Monday, January 20, 2014

OVERCAST...

Location:       Yosemite National Park
                         Panorama Trail
                         Yosemite, Ca
When:             May 7, 2013
                         2:15pm
Camera:         Canon 60d
                         EF 18-200mm
Focal:              18mm
Shutter:          1/160 sec
Aperture:       F/16
ISO:                 400

I have decided to write this Blog in order give people a place to learn more about the photograph they are thinking about purchasing, have already purchased or have enjoyed viewing on my website larrypannellphotography.com.

My thoughts are to post a Photograph of the Week and include the location, photographic data and insight on what I was trying to convey with the image. Essentially the story behind the photograph.

I specialize in Landscape, Travel and Fine Art Photography. If you are viewing my blog before you have seen my website please take the time to browse the photographs there as well. I have been fortunate to have travelled many places and you will find photographs of Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Vietnam. You may also enjoy my photography of the Western United States and my recent photographs of Yosemite National Park where I currently reside.

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

Enjoy.....

OVERCAST…


I had visited Yosemite since 1964 when I was ten years old, spent my honeymoon there in 1972 and lived and worked there from 1982-1985. Upon leaving the park I started a career in healthcare, became a physician and before moving back to Yosemite in 2013. The two previous years I worked and lived on cruise ships seeing the world and practicing acupuncture.

It was early season and my first of the summer to be filled with day hikes and overnight backpacking trips in Yosemite National Park. I had just moved back after thirty years and taking a break from my career as an acupuncturist.

The road to Glacier Point opened in mid-May and my first hike of the eleven-mile long Panorama Trail was about to begin. It was a cool, rainy day and the clouds hug low in the valley and obscured most of the views usually afforded from Glacier Point. I was sure it would be the same along the trail. However the clouds added character to the usually clear blue skies. It would change minute to minute depending on the wind and the up drafts caused by the 3,000 foot vertical granite cliffs walls.

Having hiked and lived in the Sierras and other mountain ranges the majority of my life I knew the weather could change at any moment. On this hike I experience clear blue skies, rain, hail and even snow but I was prepared. I was dressed in long pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece vest and a lightweight North Face raincoat. This allowed me to remove whatever layers I needed to and put them in my backpack along with my camera, tripod, water and munchies. Of course it was inevitable that I would run into someone on the trail wearing summer gear...and I did. All I could do was shake my head and think to myself...fools. Every year numerous people die in Yosemite and being ill prepared is one reason.

The vast majority of the Panorama Trail is downhill with only about 2.5 miles of uphill when you climb out of Illilouette Canyon. The first few miles of the trail drop into the canyon gradually, which usually grants you wonderful views of the various peaks surrounding the valley below. But with today's weather most of that is hidden from view. About half way down there is a small outlook that oversees Illilouette Falls as it plunges 370 feet over a cliff offering a chance for a few great shots.

After about another mile or so you have bottomed out and find a bridge that crosses Illilouette Creek. Once across you begin the 2.5 mile climb out of the canyon. If you are observant about half way you will notice a narrow side trail. It has been my experience if there is a side trial it is usually well worth a look.

After a hundred yards of pushing my way through manzanita and buck brush I came to a small clear that led to the edge of a cliff. The canyon opened below to Yosemite Valley and directly in front of me was Washington Column, North Dome and the Royal Arches. Slightly to the right were Liberty Cap, the beginning of Tenaya Canyon and the backside of Half Dome...what a great view and a great place to stop for a while, drop the pack and have lunch.

After about thirty minutes I left and resumed my climb out of the canyon for about another mile and a half before the trail crested and once and began to fall into yet another canyon. Near the top of the trail you can see Yosemite Falls off in the distance but you are also very close to Nevada and Vernal Falls. These two waterfalls have been photographed thousands of times by thousands of people. I was looking for a shot that was a little bit different from what you usually see so I headed off trail to find a vantage point high above the falls.

Being careful as I scrambled over rock outcropping, brush and trees to find several places that were just too dangerous to try and reach. It was a very steep drop to the canyon floor below and the footing not very secure.

Finally I saw a place in front of me about fifty feet away. I carefully traversed the mountainside to the spot that was just big enough to hold my tripod and myself. I mounted the camera, set my camera to aperture preferred not worrying about the shutter speed and set the self-timer to two seconds. After double checking my focus I took several photographs until I was pleased with what I had captured. I was looking for a shot that took in the canyon shrouded with clouds adding drama to the photograph and showed Nevada Falls from a different perspective.

Next was the climb from this position back to the trail, which was not an easy task. Finally reaching the trail I topped out, reached the saddle and began the drop to the top of Nevada Falls. As it was still early in the season there was plenty of water cascading 594 feet over the ledge that reaches Vernal Falls (317 feet) another couple miles down the canyon.

Both the top of Nevada and Vernal Falls has been the site of many deaths in Yosemite. Far too many tourists have gotten too close to the waters edge and slipped on the polished granite only to land I the water and be swept over one of the falls. This is especially true above Vernal Falls as the river widens and it appears calm. This area is called the Silver Apron and many have been tricked into the water again only to be whisked away to their death.

The moral of the story is my favorite quote I camera up with years ago..."there is only one rule in nature, you screw up you die, don't break the rule."


After another few miles of taking the hundreds of steps carved into the granite on the Mist Trail you reach the valley floor at Happy Isles and the hike is over.

Self portrait at the top of Nevada Falls

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated
Larry

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