Yosemite

[JohnC]

The valley has been getting hammered with more snow than they have had in a long time. I've planned and cancelled two trips over the last 10-12 days. But I'm not giving up. It looks like things may work for a drive up on this coming Wednesday and a stay through Friday. Based on what has transpired over the last 10-12 days, access to the park should be OK and the forecasted snow appears quite mild. The skys should be cloudy enough to scare off the Horsetail crowd but the crowd factor is my only concern as I have zero interest in photographing that. I just want to get around the valley and capture it deep in snow.

Hopefully, the third time is the charm.

 

[JimFox]

The weather is looking good for that period. I know Sunny is talking about going Thurs and Friday possibly. I could also be going, but not 100% sure as I have had so many trips over the last month and very few days to get actual work done.

As for crowds, people will come unless the snow makes it to where they don't want to travel. I have found that most people don't really know that if it snows or is snowing it will prevent Horsetail Falls from light up. They only know it happens and want to come and see it. But with that said, I haven't found it really impacts the park as a whole. All it does is from 3pm every evening put most of the people in 1 of the 2 main gathering area's to shoot it.

 

[JohnC]

Well, the forecast is holding steady so I'm getting ready one more time. The car is already half packed from last week's failed attempts.

Horsetail was becoming a huge people and car problem which is why last year the park instituted permit parking only. This year they have cancelled permit parking and banned all of the parking near El Cap on both North/South side drive due to the snow piled up everywhere. They are also closing one lane of Northside Drive to cars to allow pedestrian use in that lane. The closest parking will be at the Yosemite Lodge Hotel. Those closed areas are where I park at to access other parts of the park. Not sure how they will treat it if crowds don't show up.

It takes a clear sky and running water for Horsetail to be seen. Wed and Thur are forecasted to be right around freezing at sunset. Cloud cover is forecasted to be 92% Wed and 75% Thur at sunset. Nobody who understands this would waste their time going only for Horsetail. But of course most people really have no clue about the details so I'm sure there will still be plenty of "disappointed" Horsetail folks there.

Traveling in this kind of weather is always an adventure. Wading through 3 feet deep snow to access a location is also not something I have a lot of experience with. But, I have to give it a try. I can't stay home and wonder how it would have been.