Yosemite VAMP

Ranger with braid in Tuolumne

Yosemite’s Visitor Access Management Plan (VAMP) continues to jump through the hoops of a formal public comment process. Comments for the most recent round are due today, and I spent some time considering the many options while trying to put my own thoughts into order. As Superintendent Muldoon put it, if it were easy, it … Read more

Lady Slipper Treasure Hunt

“Rare in Yosemite, and now confined to hidden sites where plants have not been subjected to detrimental flower gathering.”  – An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park, Stephen J. Botti. These crazy elegant flowers! Searching for them was quite the adventure. We followed the most incredible treasure map, hand-drawn for us by a generous and … Read more

Slow For Butterfly Migrations

I love that there is a time of year when our community is asked to please slow down on their commutes in order to save butterflies. The California tortoiseshell butterflies (a different species than the one pictured above) are doing their annual migration across Hwy 140 just outside the Yosemite park boundary. In 2010 extraordinary numbers … Read more

Dogwood Memories

Dogwoods are peaking near our house in Yosemite West. Picture taken from our deck.

Dogwood trees have a particular niche of its own in the passing of seasons. In the spring, their large white blossoms (actually sepals) decorate the forests and mark the arrival of spring. Photographers of all levels focus their lenses on them – against a backdrop of dark red cedar bark, the deep grey blue of the Merced River or back-lit against the brilliance of the sky. They are stand-alone beautiful, and I love them for that, but I also love them because they’re now associated with people and memories that are fun to revisit as well.

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Firefall Video By Shawn Reeder

If you haven’t seen it already, be sure to take a look at the beautiful new-this-year video of the Horsetail Fall “Firefall” that happens in February when the conditions are right. When we first moved to Yosemite, we were driving out of the valley on South Side Drive, came around a corner and were mesmerized … Read more

Seasons In The Mountains

One of the great things about living in the mountains is being able to change out seasons by driving up or down in elevation. The same day I took the above picture at 3000 feet, people were skiing and snowboarding in beautiful spring snow conditions above 7000 feet. I remember growing up in the mid-west … Read more

Yosemite Transition

As neglected as this space is from time to time, I thought it would be remiss not to at least mention the big changes that have been happening all around me this month. On March 1, Aramark took over the Yosemite concession contract, and that ushered in a new cultural era for the park. The … Read more

First snow of the season

The first snow of the season at our house in Yosemite West is always a treat, and worth a quick mention. After a few years of drought, it’s even more welcome. The dogwood leaves at 5000-6000 feet elevation in our neighborhood are still turning, and I loved seeing the contrast of the bright colors against … Read more