Day 9 - Yosemite

I started out the morning by driving up to the northern part of the park as it was one area I didn't get to see during my last trip. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is part of Yosemite and a real power-producing hydro dam. The environmentalists of the early 1900's fiercely fought to protect this valley from damming, calling it the "little Yosemite valley", however, they weren't able to stop the project. Today, the area is not heavily visited due to 9/11 restrictions that curtail access except for viewing and picnicing during the day. But it is a gorgeous place, and really makes you wonder what got hidden beneath all that water.

Why oh why did I not pull out my infrared camera earlier? It does an amazing job with some of these classic Yosemite scenes--

The overlook as you first enter the valley from the southern access road showing El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right, and Half Moon back in the distance in the center.


The same scene from the valley floor with the Merced river in the foreground:


And my favorite scene of Bridalveil Falls:

For sunset this evening, I decided on the view of Half Moon with a reflection from the Merced river. This time, I was only joined by about 15 other photographers!