There is no grander a cathedral of granite than Yosemite National Park. Stepping into its hallowed halls with walls of towering granite from whose ledges gush waterfalls, is like stepping onto another planet. And while its star attraction, the Yosemite Valley, carries all the trappings of modern civilization, the towering geological features put the human efforts to tame it to shame.
When I lived in California, I used to visit the park multiple times a year, enough to observe the sharp change of seasons. But the summer in its mountains holds a special place in my heart. In the summer, my favorite place in Yosemite, however, was not the valley, but the high Sierra terrain. Far away from the maddening crowds, the quieter pace of the delicate alpine terrain offers an opportunity to slowdown and admire the small flowering plants as well as the iconic granite peaks topping above the forests. And at night, the higher altitude affords an humbling opportunity to observe the night sky far away from sources of light pollution.
This image showcases the night sky during one such summer visit.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
An ode to the Parks
The parks do not belong to one state or to one section.... The Yosemite, the Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon are national properties in which every citizen has a vested interest; they belong as much to the man of Massachusetts, of Michigan, of Florida, as they do to the people of California, of Wyoming, and of Arizona.
Stephen T. Mather, NPS Director, 1917-1929
As National Park Week rolls around, I reminisced on the impact the US National Park System has had in my life so far. And I have come to realize that without such a system, my passion for photography, my love of the outdoors, and my curiosity to explore, would have all suffered a slow premature death. One of my very first hiking trips in the National Park system was in Yosemite, where I got to see the grandeur of Half dome nestled in its stellar surroundings. Even my first backpack into the heart of its mountainous wilderness, where, camping in the meadows next to a glistening alpine lake, I got to experience the freedom the wild outdoors provide, especially in a protected setting like Yosemite, was unforgettable.
It was these formative trips into the National parks a decade ago that have fostered not just my passion for the outdoors, but also an ethos of conservation of the natural wonders. I am forever grateful for the magnanimity of the National Park service that asks for so little.
Thank you.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA