Yosemite Valley and Hornitos Rd, December 2012

Trip up to Yosemtie Valley to see the snow... and fight the crowds for a mere hour and a half before seeking refuge at Happy Burger in Mariposa. The setting sun provided great light on the metamorphic foothills around Hornitos Road.
  • Scene from along Hornitos Road
  • It was nice to see some water and good lighting on the mima mounds in the background.  How'd they form?  Most likely ancient ground squirrels or other borrowing animals.  They're a geologic site to behold, hor sure.
  • If you look carefully, you can see that the mima mounds actually occupy hundreds of acres in the background.
  • Tunnel view was a MESS.  Cars were double-parked, busses couldn't manuever but still decided it was in everyone's best interest to jam the lot even more.  This zoo made us think about going home VERY quickly.
  • Icicles adorn the depths of hell.  The color should have warned tourists to just keep driving past this site.
  • I took a few minutes to focus on the icicles.  I quite happen to like this shot of a dropplet of water begining its breif journey to the floor of the tunnel.
  • Neat, wavy patterns to the icicles.
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  • El Cap and Half-Dome in stunning early-winter form.
  • Bridalveil Falls was stunning, as always.
  • The view looking up Bridalveil Falls.  The trail was really icy and folks unprepared or unaccustomed were falling and sliding all over the place.  But for the few that had the knowhow to get there, the payoff was awesome.
  • Wider-angle shot of Bridalveil Falls.
  • Back along the Hornitos Rd, just outside of Lake McSwain.    Our bellies were full of Happy Burger, but I still had the energy to take some photos.
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  • This shot was meant to show the vastness of the mima mounds.
  • Up next is a series of ephemeral streams that were awesomely illuminated by the setting sun.
  • Wish I had my GPS going to ID the name of this creek.
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  • What better way to end the day??  Ephemeral stream near Lake McSwain.