Sunset light, Tunnel View, yesterday evening
Some interesting weather passed through the Sierra Nevada yesterday. It so happened that I had an errand to run in Yosemite Valley, which gave me an excuse (as if I needed one) to go up there and check on the weather. After taking care of the errand, Claudia and I ended up at Tunnel View, where we waited out a thunderstorm. I tried to take a nap in the car, but was rudely awakened several times by loud claps of thunder. After the rain stopped I went out to the viewpoint and waited for the sun to break through, joined by a number of other photographers, including some friends and acquaintances. Tunnel View is, by virtue of its popularity, the social gathering place for photographers in Yosemite.
Finally, just before sunset, the sun did break through and light El Capitan (see the photograph above). It’s funny how all those photographers can suddenly become quiet as they concentrate on composition and camera settings.
The light faded, but we hung around talking with friends for another 30 minutes, so it was pretty dark when Claudia and I started driving home. But then it occurred to me that the moon should be rising soon. I checked my PhotoPills app, and sure enough, the moon was due to rise at about 7:30 p.m. We stopped at Gates of the Valley and saw clouds and mist still lingering, which could make the moonrise interesting. I decided to wait. Although the clouds were dissipating, enough of them hung around to create a colorful moonrise. Here’s one of the photographs I made as the moon rose and lit the clouds overhead:
Clouds lit by the rising moon, Gates of the Valley, about 7:37 p.m. last night
Our trip to the Valley also gave me a chance to check on the fall color. The good news is that the big-leaf maples have progressed quite a bit since my visit last Thursday, and there’s a lot more yellow around the valley. The bad news is that many of the maple leaves that were green last week have turned brown instead of yellow. I had assumed that those seemingly-healthy green leaves I saw last week would turn yellow, and many of them have, but a substantial percentage – maybe 30 to 40 percent – have turned brown instead. Many maples are still green, but most of those that have turned contain a mix of yellow and brown leaves. In distant views this looks fine, but even a moderately closeup photograph will reveal those brown leaves.
As I wrote in my last post, the cottonwoods are all bare. The oaks are also showing a lot of brown leaves. As with the maples, oak leaves that were green last week have turned brown instead of gold; unlike the maples, with the oaks this is almost universal. There are some colorful oak leaves in the valley, but they’re hard to find.
The dogwoods are still mostly green, with a sprinkling of red and yellow leaves on some trees. So far, the dogwoods look healthy, so they may still put on a good autumn display, but if so it won’t be for at least another week. And it’s possible that the dogwoods may also turn brown, as so many of the other valley trees have.
It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the drought has led to this poor autumn display. Nature is resilient, but after four years of below-average precipitation, with little snowpack, all of the trees are stressed. Here in California we’ve heard so many news reports about the monster El Nino brewing in the Pacific that many people assume the drought is all but over. But long-term weather forecasts are quite unreliable. I’m hopeful, but not counting on anything until we see substantial rain and snow actually fall from the sky.
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Yosemite Valley Fall Color; Heading Home
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to this blog and get every new post delivered right to your inbox!
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.
Nice photos and great to read about the rain. If the forecast holds up and you get a couple good storms Monday/Tuesday, what impact do you expect on the different falls? Which might start filling? My week there begins Saturday late afternoon.
Thanks Mike. I expect little impact on the water flow in the falls from the predicted storm. You might see a slight increase, but that’s all. First, it’s not supposed to be a big storm. Second, it’s predicted to be a cold storm, so it will snow at higher elevations, and until that snow melts there won’t be any increase in water flow. After the storm, if the weather warms and some of the snow starts to melt, there will probably be a slight rise in water levels.
Hi Michael, Lovely shots – aren’t storms the bees knees! I was in Hope Valley on 88 when it started and came down to 395 on 89 by way of Monitor pass. Driving to June Lakes Loop – got some good shots along the way – some of the deciduous were really showing very nice color (check out my flickr – “nom d’flickr: “beautythief” or my fb page “Greg Rodgers”). I also saw some great moonlight from below on the clouds as I was speeding along at 55mph, but by the time I thought of stopping to shoot, it was over and the moon hidden by the clouds. Glad you were in a place to get these super shots. ALWAYS appreciate your work. 🙂
Thanks Greg, and I’m glad you got to photograph the storm.
Thanks, Michael, for the beautiful shots and fall color report. I live along the Highway 108 corridor and spoke to someone at the Summit Ranger Station (near Pinecrest Lake) a few days ago. He also said that the trees (including aspens) on this side (west) of the Sonora Pass are mostly doing the same thing… turning from green to brown. Not much fall color! Let’s hope next year is better!
You’re welcome Laurel, and thank you! On the east side the fall seemed relatively normal, though some of the effects of the drought were visible. Not so normal, apparently, on the west side.
I am new to your blog and really enjoyed this post, your report of current conditions, and the lovely photos. Good lessons there about the importance of waiting out a storm, and anticipating the possibilities of the moonrise. I live in Utah but grew up in California with many visits to Yosemite during childhood. Will be in Yosemite for a week in May.
I’m glad you found me Jean, and thanks for all the kind words! I hope you’re enjoying Utah – it’s a beautiful state.
Your images are great. You have developed a weather intuition that is incredible. If you create a Yosemite weather per Michael Frye, I’ll know when to drive up from San Diego. I plan on seeing you in October.
Thanks Craig, and I look forward to seeing you next year!
Michael,
You are truly a master photographer and I always appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge of shooting locations and photography technique, and your reports on current conditions are helpful to those of us that must drive for hours to get to areas that are in your backyard.
Thanks,
Bruce
Thanks so much Bruce!
Michael. I just got back from a week in Yosemite. I concur with your report, with the exception that most of the dogwood I saw was green or brown. Lots of brown shriveled up leaves. But we still have fun. That was quite a storm, but we were snug in the campground.
We left on Friday via 41 to Fresno before heading north to home. Have you gone that route lately? I was amazed at all the dead pines and even cedars. some were obviously from some fires in the area, but most were not. I am wondering of an insect is reeking havoc there. Both sides of Wawona area. The draught I am sure has really stressed out the trees making them susceptible to all kinds of other environmental damage. Sad to see. Sure home you guys in Californai have a better winter this year with logs of moisture. Even in Washington we need a lot of snow. Had a fair amount of precip last year, but it was all rain with no snow to back it up for the summer. And here in Eastern Washington we had a blistering summer with weeks in the 100’s. Never remember such a summer here.
Aram
Yes, trees have been dying at an alarming rate in California. Most of the dead trees in the Sierra are ponderosa pines, and the proximate cause is bark beetles, but they’ve only gained a foothold because of the drought. I saw a story recently that said 12 million trees had died in California because of the drought.