Yosemite without snow...

Hey folks,

I'll be heading off to Yosemite next week for 3 days. I've been debating if I should still make the trip out though. The weather report seems to indicate no snow until later on the week. Weather reports arent very accurate, and it still may be too early to tell, but I've been wondering none-the-less.

With the chance that there is no snow, what are some good places to consider for photography? I'm guessing most of the trails will be accessible without snow shoes, weather permitting (let's hope for some snow!). There will be a near-full moon next week, so I'm sure that would make for some nice moonlit photos!

Any tips or suggestions? Would it be worth it to postpone the trip for a bit?

Thanks,

Jason

I just came back from Yosemite. There was some snow on the valley floor which is gone now. Chains for cars were needed above 5500 feet. Four wheel or all wheel drive vehicles did not need chains.

I suggest you call the ranger station.

Also the Ansel Adams store has photo walks. I missed it, but the photographers were willing to tell me where good places to go were and showed me on the map.

Steve

Thanks Sirius Glass! I'm hoping for some snow, but if there isn't, I'll still probably make the trip up anyways. Yosemite is Yosemite! I've bought a pair of chains, so I'm all clear in that department.

Try not to go with preconceived notions of how the Valley should be. Instead simply accept it for what it is, and be open to the photo possibilities that the Valley plans to share with you.

Try not to walk in the paths of others, but find your own way. Then your photographic discoveries will be uniquely yours, not replications of others.

This is what I teach my college students. You're not there to gather what others have seen. You are there to celebrate your unique adventure.

But do use a 4-wheel drive, and inform the range stations where you are going with a time of return, just in case.

If you've never used the chains before, I'd practice mounting and driving with them a bit, before attempting to put them on on the side of some road with a foot of snow around. I've seen plenty of cars coming down from the hills with their fenders torn up from mis-mounted or broken chains.
No need for a 4 wheel drive if you know what you're doing on snow, and if you don't know what you're doing, a 4 wheel drive won't help much, IMHO.

Pinholemaster said:

Try not to go with preconceived notions of how the Valley should be. Instead simply accept it for what it is, and be open to the photo possibilities that the Valley plans to share with you.

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Sage advice. That was one of the hardest lessons I learned as a nature photographer.

Murray

bdial said:

No need for a 4 wheel drive if you know what you're doing on snow, and if you don't know what you're doing, a 4 wheel drive won't help much, IMHO.

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Four wheel drive just allows one to get stuck further out in the sticks.

For snow, try the meadows just above Crane's Flat, or drive up to Badger Pass and walk up the Glacier Point Road. Or take a stroll up to Turtle Back Dome (just up the road from the Wawona Tunnel.

For up-to-date weather conditions and snow levels, check out this for what's happening right now:

Dead Link Removed

For how and when the light is changing on Half Dome check out this:

http://halfdome.net/

Enjoy!

Vaughn

I forgot to mention that there is snow at the higher elevations do one can see snow from the valley floor.

If you've never used the chains before, I'd practice mounting and driving with them a bit, before attempting to put them on on the side of some road with a foot of snow around. I've seen plenty of cars coming down from the hills with their fenders torn up from mis-mounted or broken chains.

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Suggestions:

• Very good point. Practice putting on the chains.
• If you need to put chains on, I suggest that you carry two 4"x4"X12" wood blocks to drive up on. Then the tires are on a narrow footprint and it is much easier to connect the chains.
• Also bring a ground cloth, gloves, and a crappy jacket so you do not get sand, mud and slush on your clothes.

No need for a 4 wheel drive if you know what you're doing on snow, and if you don't know what you're doing, a 4 wheel drive won't help much, IMHO..

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If you do not know what you are doing, you are better off walking.

Vaughn said:

Four wheel drive just allows one to get stuck further out in the sticks.

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Not if you know what you are doing.

The advantage to four wheel or all wheel drive is that one does not need to put on and remove chains several times a day as I saw many people do last weekend. The roads get closed if a four wheel drive vehicle needs chains [level R-3] in California.

Vaughn said:

For snow, try the meadows just above Crane's Flat, or drive up to Badger Pass and walk up the Glacier Point Road. Or take a stroll up to Turtle Back Dome (just up the road from the Wawona Tunnel.

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When I was there Crane's Flat was open but the road was closed for the winter beyond there. The road to Badger Pass [thus Glacier Point] was also closed. The rangers said that the roads may be opened again if there is no snow for a long period of time.

Vaughn said:

For up-to-date weather conditions and snow levels, check out this for what's happening right now:

Dead Link Removed

For how and when the light is changing on Half Dome check out this:

http://halfdome.net/

Enjoy!

Vaughn

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Good advice.

Steve

It would be a long drive for you guys, but we have some snow here...
http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/cam/north/

Nothing nearly so nice has Halfdome though.

Pinhole master, that IS very good advice. I'm always trying to plan out an itinerary to maximize my time. There's nothing wrong with this, but I do end up having photos already framed in my head, that aren't necessarily my own compositions. I'll try to keep my mind open out there!

Thanks for all the other tips guys. I'll be planning on practicing putting on chains this weekend, before my trip. I purchased a pair of cable chains. Some say these are easier to put on than "normal" snow chains.

Jason,

Remember, with cables never spin the tires!

Steve

"Four wheel drive just allows one to get stuck further out in the sticks."

"Not if you know what you are doing."

Correct Steve! I had abbrivated my usual statement -- Those who get stuck with 2WD just get stuck further out with 4WD.

The meadows I was referring to are right at the road closure above Cranes Flat, but if it hasn't snowed for a while, they are probably covered with x-country ski tracks.

Vaughn

Jason,

What's your flavor? Color or black and white?

If you plan on spending time in Yosemite Valley, there are two places that can help you get oriented quickly. The first is the Visitor Center, which is conveniently located next to the second, The Ansel Adams Gallery.

The Visitor Center has a brand new three dimensional model of Yosemite Valley, that can help you visualize the potential angles of view that might be advantageous.

The Ansel Adams Gallery has the photo walks and friendly staff and a great selection of books and notecards.

I agree that it is best to approach the place with an open mind, but it can be helpful to at least see where people have been to narrow one's wanderings, to either include or omit the earlier points of view.

One of my favorite images of Yosemite is a picture of the post card rack in the Ansel Adams Gallery, titled "Inspiration Point" as it is full of cards depicting supreme moments.

Michael Frye's photo guide is also helpful for some seasonal suggestions, especially used in tandem with a look at the three dimensional map next door at the Visitor Center.

kswatapug said:

The Ansel Adams Gallery has the photo walks and friendly staff and a great selection of books and notecards.

I agree that it is best to approach the place with an open mind, but it can be helpful to at least see where people have been to narrow one's wanderings, to either include or omit the earlier points of view.

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I found the professional photographers at the Ansel Adams Gallery very helpful in learning the location of good vantage points. More importantly, when one of my Hasselblad lenses became uncocked and I was having trouble recocking it, they helped me. One of them spent quite a bit of time telling me about the selium toning and other print processing tips they use.

Steve

Sirius Glass said:

I found the professional photographers at the Ansel Adams Gallery very helpful in learning the location of good vantage points. More importantly, when one of my Hasselblad lenses became uncocked and I was having trouble recocking it, they helped me. One of them spent quite a bit of time telling me about the selium toning and other print processing tips they use.

Steve

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Shameless plug...

They also have some of my platinum prints and carbon prints if anyone wants to look at them. They are not out on displayed at this time -- ask for Glenn and he'll show them to you in their "Fine Print Room".

Vaughn

I did not know. I would have asked.

Steve

I will be sure to ask! Cool.

I'll be shooting both color and b/w on this trip. My first trip with purely analog gear, so lets hope things go well. I'm a bit worried about taking my Rolleiflex out in the field... because I've never used it prior! I hope both lenses are focusing correctly ;P

jasonjoo said:

I will be sure to ask! Cool.

I'll be shooting both color and b/w on this trip. My first trip with purely analog gear, so lets hope things go well. I'm a bit worried about taking my Rolleiflex out in the field... because I've never used it prior! I hope both lenses are focusing correctly ;P

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On your Rolleiflex, focus at infinity and check to see if the sliding section the lenses are on meets the body of the camera evenly. If it looks good, then you should have no problem. To double check, you can always focus wide open on the newspaper's classified section (taped to a wall) and take a photo (making sure that you are square to the wall). Then develop the film and check to see if you have good focus across the negative.

Have fun!

Vaughn

jasonjoo said:

I will be sure to ask! Cool.

I'll be shooting both color and b/w on this trip. My first trip with purely analog gear, so lets hope things go well. I'm a bit worried about taking my Rolleiflex out in the field... because I've never used it prior! I hope both lenses are focusing correctly ;P

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Jason,

Have a great trip and fear not for going forth "with purely analog gear".

In the days before digis - that was all any of us had!

Vaughn said:

On your Rolleiflex, focus at infinity and check to see if the sliding section the lenses are on meets the body of the camera evenly. If it looks good, then you should have no problem. To double check, you can always focus wide open on the newspaper's classified section (taped to a wall) and take a photo (making sure that you are square to the wall). Then develop the film and check to see if you have good focus across the negative.

Have fun!

Vaughn

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Be sure, if you are doing a test shot like this, to put that camera on a tripod and use a cable release, to absolutely eliminate any shake from interfering with your evaluation of the processed negative.

Thanks for the tips guys. I don't know of a local place that will process 120 film unless I take a drive down to LA. If I have time, I'll try the test, but I'll be leaving for Yosemite on Monday, so I'm a bit short on time.

jasonjoo said:

Thanks for the tips guys. I don't know of a local place that will process 120 film unless I take a drive down to LA. If I have time, I'll try the test, but I'll be leaving for Yosemite on Monday, so I'm a bit short on time.

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Don't worry so much.

It's a Rollei - a.k.a a German-made "brick". If you can test it - fine. If not, unless it's been kicked around the block by a club-footed gorilla, it's much more likely to be in focus than out!

Where is HelenB these days? She's the Rollei Queen.

Thanks George

Hmm, I've been worried about no snow, but now it seems like there might be RAIN. I can enjoy Yosemite without the snow, but I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy it in the rain.

I still have up til tomorrow midnight to cancel my reservations, but the weather is such a fleeting thing! I know if I cancel there will be tremendous amounts of beautiful snow and if I don't cancel, it will be sure to pour for the 3 days that I'm there

With Yosemite, rain isn't always rain. Since the cliffs are three thousand feet high, it could be snow up top and rain down below, which would mean you can "find" the snow up higher, in places like Crane Flat, as Vaughn mentioned.

There are a couple of groves of sequioas in the Crane Flat area that might look nice if its snowing (The Merced Grove and the Tuolumne Grove) Both are about 1 mile hikes downhill (uphill coming back out). The Tuolumne Grove is the larger of the two. Plus there is an abundance of staghorn lichen on the fir trees at Crane Flat itself, which provides some wonderful color contrast.

If you are coming in from the south, and choose highway 41, you can encounter the same sort of environment up at Badger Pass, the ski area in the park. But, you will want a set of chains if the weather gets exciting. Four-wheel drive works in the initial stages, but there are times when the chains are required. And in the winter months, NPS requires you carry a set when you enter the park, as they may become mandatory at any time.

Some places along Rt 140 were renting chains last year when I drove into the park. And in recent years, when big storms happen, chain monkeys have been staged along the side of roads entering the park.

It helps to know what the projected snow-line will be. The valley sits at 4,000 feet. If it is a northern storm, it will like be snow. If it is southern (pineapple express) it will most likely be rain.

But, also consider that the trailing edge of the storm is typically cooler, so if it does snow, it is more likely at the end of a storm, which is even better, because few things are more beautiful than a clearing storm in Yosemite.

Jason

Yosemite is a photographers paradise, regardless of snow or not. Go, have fun a snag some great shots. I used to spend quite a lot of time in the Valley. I was usually cruising up one of the big walls or behind a camera. It's a great place. Be open to whatever it presents to you.

Kiron kid