Rainbow over Yosemite Valley from near Old Inspiration Point, Yosemite
It was a harebrained idea, but sometimes harebrained ideas work.
On Easter Sunday the forecast called for showers and thunderstorms, with a 100% chance of rain. So I decided it would be a great day to hike 6 miles and climb over 2,000 feet up to Old Inspiration Point.
I could have just gone to Tunnel View. Tunnel View is a wonderfully photogenic spot, where I could have waited out any rain showers in the car, then walked 50 feet to the viewpoint if something interesting happened. And if the light didn’t cooperate, well, no big deal – it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve struck out at Tunnel View, and it wouldn’t take much effort to come back and try again.
On the other hand, I have lots of photographs from Tunnel View, and every other easily-accessible viewpoint in Yosemite Valley, but I’d never been to Old Inspiration Point. And I was in the mood for an adventure. I asked Claudia if she wanted to come with me (carefully explaining what she might be in for, I swear), and she said sure. She’s always up for a hike.
We started from the Tunnel View parking lot at about 1:00 p.m., with snowshoes strapped to our packs in case we encountered deep snow up higher. There were, surprisingly, quite a few people on the Pohono trail; it was Easter Sunday after all.
We climbed steadily up the steep switchbacks toward the first landmark on this trail, Inspiration Point, or New Inspiration Point. There have actually been four different places named Inspiration Point in Yosemite. (Hank Johnston lays out this history in his article in the Yosemite Journal.) Our destination, Old Inspiration Point, was the second spot to get the name, replacing the original Inspiration Point 0.3 miles to the east. Then, after the Wawona stage road was built in 1875, people started calling the first view of Yosemite Valley from that road Inspiration Point, and the previous version – 1,000 feet higher – became Old Inspiration Point. Then in 1933 the mile-long Wawona Tunnel was completed, bypassing the new Inspiration Point and emerging at Tunnel View. (Actually, the official name for this spot is Discovery View – but nobody calls it that.)
Inspiration Point, or New Inspiration Point, isn’t so inspiring anymore, since it’s become overgrown with trees and there’s no view. But there’s a spot several switchbacks lower, off a little unmarked spur from the main trail, that has a great vista. It’s similar to Tunnel View, but almost 1,000 feet higher. When we reached this point there were some interesting clouds, and we needed a rest, so we stopped to take a few photographs. Here’s one, just to show you what this view looks like:
View from Inspiration Point, or New Inspiration Point, Yosemite
We didn’t see any other hikers beyond overgrown New Inspiration Point. As we climbed higher, we encountered some rain showers. As we approached Old Inspiration Point we heard distant thunder, and we had to reconsider our plan of going to a high, exposed spot. But luckily we found another, less-exposed point nearby with a great view. As we neared this location the sun broke through, and a full rainbow appeared over Yosemite Valley, but by the time I found a good view and set up my camera the rainbow had faded. Then, ten minutes later, the rainbow reappeared, and I captured the photograph at the top of this post.
As the showers came and went we saw two more rainbows, and some beautiful dappled light. Then the clouds became thicker, and darker, and the rain more persistent. I kept thinking that the sun would break through again, but it never did. Just before sunset though I captured the photograph below with one high cloud lit by the sun, and a rain squall over Yosemite Valley.
It was a long hike down in the dark with headlamps, but we were happy. We were lucky that our efforts were rewarded with some good light. More importantly, we had a great adventure, and saw a new perspective on this valley that we both know so well and love so much. Watching the changing clouds, light, and rainbows from this high vantage point made me feel as if I was seeing Yosemite Valley for the first time.
I’ll be going back, despite the long climb. Maybe I’ll actually make it to Old Inspiration Point proper next time. And I’ll try to think of other harebrained ideas; it’s fun to try something new.
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: A Rare Storm Approaching Yosemite; Spring Storm
Rain showers over Yosemite Valley from near Old Inspiration Point, Yosemite
Rain squall over Yosemite Valley from near Old Inspiration Point, Yosemite
Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author and photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, plus the eBooks Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, and Exposure for Outdoor Photography. He has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
A beautiful image Michael! Glad your effort was rewarded with the beautiful rainbow. It’s not every day that we see almost a full semicircular rainbow over the valley! It’s nice to see a different view than Tunnel View too and you gave a good history of the different points.
I finally hiked the Pohono Trail last year, after a number of years or wanting to but failing thanks to snow, attempts at trying to do too much (start with the 4 mile trail and then do the Pohono, all in 1 day), etc. I was a little surprised that the signage of the area is so poor. I couldn’t seem to find signs that marked the different spots. My group was in a rush to get back down so I didn’t get to explore much but it’d be great if there was a resource somewhere (a blog post, an update to your books?) that described where the different spots were!
Thanks very much Aaron, I’m glad you like the rainbow photo. I’m glad you got to hike the Pohono Trail — it’s definitely one of the premier trails in the park. It’s been awhile since I’ve done the whole trail, so I don’t remember the signage very well, but I seem to remember signs at Dewey, Crocker, and Stanford Points. There’s no sign and no trail from the Pohono Trail out to Old Inspiration Point, which is why I’d never been there: like everyone else I just stuck to the main trail and went on by. In the early days the Mann brothers cut a trail out to Old Inspiration Point, but I’ve heard that the route is brushy and overgrown. (As I said above, I still haven’t been to OIP proper.)
In The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite I mostly describe places that are close to roads, with a few exceptions. I do mention Artist Point, which is along the old Wawona Road above Tunnel View. Maybe I could add the view I describe here that’s a few switchbacks below New Inspiration Point, but Old Inspiration Point is too far, plus there’s no actual trail there. And also, maybe there are some places that shouldn’t be in guidebooks, so that intrepid explorers can discover them on their own, and feel like they’re the first to find it.
I checked this view a decade and half ago, but then concluded that it wasn’t sufficiently different from Tunnel View to warrant the effort, if the primary goal is a photograph. Call me lazy, but I didn’t go back (except part of a longer hike on South Rim). However I noticed it is one of the spots in the newly released NGS “Secrets of the National Parks”. They tout the lack of crowds, rather than the view itself. So are you going back for the view or the solitude ?
QT, I haven’t seen the “Secrets of the National Parks” — it would be interesting to read what they have to say. Tunnel View is a great spot, so you’re right, there’s no photographic advantage to going up higher. In fact, as I wrote about last fall, high viewpoints are usually more impressive in person than in photographs. At Tunnel View you’re just the right height above the valley: high enough to get an overview, but low enough so that you can use some of the foreground trees to create a sense of depth — if you want to. But, to answer your question: all of the above, and more. I’m going back for the experience of being alone in a high place with a great view. If I come home with good photographs that’s a bonus.
Thanks for the thorough write-up of your exploration. My first hike in Yosemite was to Inspiration Point (that is, “New Inspiration Point”), and remember it being quite overgrown. I obviously didn’t find the clearing you did. Between Old & New and Discovery View (I still call it that) I think the perspective you found new New Inspiration Point may be my favorite, perhaps because it seems to show the most of Half Dome (which doesn’t show up at all well at Discovery View).
Well, now I have another valley hike to try some day, and for that you have my thanks!
Thanks Tyler. You’re right that Half Dome shows up well from the spot below New Inspiration Point. On the other hand, Cathedral Rocks blend into the ridge behind them, while at Discovery View, aka Tunnel View, they stick up above the ridge and stand out more. Esthetically, there are plusses and minuses to all these spots, including Artist Point too, but they’re all absolutely great, world-class views. Stanford Point is also a wonderful spot.
Wow, a feast for the senses and for the mind as you tend to give us great background info so it’s almost as if we’d gone with you (in a comfy sense). They’ve had to rescue people from that area when it’s wet…
The rainbow image is amazing and must have been something to experience live. What I like about the others (can’t pick a fave)
. the New Inspiration Pt view — that sky (tonally, with those clouds) and the way the light hits the surfaces below),
. the next b&w one with the thread of mist hovering over just a portion of the valley while the sun is breaking through to highlight the Cathedral Rocks and BridalVeil Fall and the edges of El Capitan
. and the vertical shot, with the mist no longer just a thread over the valley plus that amazing glowing set of clouds with such a blue background…
Altogether, a terrific set – can’t believe you saw all that in one day’s walk. Thanks for bringing these to us.
Thanks very much Andrys! I appreciate the kind words, and the detailed comments about each photo, and I’m glad you felt like you were traveling with us from the comfort of your computer or tablet screen. 🙂
I’ve been to “inspiration point,” but now you have me wondering which one it was! It was probably what you call “New Inspiration Point” given the number of trees there. I won’t say too much – don’t want to attract too many folks away from the fun and ease of Tunnel view – but I really enjoyed it. Yes, there is no clear vista of the Valley, but I was absolutely alone except for a few birds and deer, and unusual and precious experience in Yosemite, especially when combined with a view of the Valley.
Dan
I’ve actually seen your photo from Inspiration Point Dan. If you Google “Old Inspiration Point Yosemite” and click on the “Images for Old Inspiration Point Yosemite,” your photograph shows up pretty near the top of the page. Nice SEO. 🙂 It looks like your photo is from Inspiration Point, aka New Inspiration Point. It’s from a little higher than my photo from a few switchbacks below there posted above. It is indeed nice to have a view like that without the Tunnel View crowds. Artist Point is even easier to get to, and few people go there. And there are places places within a few hundred feet of Tunnel View where you can be alone and have great views. I won’t say any more. 🙂
It was worth it! Easy for me to say…I didn’t have to make the hike. 🙂
Doug – I’m glad you think it was worth it for me to punish my body like that. 🙂
Please Michael, keep having harebrained ideas! As if I didn’t already have enough inspiration to return to Yosemite, I can now add all of the various Inspiration Points to my list. (Then again, what “point” is there in Yosemite that doesn’t provide inspiration?)
The description of New Inspiration Point as not so inspiring, but with a spot a few switchbacks down offering a great vista makes me feel like I’m at home. So many of the peaks that we hike in the northeast have this character. You can go to the summit for the “checkmark”, but the views are to be found on the unmarked path below. Somehow knowing to take that path make the view that much more spectacular.
And how great is it having a partner that’s “always ready for a hike”? I know that the hike and the views were both better because Claudia was there with you. I’m also blessed to have a wife that always is ready for a hike (and is often the catalyst) as well. So wonderful.
BTW – the images are all beautiful. Kind of goes without saying.
Thanks for sharing a great experience.
Mark
I’ll try to keep having those harebrained ideas Mark. 🙂 And you’re right, there could be even more Inspiration Points in Yosemite. We could have even more confusion! But seriously, it’s hard to say that any of the Inspiration Points is more inspiring than Glacier Point, or Cook’s Meadow, or Valley View, or… pick one.
Yes, it is wonderful to have a partner that’s always ready for a hike. And Claudia is usually the catalyst for me too. I can easily get chained to my desk.
It’s pretty cool that you know all these details of various views and many other lesser known photo opportunities in Yosemite. Maybe sharing some of them will help to spread out the crowds and get people out into places off the beaten track to experience more of the real essence of the park. I do see a difference, albeit slight, between the various views and feel it is worth it, if only just for the adventure. Some day you may be part of Yosemite lore too.
Thanks David. Spread out the crowds, or attract crowds to previously empty spots? That’s always a dilemma. But there are major obstacles in terms of effort to get to many of these locations, so that will always limit the number of people.
Thanks for sharing your adventures, Michael! While rainbows are always fun to see, I really like the rain squalls in the last two shots. I always love seeing how curtains of rain is falling.
Thanks Vivienne. Robin Black also mentioned that she liked that last image over on Google+. I like those photographs too. The last one is unusual, because it doesn’t have the kind of light usually required for big landscape shots, but it does have a certain mood.
Spectacular images as always Michael! I would say it was totally worth the hike. It’s great to see different views of a place. If it wasn’t for people exploring we might never get to see things like this.
Thanks Michael!
Though the aesthetics are a bit damaged by all the antennae, isn’t the view from Turtleback in the same general category?
(I particularly like the rain squall shot. I gives a context for the valley one doesn’t often see. The sense of being carved by an axe in the landscape, of how narrow and deep it is. I saw a shot from Clouds Rest recently (can’t remember who) that had the same feel).
Eric, I think the view from Turtleback Dome is great, but to me it’s not in the same category as Tunnel View, Artist Point, or the Inspiration Points, because you can’t see Bridalveil Fall or Cathedral Rocks from the top of Turtleback Dome. It’s a great spot for a telephoto view of El Cap and Half Dome though.
Glad you like the rain squall photo. As I said to Vivienne above, it’s unusual because it doesn’t have the kind of light you would think a big landscape scene would need, but it has a nice mood to it.
I was so impressed with the view from Turtleback a few weeks ago (first visit) that I didn’t notice what I *couldn’t* see….
The rain shot doesn’t have knock-your-socks-off color, but to me it draws you in, asking you to look closer. I like big colorful images, but I’m not sure I’d put them on my wall. This one, or several of your Bridalveil and mist images, are shots I keep coming back to, to look again.
Great photography Michael. You obviously have a lot of patience and enjoy spending the time out in mother nature because that’s what it takes to come back with some keepers. It seems so many people I talk to go to the typical tourist viewpoint without realizing there are an infinite number of compositions and angles to photograph.
A couple weeks ago, I too tried to make my way up to inspiration point and got rained out! I guess that is Yosemite weather for you. On my way back down the trail the most brilliant rainbow popped out for a few minutes and I was able to capture it http://smu.gs/ZVTkPB. I just wish I could spontaneously take a nice Yosemite hike anytime I wanted. You are very lucky to be so close and I’m looking forward to enjoying what you capture next.
Thanks Mike, and that’s a really nice photo you got on the way down from Inspiration Point. Was that taken on March 20th? I got up to Tunnel View that afternoon, and someone showed me a photo of a rainbow on the back of his camera that he had taken about half an hour before I got there. Looked a lot like your rainbow.
Yes Michael, it was the 20th. I couldn’t believe the rainbow because there was so little light that day. By the way you have some stunning snowy winter shots of Yosemite. It must be hard to get to a good vantage point with a fresh snowfall and a lot of the roads being closed.
Good guess! I’m glad you like my winter Yosemite images. Actually most of the roads in Yosemite stay open in the winter, so it’s not that hard to get snowy photographs. And it’s rare for the snow to get deep enough to make walking around difficult in Yosemite Valley. You just need to have warm, waterproof boots.
Michael, I’m curious what gear you’re using to keep yourself and your photo gear dry when it is that wet?
It wasn’t that wet Mike, so not much of a challenge to keep me or my gear dry. I have a LowePro pack that has a rain fly, but I’ve never used the rain fly because it has to be raining really hard to soak through the pack even without it. If I’m trying to photograph when it’s actually raining I use an umbrella that I clamp to the tripod to keep the camera dry, and, more importantly, keep rain off the front of the lens.