Redbud, rocks, and the Merced River (April 2002)
I had a chance to drive up the Merced River Canyon (west of Yosemite along Highway 140) yesterday to check on the flowers. It’s not turning into a good year for poppies in this area. There are scattered patches of poppies in shadier spots, but all the south-facing slopes look very dry. There are very few poppies near the beginning of the Hite’s Cove Trail, on Grandy’s Hill, or any of the other prime poppy locations.
But the redbuds are looking great. Overall, they’re close to their peak now, or maybe just before peak. The redbuds in the western half of the canyon are a little further along, and in prime condition, with most in full bloom, less than 5% leafing out, and maybe 10-20% not quite in full bloom yet. The redbuds in the eastern half of the canyon are not quite at peak yet. I saw one or two leafing out, but maybe 60% were in full bloom, while 40% were still on their way. But there are many vibrant, beautiful specimens throughout the canyon, and it looks like one of the better years for redbuds I’ve seen lately.
The redbuds are easy to find: just drive along Highway 140 between Mariposa and Yosemite, and you’ll see lots of them. My Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite book and app also describes a couple of interesting side roads to explore.
— Michael Frye
Related Post: Signs of Spring
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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom 5: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael 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.
Never get tired looking at photo.
Thanks Doug!
This photo is beautiful Michael. I saw the first redbud of this Spring here in South Carolina. They are so gorgeous. I only wish the blooms lasted longer.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Deborah! I’d like to see the Appalachian redbuds someday.
Growing up my family made an annual drive from Three Rivers up to Kings Canyon to enjoy the redbud. I’m hoping to do that again some day. Thanks for some great visual memories!
You’re welcome Lisa. That road from Three Rivers up is another great area for redbuds.
Gorgeous!! Shutter speed?
What pages in “The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite” for Red Bud locations? I browsed, but didn’t find. Thanks.
Thanks Brent. I don’t remember the shutter speed, and there’s no EXIF data since this was taken on film. There’s a whole chapter in the book on the Merced River Canyon. In the current edition, look at locations 19 and 21.
Very nice Michael!
Thanks for the redbud update! Still hope to get up there this week after the midweek storms.
Good to see the old, normal Merced river spring run off water levels in this beautiful shot. Are we ever going to see water levels like this again? Been such a record dry winter on top of the drought. This year could set a record for the earliest the falls in Yosemite valley run dry. Wonder what the record is?
Hope we get some much needed rain soon!
Thanks Wayne. Let’s hope we don’t set any records for earliest or driest, but it’s certainly a possibility this year.
Bravos pour Les Photos Merci
Thank you Pierre!