Yosemite National Park

Half Dome, Yosemite

Yosemite National Park, California

More of an amusement park rather than a National Park, Yosemite Valley bears the worst of the San Francisco Bay Area's craving for fresh air. But fresh air is the last thing you will breathe as you crawl through the smog-filled one lane Valley loop. Forget the long weekends, as it may take you upto an hour to crawl into Curry Village from the entrance station.

Sunset, Valley

But all hope is not lost, yet. There are places and times when you can find some serenity in the Valley. Winter time, when the forecast calls for snow storms and windy, turbulent weather, is your best chance to catch the fresh snow, and some stunning views of the Yosemite Valley. Another magical time is during Fall, when colored-leaf-hungry Californians rush out to glimpse the bright yellows in the Valley and Owens Valley.

Yosemite Valley at Dusk	Snowstorm, Yosemite	Makeshift pool, Yosemite

Which is not to say that the valley is deserted during the winter snow storms. Its close enough to the San Francisco Bay Area that quite a few adventurous souls (and a lot of un-adventurous ones too) will still show up. Its just that people tend to stay on the Valley Loop itself, and do not trudge through the snow even to summer hotspots like the Sentinal Beach. A few will venture to the Swinging Bridge, but won't bother walking towards the shore in the snow.

Merced, Swinging Bridge	Swinging Bridge, Yosemite	Merced, Swinging Bridge

Makeshift rivulet, Yosemite	Chapel, Yosemite	Upper Yosemite Falls

Over the years, we have figured out the one basic truth about good landscape photography - it simply needs a bit more exploration than your average person is willing to do. Not that we are very outgoing, but taking the road trip when the weather is bad, walking the extra few steps in knee deep snow to get a better reflection of Half Dome in the makeshift pond rather than snapping from the road - all of these little things make a big difference.

Merced River, Yosemite Valley

Clearing snowstorm, Valley

Half Dome, Yosemite

Clearing snowstorm, Yosemite

Sentinel beach, Yosemite

Upper Yosemite Falls

Freezing rivulet, Yosemite

Reflections, Valley

Bridalveil Falls

Lower Yosemite Falls

Half Dome, Yosemite

El Capitan & Merced

Freezing rivulet, Yosemite

Early morning, Yosemite

Bird nests in snowstorm

Fall colors, Yosemite Despite all the screaming children and joggers in their spandex, the Valley is truly magnificent. A really inspiring time to visit the Valley is during the fall, around mid-October, when the whole valley is ablaze in a shout of yellow. And to escape it all, you simply have to transport yourself out of the Valley, where 90% of the population is having a picnic, to greener pastures such as Tioga Pass Road and Hetch Hetchy. Feeling more adventurous? Head over the Tioga Pass to Mono Lake and the beauties of the Eastern Sierras and Eastern California.

Cycle of Life	Near Swinging Bridge	Yosemite Falls
El Capitan	Fall colors	El Capitan
Fall & Merced	Bridalveil Falls	Fall colors
Lake, along CA-120	Tioga Pass	Lake Ellery

Fall colors	Tree and fog	Approaching storm
Moon & Tunnel View	Lake, CA-120	Storm, Valley