Yosemite Photos, Video and News

If we do not get any rain this month which it looks iike will happen, it will be the 4th driest or driest  December(depending on who you listen to)on record!

The beautiful Tenaya Lake with perfect ice skating on 12/24/11

The beautiful Tenaya Lake covered in ice during this rare event where one can ice skate on Tenaya Lake due to the cold temperatures and no snow.

This is a very rare event where you ice skate on Tenaya Lake. The road is usually closed due to snow and the lake is snow covered. This year has no snow and low temps enabling the lake to freeze. The ice was 4 to 3" thick.
3rd photo is skating on Dana Fork

This shows Foresta Falls just below Foresta with ice on it, 12/15/11

The new bridge over Crane Creek in Foresta is almost done!

 A view of the slopes at Badger Pass on 12/2/11

 The Mono winds came in with a vengance yesterday afternoon and really whipped up all the dust making for a very erie sunset. This is looking west last night over Foresta and Big Meadow

 They have replaced the old bridge in Foresta that went over Crane Creek. The old bridge was a very old wooden one lane bridge and debri from the creek always got stuck under it.

Daredevil performs nerve-shredding tightrope walk 3,000ft above Yosemite Park... without a safety harness

his is the incredible moment an adrenaline junkie takes tightrope walking to new heights.

Daredevil Mich Kemeter performs a delicate balancing act at a dizzying altitude of more than 3,000ft over Yosemite National Park in California.

The 23-year-old inched across the 25metre-long wire, which was just one-inch wide, three times.

 They have been hard at work making the ice at the Curry Village Ice Rink. They work through the night out there with hoses spryaing layer after layer till it is built up enough to drive the Zambonie which can then lay down layers.

They ar ehoiping to open by Sunday or Monday.

Yosemite Valley was crisp and beautiful today and we ran into a long line, 15 minutes, at the Hwy 140 Entrance Station at 12:30.
Once inside Yosemite Valley it was not to crowded and there were no traffic jams.

 Clearing storm clouds this morning, looking up the Merced river Canyon into Yosemite Valley.

I went for a little hike yesterday and ended up at the most amazing grotto I have ever seen. It is a huge overhanging cliff dripping wet that bathes the plants below. I think this grotto is seldom visited as there was no sign of people, no trails, and no trash.

The sky does not get any clearer or blue than what one will find in Yosemite's High Country right now. The last storm really cleared the air and with no campfires or control burns going it is crisp and clear.
There is lots of snow in the shady areas while out in the sun it was quite warm. All services are closed in Tuolumne but gas is still available by credit card.
This photo was taken in Tuolumne Meadows yesterday and show snow covered Unicorn Peak on the left with Cathedral Peak on the right

A very unusual fall storm rolled through last night bringing lots of rain and snow down to 6,000'. Today has seen bouts of rain with sunshine.
The Tioga Pass and glacier Point Roads are closed at this time.

The El Portal Gas Station on Hwy 140 is closed until further notice. NPS is looking for some one to take over the contract if any one is interested.

Took these yesterday morning on Hwy 120 the Tioga Pass Road of the Tamarack Fire. This is a lightning caused fire that NPS is letting burn and in the last several days it has come right up to the road.
These were taken at 4:30am and it was cold and the wind was howling. It was quite a experience listing to the wind and flames.
 

I visited one of the sites where there is a lightning caused fire, just one of the many burning through out the park from all the storms. This one was burning very slowly as there is not much fuel. One can also see the strike on the tree and the blown up top is all over the ground.
At Porqupine Creek Trailhead a recent strike at the parking area blew out some tires, popped some airbags and fried the electronics on some cars.