (1.1km). It is a very small geographic area to include so muchbeauty.

Iwould like to take thisopportunity to thankmywife,Debby, forhersupport in this project, and for her extensive knowledge of correctgrammar.

ORGANIZATIONOFTHISBOOKAs I pondered how to organize the photographs for this book, I

considered several scenarios. One was to organize the images bysubject, suchas “rockandwater,” “rockandpeople,” “rockandvalley,”“just plain rock,” and so forth. Another option was to organize all thephotos according to rock formations, grouping all El Capitan photostogether,allHalfDomephotostogether,etc.

MyfinaldecisionwastoorganizethephotographsmoreorlessintheorderthatavisitorarrivingforthefirsttimeinYosemiteValleywouldseetheformations.Inthissense,thisbookisapictureguidetothegreatrockformations inYosemiteValley.Thesameprinciplehasbeenapplied toYosemiteNationalParkroadsoutsidethevalley,aswellastotrails.Eachsection of the book contains some introductory information, and inaddition, all photos are accompanied by information specific to thoseparticularimages.

ElCapitan from theDivingBoard, a rock formationat thebaseofthesouthwestfaceofHalfDome.

1

SOUTHSIDE DRIVE

Therearethreemajorroutes intoYosemiteValleyfromthewest,whichareusedbymostpeoplevisitingthevalley.Theotherapproach,fromtheeast,goesover9,945-foot(3,031m)TiogaPassandisclosedfromaboutNovember to May, depending on the snowpack. All three westernapproaches (and the western end of the eastern approach) convergewithinafewmilesofeachother,atthewesternendofYosemiteValley.

The majority of the drivable mileage within the valley is on one-wayroads. All the approaches funnel vehicles onto Southside Drive on thesouth side of theMercedRiver,which is onewayall theway toCurryVillageattheeastendofthedevelopedvalleyfloor.Atthispointtheroadcrosses theMercedRiver onStonemanBridge and becomes the one-wayNorthsideDrive headingwest (with the exception of roads aroundYosemiteVillage).

TherearetwoexitsfromSouthsideDrive,oneofwhichisatwo-wayroadthatcrossestheMercedRiverontheSentinelBridgeandleadstoYosemiteVillage,YosemiteLodge,andthehistoricAhwahneeHotel.TheotherexitisatElCapitanBridge,whichleadstoNorthsideDriveheadingwest out of the valley or loops back to SouthsideDrive at thePohonoBridge.

ThissectionincludesimagestakenalongorclosetoSouthsideDriveas far as theSentinel Bridge; they appear in the order that the viewersees formations when driving along the road. Among the significantlandformsshowcased in thischapterareElCapitan,BridalveilFall,andCathedralRocks.

Rockandwater!Itdoesn’tgetanybetterthanthis.BridalveilFallislocated near the junction of Wawona Road and Southside Drive.Thisimageisanoutstandingportraitofthefall.

Youwillsee thisview,captured inspringtime, justasyoustart topassunderneaththeCathedralRocks, ifyoukeepasharpoutlookon theMercedRiver toyour left.CloudsRest,9,926 feet (3,025m),risesinthedistancealmost5,000feetabovethispoint.

When you are underneath the Cathedral Rocks, you can see ElCapitanand theMercedRiver through the trees.Thisareaaffordsfineviews.Inthisimage,oaktreesinspringarehighlightedagainstEl Capitan. The Nose divides the sunlit southwest face from theshadedsoutheastface.

This early spring reflection view, taken on the Merced River nearCathedral Rocks, is possible only when water flow in the river isvery low. This super wide-angle shot was created by stitchingtogethersixseparatedigitalimages.

ThesetwoviewsoftheCathedralSpiresweretakenfromapulloutnearthe junctionofSouthsideDriveandtheroadovertheMercedRiver at El Capitan Bridge. The summer view highlights the verysteepnorthwestfaceoftheHigherCathedralSpire,ontheright.Theotherviewshowsthespiresinwinterdress.

These two views, taken from El Capitan viewpoint on SouthsideDrive,showdifferentaspectsoftheNoseofElCapitan.Theblack-and-whiteimageshowsthethinribbonoftherareElCapitanNoseWaterfall, only active in spring in years of very heavy wintersnowfall.Thecolor imageshowsasunsetontheNose,obtainableonlyinthefallandwintermonthswhendaysareshort.Atthattimeof year, the sun sets much farther to the south so it doesn’t gobehind a hill at sunset but shines on the Nose until the very lastlight.

This view of the southeast face of El Capitan was captured at ElCapitanviewpoint.

Asettingsun illuminatestheeasternportionof thesoutheast faceofElCapitan,asseenfromElCapitanviewpoint.Theeastbuttressisontheright.

Averywide-angleviewshowsawinterreflectionofElCapitanintheMercedRiver,asseenbelowElCapitanviewpoint.

Anotherwinterview,lookingintheoppositedirection(west)fromElCapitanviewpoint,showsTaftPoint, thepointypeakon thesouthrimofthevalley,reflectedontheMercedRiver.

ThesetwophotographsshowtheThreeBrothers,onthenorthsideof the valley, as seen from near Cathedral Beach. The highestbrotherisEaglePeak,at7,779feet(2,371m).Thesoutheasternfacesofthesepeaks(theright-handprofiles)containsomeveryunstablerock. In 1987 a large rockfall off Middle Brother crashed acrossNorthside Drive and closed it for several months, until the roadcould be cleared and was determined safe for travel again. Theblack-and-white image shows clouds over the peaks; the colorimage shows their reflections in theMercedRiver,with ice in theforeground.

ThisearlyMarchview,takensomewhatwestoftheSentinelBridge,shows frost forming on the granite walls on both sides of UpperYosemiteFall.TheLostArrowanditsshadowareattheupperrightcenteroftheframe,andYosemitePointButtressisontheright.At1,430 feet (436m), Upper Yosemite Fall is the highest free-leapingwaterfallinNorthAmerica.RibbonFall,withafreedropof1,612feet(491m)isactuallyhigher,butduetoitslowvolumeandthefactthatit is drymuch of the year, Upper Yosemite Fall is considered thehighest.

This telephoto view of late afternoon sun on the north face ofSentinelRockwastakenfromveryneartheSentinelBridge.

ThesetwoviewsofSentinelRock,takenneartheYosemiteChapelalong Southside Drive, show two different seasons on the rock:first, with the delicate green of oak leaves in spring, and second,withbrilliantautumncolors.

This view of Half Dome reflected into the Merced River, as seenfrom the Sentinel Bridge, was taken from one of the three mostpopularphotospots inYosemiteValley. (TheothertwoareTunnelViewandValleyView.)Thestillwatersof autumnallowanalmostperfectreflection.AlthoughtechnicallythisviewpointisnoteastofYosemiteVillage,HalfDomemostcertainlyis.

2

EAST OF YOSEMITE VILLAGE

Thissectioncontains imagestakencloseto theroadseastofYosemiteVillage. This includes Southside Drive from Sentinel Bridge to CurryVillage,NorthsideDrivefromCurryVillagebacktoYosemiteLodge,theside road to the Ahwahnee Hotel, and the road to Mirror Lake, whichoncewasopentovehicletrafficandisnowopenonlytoshuttlebusses,vehiclesdisplayingdisabledplacards,bicyclists,andpedestrians. IconicYosemiteformations,includingHalfDome,GlacierPoint,andthehistoricAhwahneeHotel,arefocusedoninthischapter.

TheAhwahneeHotel,aNationalHistoricalLandmark,isshowninitssetting below the granite formation known as the Rhombus. Therock is somewhat unstable here. A rockfall in 2009 spilled largebouldersclosetotheparkinglot,andarockchipactuallydamagedthewindshield of a car in the lot. TheAhwahneeopened in 1927;duringWorldWar II itwas temporarily converted into aU.S.NavyConvalescentHospital.Thesedaysitoffersparkvisitorsanoptionforfinediningandlodginginthevalley.

GlacierPoint,uppercenter,andGlacierPointApron, lower left,asseenafterasnowstorm.ThisviewisfromthelargemeadoweastofYosemite Village and west of the Ahwahnee Hotel. Glacier Pointused to be famous for the summer evening firefalls, which werehalted by the National Park Service in 1968 due to environmentalconcerns.Firefallsaredescribed inmoredetail in the introductiontotheGlacierPointRoadchapter.

The John Muir Trail, which starts at Happy Isles, passes directlybeneaththePanoramaCliff.GlacierPointApronisontheright.Thisphotowas taken from the largemeadow east of Yosemite VillageandwestoftheAhwahneeHotel.

GlacierPointApronandYosemiteFallsasseen fromSierraPoint.ThetrailtoSierraPointwasclosedinthe1970sduetorockfall,butSierraPointcanstillbereachedifyouknowwheretogo.RockfalldangercontinuestoloombelowGlacierPoint.Separateincidentsin1996and1999killedtwopeopleandinjuredmanymore,destroyedportionsoftheforestbelowGlacierPoint,anddamagedstructuresatCurryVillage.

Just as El Capitan dominates views at the west end of YosemiteValley, Half Dome dominates views at the east end. This JanuaryviewwastakenfromthelargemeadoweastofYosemiteVillageandwest of the Ahwahnee Hotel. The Royal Arches and WashingtonColumnareontheleft.

ThislateautumnviewofHalfDomeafteralightsnowfallwastakenjust west of the very large meadow to the north of Curry Village(alsocalledCampCurry).

ThisisaveryfamiliarviewtoanyonewhohasbeentoCurryVillage.TheRoyalArchesare in thecenter,WashingtonColumn ison theright,andNorthDomeisatthetop.Thelargeopenmeadowatthebottomisjustnorthofthevillage.

This classic black-and-white image of the northwest face of HalfDome(atelephotoshot)wastakenrightnexttotheroadattheedgeofthelargemeadownorthofCampCurry.

These two views utilize the shaded Half Dome to highlight theforeground.Thefirstshotshowscowparsnip,Heracleumlanatum.The second shot shows the northern pygmy owl, Glaucidiumgnoma, perched in cow parsnip. Both views were taken from thesameCampCurrymeadow,whichoffersamyriadofperfectpicturepossibilities.

Atonetime,theshortroadtoMirrorLakewasopentoallvehicles.Itis now open only to shuttle buses and vehicles displayinghandicappedplacards (aswell asbicycleand foot traffic).Bothofthese views of Washington Column were taken from along theMirrorLake road.The first shows thesouth faceof thecolumn inthe sun, the overhanging east face in the shade, and the Prowdividing the two.Thesecond, taken fartheralong the road, showsdetails intherockoftheoverhangingeastface,oneofYosemite’smorechallengingrockclimbs.

AsonehikesintothewildernessofTenayaCanyon,thefirstmajorformation thatappearsabove (with theexceptionofHalfDome) isBasket Dome, located on the north side of the canyon. This viewshowsBasketDome’seastface.

3

TENAYA CANYON

TenayaCanyonisawildernesscanyon.It isaccessedfromMirrorLakebyhikingashortdistanceonalooptrailintothecanyon.Thetrailendsinlittle more than a mile, with an extension that climbs numerousswitchbacks upSnowCreek and joins other trails leading to the TiogaPassRoadandTuolumneMeadows.Aportionofthesouthernlegoftheloop was buried by a major rockfall from Ahwiyah Point (below HalfDome)onMarch28,2009, the largest rockfall inYosemiteValleysincetheMiddleBrother rockfallof1987.Thisportionof the loop trail isnowpermanently closed. A rudimentary unmaintained trail continues for ashortdistancebeyondtheendofthemaintainedtrail,butthispath(suchasitis)soondisappearsinrockslidesandbrush.

This section contains imagesofTenayaCanyonand thepeaksabove.Thephotosareshowninorderofprogressionupthecanyon;somearetakeninthecanyonandothersfromabove,lookingintothecanyon.

Interestingly, Mirror Lake itself was the result of a mega-rockfallthousandsofyearsagothatpeeledoffthenorthsidebelowNorthDome,creatinganaturaldam.Thevalleybehindgradually filledwithwater.Atits maximum extent, the lake was about 1.25 miles long (2km). Thisoriginallakegraduallyfilledupwithsilt,andthecurrentMirrorLakeisthesmall remnant that remains. Natural processes will result in thedisappearanceofthisremnantaswell,unlessanotherenormousrockfallcreatesanotherdam.

Taken from almost the same location in Tenaya Canyon as thephoto of Basket Dome, this image shows the highly aestheticQuarterDomes,whichtowerabovethesouthsideofthecanyon.

This view, taken from the summit of Half Dome, shows the southside of Tenaya Canyon. The major feature is the approximately4,000verticalfeet(1,220m)ofgraniteslabsleadingtothesummitofCloudsRest,at9,926feet (3,025m).QuarterDomesappearatrightcenter,belowCloudsRest.

Themassive rock form ofMountWatkins rises farther up TenayaCanyon. This view is from the Diving Board, at the base of thesouthwest face of Half Dome. YaSoo Dome appears at the upperright.

ThisviewofMountWatkins fromHalfDomegivesabetter ideaofthe extent of the south face of Mount Watkins. Mount Hoffman,10,850feet(3,307m),risesinthedistance,andYaSooDomeisattheupperright.

Thisview,takenintheupperreachesofTenayaCanyon,highlightsthewaterstreaksonthesoutheastfaceofmassiveMountWatkins.

A3-mile-wide(4.8km)swathofgraniteonthenorthsideofTenayaCanyon is shown in this image. The view, taken from the top ofCloudsRest,captureswhatiscertainlyoneofthewidestexpansesofsolidgraniteintheSierraNevada.ThemassiveMountWatkinsisatleftcenter,YaSooDomeatrightcenter,andPywiackCascadeatthe right edge. Basket Dome is at the upper left corner. Thisremarkablepanoramawascreatedbyscanningtwo4x5black-and-

whitenegativesandthendigitallystitchingthemtogether.

AsmalllovelywaterfallpoursovergraniterocknearCascadeFalls,whichislocatedneartheElPortalentrancetoYosemiteValley.

4

MISCELLANEOUS VIEWSIN THE VALLEY

Thissectioncontainsthoseviews inYosemiteValleythatreallydon’t fitwellintoanyothercategory.Theyincluderockandwater(andice),rockandfallfoliage,rockandtrees,andanamusingportrait.

Snow-covered granite boulders in the Merced River on a cold

Januarymorning.

Ice crystals encase rocks in the Merced River on a cold wintermorning.

Granite boulders and the foliage of bigleaf maple trees, Acermacrophyllum,onthefloorofYosemiteValley.

A ponderosa pine tree frames a scene of granite rock walls andUpperYosemiteFall.

Littleboy,bigpack!MysonMatthew,ataboutagesix,heftsaloadinYosemiteValleywithHalfDomeasabackdrop.Itwasactuallymypack,fullof4x5cameraequipment.

5

NORTHSIDE DRIVE

Thissectioncontains images takenalongNorthsideDriveof formationsin the order of their appearance as you travel from Yosemite Villagetoward the west end of Yosemite Valley. Some formations, like ElCapitanand theCathedralRocks,haveportraits in theSouthsideDrivechapter,buttheperspectivefromthissideofthevalleyisdifferent.ViewsofYosemiteFalls,HorsetailFalls,andSentinelRockarealsopresentedhere.

ThispicturewastakeninameadowonthesouthsideofNorthsideDrive between Yosemite Village and Yosemite Lodge. Both UpperYosemiteFallandaportionofLowerYosemiteFall,surroundedbygranite walls, are shown. There is something very unusual aboutthispicture.Seeifyoucanguesswhatitis.Theanswerappearsonpage68.

AnumberofexcellentviewpointsofSentinelRockliealittlewestofYosemite Lodge along Northside Drive, the first of which is thisfrontalviewofthenorthface,shownwiththesunsettingonit.

FromaclearareafartherwestalongNorthsideDrive,SentinelRockpresentsthisnobleprofile.Thenorthfaceisintheshadewhilethewestfaceissunlit.

Taking advantage of November’s fall colors in the oak treesalongside Northside Drive yielded this picture-perfect image ofSentinelRock.

ProceedingwestalongNorthsideDrive,youfirstseeElCapitan inprofile.Inthisimage,HorsetailFallsishighlightedonthesoutheastface.Thiswaterfallexistsonlyinthespringwhentherehasbeenaheavy winter snowfall. The photo was taken in May 1967, yearsbeforethefallsbecameapopularphotographicsubject.

Winter storm clouds swirl about El Capitan, with the Nose barelyvisible.

Moving farther west along Northside Drive, a more direct view ofHorsetail Falls is seen.The ridgeat lower right ispart of theeastbuttressofElCapitan.ThisphotowastakeninMay1967.

LateafternoonsunglancesoffthebaseofthenorthfaceofMiddleCathedralRock.ThisimagewastakenfromElCapitanMeadow.

A sunburst shines through oak trees in autumn in El CapitanMeadow,withMiddleCathedralRockinthebackground.

Asecondviewof oak trees in autumn,highlighted againstMiddleCathedralRock.

AshortwalkuptowardthebaseofElCapitanfromNorthsideDriveyieldsthisviewofthevalleyfloor,showingMiddleCathedralRockin the center and Lower Cathedral Rock on the right. Taft Pointappearsinthedistance.

Movingwest along Northside Drive, the Cathedral Rocks and oaktrees in autumn are captured from a different angle. LowerCathedral Rock is on the right (and appears higher); it blends inwithMiddleCathedralRockinthecenter.

Valley View is a favorite picture-taking spot in Yosemite Valley,although not as popular as it once was. Once a twoway road,Northside Drive is one way going away from this view. Since theviewisbehindthem,manymotoristsmissitaltogether.Shownhereon an early morning in January, the Merced River is in theforeground,ElCapitan ison the left,and theCathedralRocksandBridalveilFallareontheright.

A winter view from the same vantage point as the one photo onpages65and66showsawondroussunsetonElCapitanreflectedintotheMercedRiver.

Aperfectclassroom!AgroupofstudentsgatheratValleyViewforalesson.

SunriseshowsanothermoodatValleyView.

Rockfall is a possibility at any time in Yosemite Valley, and therehave been hundreds of recorded rockfalls since the late 1800s,when record keeping began. This picture, taken in March 1971,shows the rockfall off Elephant Rock that took place in February1971.Anotherrockfallinthesamelocationtookplaceinthewinterof1980–81.Thisimagewastakenabout2.75miles(4.5km)westofValleyView.

Theanswer to thequestionposed in thecaption for theYosemiteFalls picture, first in this chapter: The picture is unusual becausetherearenocarsliningNorthsideDrive,whichisattheedgeofthemeadow below the trees. Normally a long line of parked carsstretchesalongsidethismainvalleythoroughfare.PerhapsthefactthatItookthisphotointhelate1970sorearly1980shassomethingto do with it. It just shows how the increase in visitation hasaffectedevenphotography.

ThishistoricJeffreypine (Pinus jeffreyi)grewon topof the8,122-foothigh(2,476m)SentinelDomeforanestimated400years. Ifeelfortunate to have seen and photographed this noble tree, madefamousbyAnselAdams,whileitwasstillalive.Itissaidthatitdiedas the result of the drought of 1976–77, despite efforts of parkrangers and other volunteerswho carried buckets ofwater to thetopofSentinelDometowaterit.ThetreefinallyfelloverinAugust2003.Mypersonalbeliefisthatthistreewassimplylovedtodeath—toomanyadultsandchildrenwalkingaroundit,posingonit,etc.ThefacingviewshowsMountHoffman,10,850 feet (3,307m) in thebackground.TheviewaboveshowsHalfDome in thebackground,betweenthetree’strunks.Thesepicturesweretakenin1975,andIhaveneverwantedtoreturntothisspotafterlearningofthetree’sfate.

6

GLACIER POINT ROAD

The Glacier Point Road leaves from Wawona Road (CA 41) atChinquapin.Fromhereitisabout16miles(26km)toGlacierPoint.TotalmileagefromYosemiteValleytoGlacierPointisabout30miles(48km).This road is open from about May to November depending on thesnowpack,althoughduring thewinter it isopen to theBadgerPassSkiArea(6miles,orapproximately10km).

Though theviews fromGlacierPoint (which isoftenvery crowded)aremagnificent,vistasarejustasspectacularfromthemoreremoteSentinelDome.ThetrailtoSentinelDomestartsabout2miles(3.2km)beforetheend of the Glacier Point Road. The trail from the road to the top ofSentinelDome is a little over 1mile (1.6km) and gains about 400 feet(122m)inelevation.

Anothertrailfarlessfrequented,whichleavesfromthesametrailheadastheroutetoSentinelDome,leadstoTaftPoint.ThistrailisfeaturedinthechapteronTheValleyfromAbove.

GlacierPointisrememberedforthefirefall,whichbecameaYosemitetraditionstartingin1872and—withseveralinterruptions—continueduntil1968.Burningemberswerepushedoff theedgeofGlacierPoint in theevening after the sky had become dark, and Yosemite Valley visitorswouldoohandahattheredstreakfallingfromthepoint.Irememberthefirefalls,whichwereindeedspectacular.

Butsuchapracticewasdeemedunsuitableinanationalparkfamedfor itsoutstandingscenicvalues,andtheNationalParkServicebanneditscontinuance.ThelastfirefalloccurredJanuary25,1968.Thefollowing

year the historic Glacier Point Hotel, whose employees had helpedmanage the firefall, burned to the ground and was never rebuilt, thusmarkingtheendofanera.

A thunderhead develops over El Capitan and Yosemite Valley, asseenfromSentinelDome.

MoonriseoverRedPeak,11,699 feet (3,566m), in theClarkRange,asseenfromnearGlacierPoint.No,Ihavenotinsertedafakemoon—acommonpracticeamongpostcardmanufacturers.

InthelowerpartoftheframearetheRoyalArches,withWashingtonColumntotheright.IntheupperportionisNorthDome,withBasketDome to the right of it. This view is from a location near GlacierPoint.

SunsetonHalfDomeasseenfromGlacierPoint.CloudsRestisthepeak in the background to the right of Half Dome and is actuallyconsiderablyhigherthanHalfDome.

The really spectacular vistas in Yosemite’s high country start atOlmstedPoint,which is 29.5miles (47.4km) along the TiogaPassRoad. In this photoHalf Dome is seen through the branches of awestern juniper (aka Sierra juniper/ Juniperus occidentalis). ThispicturewastakenfromtheparkinglotatOlmstedPoint.

7

TIOGA PASS ROAD

TheTiogaPassRoad extends about 59miles (94km) from its junctionwiththeBigOakFlatRoadonthewestsideofYosemiteNationalParktoLeeViningon theeastsideof theSierraNevada,where itendsatUS395.Theroad’smileagetoTiogaPassitself,whichmarkstheboundarybetweenYosemiteNationalParkand the InyoNationalForest, isabout47miles (75km). Mileage from the junction of Big Oak Flat Road andNorthsideDriveinYosemiteValleytowhereBigOakFlatRoadconnectswiththeTiogaPassRoadis10miles(16km).AllmileagesinthischapteraregivenfromthestartofTiogaPassRoadatitswestend.

Thetotalelevationgainforbothroads(BigOakFlatandTiogaPass)isabout6,000feet(1,829m),reachingitspeakatTiogaPassat9,945feet(3,031m). Besides being the highest road in the park, the Tioga PassRoadalsohasthehighestpasscrossingtheSierraNevada.

TheTiogaPassRoadoffersaccess toTenayaLakeandTuolumneMeadows, one of Yosemite National Park’s most popular destinationsandsiteofanumberofdistinctivegranitedomes.PeaksintheCathedralRangeformaspectacularbackdroptothemeadows.

Walkingoutongranite slabsa shortdistance fromOlmstedPointbringsintoviewQuarterDomesontheleft,HalfDomeontheright,andTenayaCanyon.

This view of Tenaya Lake is a very short distance past OlmstedPoint.PywiackDomeisinrightcenter,withMedlicottDomeaboveandbehindit.TheTiogaPassRoadskirtsthenorth(left)sideofthelakebelowPleasureDome.

Granite slabs lining the Tioga Pass Road offer plenty ofopportunities in the summer to capturewildflowers that appear togrowrightoutoftherock.Thisphotoshowsrockpenstemon(akacliffpenstemon/Penstemonrupicola)andgraniteslabs.

Another variety of penstemon flower grows in the dry soil foundamonggraniterocks.

Glacial polish on granite slabs, visible in several spots along theTioga PassRoad, bearswitness to the passage of glaciers in thelastIceAge.

Proceeding along the Tioga Pass Road into scenic TuolumneMeadows, you will see Fairview Dome, the largest and mostspectacularoftheTuolumnedomes.

A short walk on the granite slabs to the north of the Tioga PassRoadturnedupthisviewofacloudformationoverFairviewDome,whichisontheright.

The Cockscomb, 11,065 feet (3,373m), is one of the peaks in thestrikingCathedralRange,whichrisesjusttothesouthofTuolumneMeadows.Thisview is from thenortheastandwas takennear thepopular Cathedral Lakes Trail, which begins from the Tioga PassRoad.

Thisclassic imageofathunderheadoverTuolumneMeadowswastakenonJune17,1967,withan8x10viewcamerausing infraredfilm.UnicornPeak,10,823feet(3,299m),isontheleftandCathedralPeak, 10,940 feet (3,335m), is on the right. Iconic Yosemitephotographer Ansel Adams was conducting a photographicworkshop less than 100 yards away, and I have alwayswonderedwhetheranyofhisstudentsmanagedtocaptureasimilarimage.

Unicorn Peak, left, and the Cockscomb, right, appear over abeautiful cascade in the Tuolumne River. This picture was takenabout 2miles (3km) along theGlenAulin Trail,which begins at alockedgate at the endof a 0.3-miledirt road that leaves from theLembertDomeparkinglot.Thisparkinglotinturnislocatedabout40miles(64km)alongtheTiogaPassRoad.

TuolumneMeadowsandCathedralPeak,left,asseenthroughlargebouldersnearthetopofLembertDome,9,450feet(2,880m).Ashorttrail from the Lembert Dome parking lot leads to thismagnificentviewpoint.

Peaksat sunsetare reflected intostandingwater inearlysummer(June)inTuolumneMeadows.MountDana,13,057feet(3,979m), isonthe left,withLembertDomeinfrontof it.Ontheright isMountGibbs,12,764feet(3,890m).

SunsetonMountDana,asseenovertheDanaForkoftheTuolumneRiver. This view, right next to the road, is about 44miles (71km)alongtheTiogaPassRoad.

ThissunsetviewofMountGibbsreflectedinasmallpondatDanaMeadowswas taken a very short distance farther along the TiogaPassRoadfromtheDanaForkphoto.

EarlymorningsunshinesonHetchHetchyReservoir.KolanaRockisontheright.

8

HETCH HETCHY

TuckedawayinthenorthwesternportionofYosemiteNationalPark,theHetch Hetchy Valley contains the O’Shaughnessy Dam and HetchHetchyReservoir,sourceoftheSanFranciscoBayArea’swatersupply.HetchHetchywasoncereferredtoas“theotherYosemiteValley.”

Quiteabitofoppositiontothebuildingofthedamintheearly1900swasspearheaded by naturalist JohnMuir and theSierraClub.Muir, also aprolificwriter,observed:“DamHetchHetchy!Aswelldamforwatertanksthepeople’scathedralsandchurches,fornoholiertemplehaseverbeenconsecratedbytheheartofman.”

Thereisnodoubtthatapprovalforconstructionofadamatthissitewouldneverbegrantedinthepresentday.Atthetime,promotersofthedam painted rosy pictures of luxury hotels along the shores of thereservoir once it was filled, with boats cruising the lake while peoplefished, picnicked, and admired beautiful reflection views. It is said thatapproval forconstructionof thisdam,passedbyCongress in theRakerAct of 1913, hastened the death of John Muir, which occurred thefollowingyear.

Noneof theprojectionsof thepromoterscame topass.There isnoboating allowed on the reservoir, and no lodges of any kindwere builtalong theshoresorevenalong the road insideYosemiteNationalParkthat leads to Hetch Hetchy. Overnight parking is not even permitted,exceptinthecaseofbackpackerswhohavewildernesspermits,andthisareaseesfewvisitors.

This having been said, there is still great natural beauty at Hetch

Hetchy,despitethefactthatthereservoir,inmostyears,hasanunsightly“ringaroundthebathtub”appearance.

Sunset on Kolana Rock, 5,774 feet (1,760m), is reflected onto theHetchHetchyReservoir.Thiswastakeninoneofthoserareyearswhen the reservoir was actually full (July 1995), and there is no“ringaroundthebathtub”effect.

WapamaRockrisesaboveHetchHetchyReservoir.Thisrockface,1,800 feet (549m) at itsmaximumextent, provides aHetchHetchycounterparttoYosemiteValley’sElCapitan.

Tueeulala Falls, with a drop of approximately 880 feet (268m), islocatedtowardtheleft(west)endofWapamaRockinHetchHetchy.This beautiful waterfall is just as outstanding as any in YosemiteValley.

Thispicture, thoughnotartful inany respect, is included toshowthe spillways open at O’Shaughnessy Dam in one of those rareyearswhentheHetchHetchyreservoirwasactuallyfull.ThephotowastakenJuly10,1995.TueeulalaFallsisattheupperleftedgeofthe frame, andWapama Falls is at upper left center. Between thetwofallsisWapamaRock.HetchHetchyDome,6,197feet(1,889m),isattheupperrightcenter.

Awalkofabout2miles(3.2km)alongtheHetchHetchyTrailonthenorthsideofthereservoiryieldsthisartisticview,takenin1976,ofthe reservoir and rock formsofHetchHetchy,marredonlyby the“ringaroundthebathtub”effectcausedbythedroughtatthetime.HetchHetchyDomeisonthe leftandKolanaRockisontheright.Manzanita,Arctostaphylos manzanita, provides color at the lowerright.

Sunrise on Tower Peak, 11,755 feet (3,583m), along the farnortheastern boundary of Yosemite National Park. This view,lookingsouth,wastakenfromCA108,theSonoraPassHighway,atLeavitt Meadows, right next to the U.S. Marine Corps MountainWarfareTrainingCenter.ThisdigitalphotowastakenwithaNikonP90 set at 24x telephoto. This is the most northerly of the highgranite peaks in the Sierra Nevada; north of here, the peaks aremostlyofvolcanicorigin.

9

EASTERN PERIPHERY

ThemostspectacularalpinesceneryinYosemiteNationalParkisfoundalong the northeastern and eastern boundaries of the park. So arehighestpeaks,includingMatterhornPeak,MountConness,MountDana,andMountLyell,theloftiestinthepark.Someofthebestviewsofthesepeaks, ridges,andassociated lakes,moraines,andglaciers, lieoutsideof the park’s boundary, or on the peaks themselves. This sectionshowcasesthebestofthepeaksandviews,withadescriptionofwherethe photos were taken, whether from or near a road, or in a remotelocation.Theprogressionismoreorlessfromnorthtosouth.

Sunrise on Sawtooth Ridge along the northeastern boundary ofYosemite National Park. This ridge forms the divide between thepark and the Hoover Wilderness in Humboldt-Toiyabe National

Forest,seenonthissideofthedivide.MatterhornPeak,12,279feet(3743m),ontheleft,isthehighestinthegroup.TherearenopeaksintheSierraNevadathatreach12,000feetnorthofhere.Thisviewwas taken along the Twin Lakes Road, which leaves US 395 atBridgeport.

Mount Conness, 12,590 feet (3,837m), on the eastern boundary ofYosemiteNationalParkoverlooking the InyoNational Forest. Thisview, taken from the Harvey Monroe Hall Research Natural Area,shows the Conness Glacier below the peak, the terminalmoraine(the largepileofrocks)belowtheglacier,andoneof theConnessLakes below the glacier. This view was reached, partly by cross-country travel, fromSaddlebagLake. The road toSaddlebagLakegoesnorthfromtheTiogaPassRoad2miles(3.2km)eastofTiogaPass.

ThisprofileofthesteepgraniticsouthwestfaceofMountConness,one of the longest and most difficult alpine-style climbs inYosemite’s high country, is seen from near the summit of MountConness. The southwest face of the peak is prominently visiblefromOlmstedPointontheTiogaPassRoad.

ThisviewofthesharpprofileofthenortheastfaceofMountDana,on the left, shows a very different aspect of this peak, whichappearsmoreroundedwhenviewedfromTuolumneMeadows.ThisimagewastakennearthenorthwesternshoreofSaddlebagLake.

ThisviewofsunriseoverMonoLakewastakenfromthesummitofMount Dana. The climb itself, starting from Tioga Pass, is fairlyeasy.Theprincipaldifficultyisthealtitude,13,057feet(3,980m),and—forme—thecoldandwindonthepeakattheearlyhourItookthepicture.Muchoftheclimbwasdonebyflashlight.

TheviewatsunriselookingnorthtoamyriadofpeaksasseenfromthesummitofMountDana.

AviewofMonoLakefromnearthesummitofMountDana,showingthe drawdown of the lake level to send water to thirsty SouthernCalifornia. Fortunately, due to court action, the lake level will bestabilizedatalevelsufficientlyhightomakesurepredatorscannotreachbirdnestingsitesonNegitIsland.

ThenortheastfaceofMountDanaandtheDanaGlacier,showingaprominentterminalmoraineatthelowerleft.Thesummitmarkstheboundary with Yosemite National Park, and the glacier is locatedwithintheneighboringInyoNationalForest.Thisglaciercannotbeseenfromanyhighway.Toreachthisviewpoint,contouraroundtheeast side of the peak from Tioga Pass and climb up on the DanaPlateauhighenoughtoseetheglacier.

The northeast face of Mount Dana as seen from the easternshoulder of the peak, reached by dropping down to the shoulderfromthesummit.

ThisviewlookssouthfromthesummitofMountDana.MountLyell,13,114feet(3,997m),thehighestpeakinYosemiteNationalPark,ison the skyline just to the right of center. The Lyell Glacier isimmediatelybelowthesummit.

Thisclose-upviewofthenorthsideofMountLyellshowstheLyellGlacier.Themoundofdirtandgravelatthelowercenterandrightof the frame is the terminalmoraine of the glacier. To obtain thisphoto, I made a detour slightly west off the John Muir Trail nearDonahuePass.

Kim Schmitz and Jim Bridwell in the process of making the firstascentoftheAquarianWallonElCapitan,seenonMarch19,1971.

10

CLIMBING IMAGES

In many respects, Yosemite Valley is the rock climbing center of theworld.Climbersfromallovertheglobecomeheretotesttheirskills.Big-wallclimbingtechniquesevolvedherebeforebeingusedanywhereelse.Big-wallclimbinginYosemitewasalsotheimpetusforthedevelopmentof hardware and equipment now commonly used by rock climberseverywhereintheworld.

Camp4,onthevalleyfloor,wasthecenterofthebig-wallclimbingworldin the 1950s and 1960s, and the reputations of some of the climbingworld’smostrespectedmembersweremadeonthesewalls.Portraitsofclimbersonhistoricascentsor legendary routes, includingJimBridwell,GalenRowell,andSteveRoper,areshowninthischapter.

MyinvolvementinYosemiteclimbingwaslimited,butIdidparticipatein the first ascent of theDihedralWallon El Capitan in 1962with JimBaldwinandGlenDenny. I lookuponthisexperiencefromanaestheticperspective; my photos show the unusual geometry as seen fromYosemite’s walls. Climbing is another way of experiencing theSoul ofYosemite.

Jim Stuart (1944–1988), climber and photographer, in the IotaChimneyabovetheBigOakFlatRoadleadingintoYosemiteValley.

ThesecondpitchoftheDihedralWallonElCapitan.Portionsofthisfacearesosmooththat if thisformationweretippedonitsside, itmightbepossibleforatwo-wheel-drivevehicletodrivethealmost3,000 feet (914m) to the top, provided thedriver chose theproperroute.

Theauthoradjustingprusikknotsat thebaseof theDihedralWallon El Capitan during the first ascent in 1962. Prusik knots havebeensupersededbymechanicalascenders,whichbecameavailablein1963.

LookingstraightdownatJimBaldwin (1938–1964)on theDihedralWallatthe700-foot(213m)level.

Jim Baldwin at the triangular roof at the 700-foot level on theDihedralWall.MiddleCathedralRockisinthebackground.

Ascendingafixedropeatthe700-footlevelontheDihedralWall.

GlenDennynearingthe900-footlevelontheDihedralWall.

Glen Denny at a belay station at about the 900-foot level on theDihedralWall.

Acres and acres of rock, all vertical! Glen Denny prusiking up afixedropeataboutthe1,000-footlevel(305m)ontheDihedralWall.

Aclimber(probablyGlenDenny,butitcouldbeJimBaldwin)atthe1,600-foot levelon theDihedralWall.At thispoint thewall isdeadverticaloroverhanging.

Thisairybivouacisatthe1,200-footlevel,ontheonlyledgein2,000feet on theDihedralWall.There was barely enough room for twopeopletoliedown.Wellanchored!

JimBaldwinontopofElCapitanaftermakingthefirstascentoftheDihedral Wall in November 1962. Jim was Canada’s first full-time“climbingbum.”

Climbing at about the 1,700-foot level on the Dihedral Wall. Theroutegoesovertheoverhangontherightside.Theropeishangingfree.AgainthisiseitherJimBaldwinorGlenDenny.

SteveRoper,notedYosemiteclimberandguidebookauthor,ononeofElCapitan’swalls.

This vertical panorama of El Capitan, taken November 25, 1962,during the first ascent of theDihedralWallof El Capitan, is fromThanksgivingLedge.TheledgewasreachedonThanksgivingDay,hence its name. The photo is a composite of three different 2¼transparencies that were scanned and then digitally stitched

together.

DennisHennekandDonLauriaon thesecondascentof theNorthAmericanWallonElCapitan(April7,1968).

JackMiller, climber and sometime guide, on theBishopsBalconyroof above Bishops Terrace and an unidentified climbing partner.TherockinthebackgroundispartoftheThreeBrothers.

Jack Miller on the Bishops Balcony roof above Bishops Terrace,withHalfDomeinthebackground.

Galen Rowell (1940–2002), well-known American mountaineer,photographer,andauthor,climbinginYosemiteValleyin1963.

ClimbersnearthetopofthenorthwestfaceofHalfDomeatsunset.

Asecondviewof theHigherCathedralSpire, takenslightly lower,showsthe1,000-foot(305m)verticalprofileofthenorthwestface.

11

TRAILS AND HIKING VIEWS

Some of the best views of the great rock formations in the YosemiteValleyarefoundalongparktrailsthatclimbfromthevalleyfloorintothehighcountry.Oryoucanfindthemyourselfbysimplyclimbingupwardsthrough forest and talus slopes, forging your own trail. This sectionprofilesseveralsuchviews,includingimagesofNevadaFallandVernalFallandtheinfamouscableroutetothesummitofHalfDome.

A pullout along Southside Drive, close to the El Capitan Bridge,offersagoodviewoftheCathedralSpires.Aneasy-to-findclimber’strail ascends steep talus slopes toward the spires fromhere. Youcanchooseavarietyofviewpointsjustbyexploringthearea.ThisimagepicturestheHigherCathedralSpire,siteofthefirsttechnicalrockclimbdoneinYosemiteValleyin1934.

Lower Cathedral Spire is shown against the background ofYosemiteValley.LostArrowSpire isvisible in thedistanceontheleft,andthesharpprofileofSentinelRockisontheright.

Hikers and backpackers on the Yosemite Falls Trail, with UpperYosemiteFallinthebackground.

Another view from theYosemiteFalls Trail shows the coneof icethatbuildsupatthebaseofUpperYosemiteFallinearlyspringinyearsofheavysnowfall.ThisimagewastakenonMay7,1967,afterrecordsnowfallsinMarchandAprilofthatyear.

This unusual view of Upper Yosemite Fall was obtained afterscramblingupSunnyBenchandclimbingupontheeastsideofthebaseofthefall.

TheMistTrailtoVernalandNevadaFallsstartsfromHappyIslesattheeastendofYosemiteValley.TheJohnMuirTrailalsostartshereandfollowsacoursesomewhatparalleltoandabovetheMistTrail,joining the latter above Nevada Fall. Both trails offer a wealth ofoutstanding photographic opportunities. This image shows theMercedRiveratVernalFall,317feet(97m),fromtheJohnMuirTrail.

Also seen from the JohnMuir Trail are brightwater streaks (frommeltingsnow)runningdownthefaceofPanoramaCliff.

ThisviewofarainbowandNevadaFall,594feet(181m),wastakenfromtheMistTrailbelowthefall.

Another(telephoto)viewofthesouthfaceofHalfDome,8,836feet(2,693m), takenfromnear theprevioussiteontheJohnMuirTrail.ThishasaverydifferentlookfromthefamiliarviewofthenorthwestfaceseenfromthefloorofYosemiteValley;MountBroderickformstheclifffaceinfrontofHalfDome.Thisphotowastakenina4x5formatusinginfraredfilm.

TheMist Trailmerges into the JohnMuir Trail aboveNevadaFall.Shortly thereafter,aseparate trailgoesnorthtoHalfDome. In thisimagetwohikerscontemplatethecablerouteupHalfDome,whichisdirectlyabovethem.

The cables that assist hikers up the last pitch of Half Dome cansometimesgetverycrowded,especiallyonholidayweekends.Thispictureshowstherouteonanordinarysummerday,notaweekend.Permits issued by the National Park Service are now required toascendthecablesrouteonHalfDome.

These two photos of the northwest face of Half Domewere takenfromtheDivingBoardalmost27yearsapart.Thefirst,ablackandwhite,wastakenin1963(thirty-sixyearsafterAnselAdam’sclassic,“The Monolith,” was taken in April 1927). The second, a sunsetview,wastakenin1990.Ihavecroppedtheviewsidentically;bothwerewide-angleviews takenwitha4x5camera. It isanarduoustrektoreachtheDivingBoard,butwellworththeeffort.Thereareatleast two different suggested routes. I hiked to the top ofNevadaFalls, and at the appropriate point I headed for the bottom of thesouthfaceofHalfDome.Ithenwenttothewesttoavoidlargecliffs,finallyanglingtotherightanduptotheDivingBoard.Ihavespenttwoorthreenightsatthisfantasticlocation.Youfeelthepowerofrocktoadegreenotpossibleinanyotherlocationyoucanhiketo.

ThisviewofcloudsoverthenorthwestfaceofHalfDomewastakenfromtheSnowCreekTrail,whichswitchbacksupthenorthsideofTenayaCanyonnottoofarbeyondMirrorLake.ThisshorttrailintoTenayaCanyonendsapproximatelywhere theswitchbacksup theSnowCreekTrailstart.

ThisviewisfromthesouthrimofYosemiteValley,withTaftPointon the left andEl Capitan on the right. TheMercedRivermay beseen on the valley floor. Mountain jewelflower, Streptanthustortuosus,isontherockintheforeground.TaftPointisreachedbyatrailleavingfromSentinelDometrailheadalongtheGlacierPointRoad.

12

THE VALLEY FROM ABOVE

This section features a few views looking downat someofYosemite’sgreat landforms in the larger settingof thevalley.While someof theseimages could easily have been placed in another chapter, given theiruniqueperspective itwasmychoice togroup them togetherhere.AlsoincludedisatreasuredrelicfromreveredmountaineerJohnSalathé.

Thiscloser-upviewofElCapitanand the floorofYosemiteValleyfrom Taft Point was taken a number of years after the previousphoto.Bothoftheseviewsweretakenveryearlyinthemorningtocapture theniceshadows.This imagehighlights theNoseandtheWallofEarlyMorningLight.TheeastbuttressofElCapitanisatthelowerright.

This view of Yosemite Valleywas taken high up on the FourMileTrail.WhenItookthispicture(witha5x7viewcamera),theroadtoGlacierPointwasstillclosedbysnowandIwaswadingwaist-deepin thewhite stuff. Sentinel Rock is on the left, with the CathedralRocksjusttotherightinthedistance.ElCapitanisontheright.TheMercedRiver is theblue ribbonon the valley floor. TheFourMileTrail trailhead is about 1.2miles (1.9km)west of Yosemite Villagealong Southside Drive. Since Southside Drive is one way goingeast,youhavetodrivewestonNorthsideDriveuntilyoucancrosstoSouthsideDriveatElCapitanBridge.IfyouareinthevicinityofYosemiteVillage,itissimplertojustwalkthisdistancetothestartofthetrail.

Climbers on the Lost Arrow with Yosemite Valley below. Theclimber on the rope between the spire and the wall to the left isperformingaTyroleantraverse.ThismassascentoftheLostArrowtookplaceonSeptember9,1967,andcommemoratedthetwentiethanniversary of the first direct ascent of the Lost Arrow from itsbase,madeinSeptember1947byAntonNelsonandJohnSalathé.Thisviewisfromthenorthrimofthevalley,reachedbythe3.3-mile(5.3km)YosemiteFallsTrail,whichstartsashortdistancewestofYosemiteVillage.

ThisreproductionoftheactualsignatureofJohnSalathéisfrommyoriginal guidebook to climbing in the Sierra Nevada, A Climber’sGuide to the High Sierra (second printing, 1956). I met him andaskedhimtosignhisnamenexttothedescriptionofthefirstdirectascent of the Lost Arrow, on pages 47 and 48. Although thisguidebookisverybattered,Iconsideritapricelessrelic.

RibbonFall,1,612feet(491m),isvisiblefromanumberofpointsintheseveralmilesbetweentheWawonaTunnelandthepointwhereWawonaRoad joinsSouthsideDrive.Here the fall isseennear itsmaximumvolumeinthespring.Technicallyitisthehighestsingle-dropwaterfallinNorthAmerica,butthenodforthehighestfallgoestoUpperYosemiteFallbecausethevolumeofRibbonFallissolowandformuchoftheyearitistotallydry.

13

WAWONA TUNNEL ROAD

Theactualnameof thisroute is theWawonaRoad(CA41),but IhaveinsertedthewordTunneltomakeitclearIamreferringtothatportionoftheroadabovetheYosemiteValleyfloornearthetunnel.Therearetwofairly largeparkinglotsatthewestendoftheWawonaTunnel,andthisarea is labeled Tunnel View on the official National Park Servicebrochure. Because of the constant traffic, it is extremely difficult (anddangerous)totrytogetapictureofYosemiteValleyasseenthroughthemouthofthetunnel.

ThisroadisthemainentrancetothevalleyformostvisitorscomingnorthfromFresnoandSouthernCalifornia.Alltourbusesstophere,andmorepictures are probably taken from this point than fromanywhere else inthe valley. InspirationPoint is a 1.3-mile (2.1km) hike uphill from here.Tunnel View is located 1.5 miles (2.4km) west of its junction withSouthsideDrive.

TheWawonaTunnelarea’spopularityasaprimepicture-takingsiteisjustified,however,asdemonstratedby imagescaptured in thischapter.TheyincludeephemeralRibbonFallandnewperspectivesonElCapitan,HalfDome, and other valley landforms.Different seasons, times of theday,andweatherconditionsallprovidestunningviews.

This view is from the road a short distance east of the WawonaTunnel.ImadeuseofsnowonthegraniteslabsjustbelowtheroadtoprovideaninterestingforegroundtothisviewofYosemiteValley.ElCapitanisontheleft,HalfDomeinthecenter,andSentinelRockisontheright.

ToobtainthisviewofYosemiteValleywithrockpenstemonin theforeground,IsearchedtheareaaboveTunnelView.ElCapitanisonthe left, Half Dome in the distance, and Cathedral Rocks andBridalveilFallontheright.

OnoneofmytripstoTunnelViewnearsunset,IsawthemoonoverEl Capitan, but it was a little too high to include in the picture. Icalculated when the moon would be in the perfect position thefollowing evening. I returned at that time and, using a telephotolens,capturedthisimage.

SomanypictureshavebeentakenatTunnelViewthatitisdifficulttocomeupwithanythingdifferent.Ihurriedtothepopularlocationin order to be there at sunrise; a brief storm clearing made thisimagepossible. I felt Iwaswitnessingcreation itself takingplace.Thecloudsclosedinrightafterthis,andrainpoureddowntherestoftheday.Thispictureis,Ithink,afittingimagefortheendofthisbook.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ed Cooper became the first “climbing bum” in the Pacific Northwestduring the Golden age of North American climbing (the 1950s and1960s).HeistheauthoroftheacclaimedSouloftheHeightsandSouloftheRockies (Falconguides), and his photos have graced the covers ofAudubon, ArizonaHighways, Backpacker, National Geographic, Sierra,andmanyothermagazinesandbooks.Edandhiswife,Debby, live inSonoma,California.