Post by NatureNut on Sept 12, 2010 0:19:45 GMT -5
Okay, I had always heard people talk about Yosemite, but never could grasp what they were so wild about. Now I understand.
Naturalist John Muir found his spirit in Yosemite and wrote about it, helping it become America's first nationally preserved land. Later it became our second National Park (after Yellowstone). 95% of Yosemite National Park is wilderness.
The coolest thing about Yosemite is the rocks. It's set in the Sierra Nevada range and was carved out by glaciers.
The rock is granite and as glaciers picked up pieces of granite and moved, they sandpapered those rocks smooth. Actually, sculpted them. The coolest thing is how the light plays against these surfaces. It's amazing!
Those last pics were views from Glacier Point, a favorite spot of John Muir's. Now here are views from the peaks at the other side of the valley, which can be reached by driving Tioga Road.
And, here's what those glacier polished peaks look like up close.
Down in the valley, there are meadows and the Merced River, which runs through.
El Capitan
Yosemite has three groves of giant Sequoias. This was Mariposa Grove. Giant Sequoias are the oldest living things on Earth.
... and here is one of their pine cones.
Another huge feature here is the waterfalls. They spout right out the sides of those rock walls. Unfortunately, this time of year most slow to a trickle, especially with the current drought in California, but we did get a peak at Bridalveil Falls. It looked cool bouncing off rocks as it fell.
Angie was only allowed in a few places in the park, but still managed to make new friends.
Bill and I remarked at the lack of visible wildlife. There are bears there. In fact, the best signs to keep traffic under control read "Speed Kills Bears". I guess it's because there is so much hidden room for them to roam. We did spot some little critters though.
Someone left this on top of a granite boulder, seemingly in the spirit of appreciation for all the park's wonders.
Video is in the works... might take me a couple of days though.
Thanks for looking!
Naturalist John Muir found his spirit in Yosemite and wrote about it, helping it become America's first nationally preserved land. Later it became our second National Park (after Yellowstone). 95% of Yosemite National Park is wilderness.
The coolest thing about Yosemite is the rocks. It's set in the Sierra Nevada range and was carved out by glaciers.
The rock is granite and as glaciers picked up pieces of granite and moved, they sandpapered those rocks smooth. Actually, sculpted them. The coolest thing is how the light plays against these surfaces. It's amazing!
Those last pics were views from Glacier Point, a favorite spot of John Muir's. Now here are views from the peaks at the other side of the valley, which can be reached by driving Tioga Road.
And, here's what those glacier polished peaks look like up close.
Down in the valley, there are meadows and the Merced River, which runs through.
El Capitan
Yosemite has three groves of giant Sequoias. This was Mariposa Grove. Giant Sequoias are the oldest living things on Earth.
... and here is one of their pine cones.
Another huge feature here is the waterfalls. They spout right out the sides of those rock walls. Unfortunately, this time of year most slow to a trickle, especially with the current drought in California, but we did get a peak at Bridalveil Falls. It looked cool bouncing off rocks as it fell.
Angie was only allowed in a few places in the park, but still managed to make new friends.
Bill and I remarked at the lack of visible wildlife. There are bears there. In fact, the best signs to keep traffic under control read "Speed Kills Bears". I guess it's because there is so much hidden room for them to roam. We did spot some little critters though.
Someone left this on top of a granite boulder, seemingly in the spirit of appreciation for all the park's wonders.
Video is in the works... might take me a couple of days though.
Thanks for looking!