California's magic unfolds as spring awakens Yosemite Valley. As snow-capped peaks begin to shed their winter coat, waterfalls roar to life, valleys become temporary lakes, and wildflowers paint the meadows in vibrant hues.
Yosemite National Park was one of the very first National Parks I had visited, and it's everlasting beauty played no small part in awakening my spirit of conservation. I hope that it inspires you to protect the rich diversity of this planet as well.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
A National Park Journey - Yosemite National Park
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
Gentle Giants
These gentle giants have been growing silently on the rugged slopes of the Sierra Nevadas for thousands of years, and have, in their lifetimes, probably survived hundreds of fires.
And yet, over the last few decades, they have faced far more pressures from the drying climate and human activity. While these giants evolved to survive the smaller fires, they now burn with fiercer intensity, and the lower precipitation reduces their ability to withstand them.
Will these giants survive the next big fire? With Creek fire approaching dangerously close to the Mariposa grove, it is hard to say.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
The Way of the Mountains
There are sunsets.
And then there are sunsets in the Sierra Nevada.
The play of shadow and light on the steep rocky slopes of the granite escarpment of the Sierra Nevada gives rise to unreal sunsets. And nowhere is this more evident than the hallowed landscape of Yosemite National Park. The long rays of sunlight filtering through the remnants of a spring thunderstorm often end up lighting the sheer granite cliffs, creating a evanescent landscape with different geologic features alternately lighting up and disappearing into the shadows.
And sometimes, that scene would transpire to an Sierra Nevada sunset, where the last fleeting rays set fire to none by the highest peaks, while the valleys below get mired in a deep shadow.
This was one such sunset, captured on an spring evening in May many such years ago during one of the many sojourns to my favorite National Park
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
Escaping Paranoia
The last few weeks have certainly not been peaceful: between the rapid onset of a contagious virus, hyperactive media coverage, and a lack of decisive action by multiple developed countries, paranoia has set it. And in paranoia, human beings have not been rational actors. Not a day goes by when you don't hear of people defying quarantine, or of hoarders stocking for the next decade, disrupting the finely tuned supply-chains. It makes you realize what a thin veneer of order human beings superficially present, and how quickly this can be subverted
In then end, I am eternally grateful for the people who keep civilization functioning: the medical personnel taking care of the sick and researchers finding the next cure, the expansive supply chain supplying essential goods, transit workers, safety services, and utility providers without whom nations would grind to a halt.
During these pressing times, what gives me solace are the little signs of upcoming spring: a poppy flower opening up its colorful petals, a budding field of color heralding warmer weather, bountiful waterfalls under fleeting light, and alpine meadows renewing under the growing warmth of the sun. I hope that by the time spring rolls around, things will become more peaceful again. And in the meantime, I am going to be hunkered down at home, admiring memories of these little signs of solace.
CA USA
An Ode to the National Parks
“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere;
the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising.
Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming,
on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
- John Muir
It has been over 7 years since I visited this magnificent temple to the mountains, and every time I see this grand vista, I am forever reminded of the courageous spirits that worked hard to preserve this monument.
And so, on this day, I extend my thanks to the people whose tireless work created not just the National Park system, but also inculcated a sense of conservation in our society.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
White and Black
I stumbled through the soft snow to the frosty riverbank of the Merced river. The cold waters meandered glacially, it's still surface reflecting the winter landscape of Yosemite valley. Skeletons of trees hugged the icy shores, frostbitten remnants of a lush green summer. Tall dark conifers punctuated the landscape beyond, stalwarts of the polar temperatures. A moody grey sky completed the mood, with a thick mist dropping down to the treeline lending a mysterious aura.
This was one of my winter sojourns many winters ago in Yosemite National Park. It saddens me that such a beautiful treasure has to stay closed due to the shutdown. My thoughts go to the Park employees and Rangers.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
In Memory of National Parks
One of the country's best kept treasures are it's amazing systems of 60 National Parks. I have spent countless sunrises and sunsets exploring nooks and crannies of many of the parks, and every one of them has managed to surprise me, not just in their natural beauty, but in the people who have worked to preserve this for posterity. It takes incredible foresight and effort to manage the many competing goals of such a system, and that has constantly left me in awe of this challenge.
And now, the unneeded shutdown, instigated by the theatrics of a clown, has thrown a wrench in a delicately balanced environment. While federal employees all over the country do suffer, it pains me to see the what the park system is going through to continue it's mission. Full props to the brave people who have worked tirelessly to this effort. And if you are a fan of the National Parks, I urge you to do your part: volunteer your time or money to the various Park foundations that assist the National Park System.
When my hands are finally healed, I hope to lend my hand to heal the National parks as well. I feel it is a moral obligation to return the favor for all the joyous moments I have experienced in the amazing National Park System. You can help too: purchase my 2019 calendar, and all proceeds will be split between the National Park Foundation and WildAid
Seattle
WA 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
The White Frost
I remember first setting sights on the Ahwahnee hotel, ahem, the 'Majestic Yosemite Hotel' on my second visit to this beautiful park. I stood in awe at the huge vaulted ceilings in the main dining area, at the towering chandeliers lighting the lounge, and the large native stones that were crafted beautifully into the walls. I listened in peace to the crackling sounds of the warm fireplace and the soothing music emanating from the grand piano while I took a breather from the cold outdoors in the cozy interior. This was my first winter experience in Yosemite, a memory that would bring me back to the Ahwahnee every visit just to rekindle those old feelings.
On one such winter outing, I chanced upon the park just as it was experiencing a heavy snowfall. The crowds were away, leaving behind a very quite and serene surrounding. The normally bluebird skies with Yosemite falls in the background was replaced with a moody grey sky pouring down wet snow. This was the white Christmas I experienced once, at the heart of Yosemite National Park. I made a few attempts at capturing this snowfall before I got drowned in the snow, and this was one attempt at photographing the White Frost.
Thank you Yosemite, for etching such wonderful memories.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA