Photos

So, yea, this is what happen when you go snowshoeing in fleece pants. The first of the many important lessons I hope to learn in Yosemite.

Here are some preliminary snaps...nothing spectacular as I haven't even broken out my good camera yet...

Before we get to the pics, I want to share a note about photographs and this blog: While this post will contain a few classic Yosemite/El Capitan/waterfall goodness photos, don't expect that to become a regular thing. As the title of my blog implies, certain folks have done a lovely job of photographing Yosemite's monuments and all the glory that entails. I will not be attempting to do that here, it would be boring and redundant. This park, with all it's big dramatic visitas, also contains a host of lovely nooks and crannies. I plan to spend my time photographing these quirks, and will try to save the monuments for adventuring and admiring with my eyes rather than my lense. For the most part, at least.

We got a tour of the valley our second day of work, and there was an awesome rainbow in front of Upper Yosemite Falls. Apparently on when there's a full moon, there is also a "moonbow" that forms. Can't wait to see that.






And here's El Capitan, because I was so blown away I didn't know what to do, so I took a crappy picture.




This next set is from last weekend, when my roomate Molly and I tried our hand at snowshoeing. We drove up to Badger Pass, which is a ski area in the high country of the park. We trudged along Glacier Point Road, which gets turned in to a cross-country ski/snowshoe run every winter. It was totally beautiful, snowy, amazing.

There was this crazy psychedelic-green moss growing all over the trees, which was incredible contrasted with the snow.


And a really rad crooked tree


All in all snowshoeing was great. We wandered a ways down Dewey Point trail, and hope to return to go all the way out to Dewey Point. This would be a good day worth of walking, but the views are supposed to be spectacular, so we're making it a goal for a few weeks from now (and I will definitely wear more waterproof gear this time :) )

So two days ago we got a HUGE snow, even down here in El Portal, which is only at 1800 feet or something. It was beautiful, and my roomies (both from the warmer part of the country) were really excited.

Here we are enjoying the snow on our porch


And here's what we woke up to the next morning


This photo is blue because it's that frickin early. We have to be at work at 7:30 every morning, but we also get every other Friday off, so it's worth it. Although it doesn't always feel that way at 7:30.