Yosemite, February 2016
Giant Sequoia
We stopped at the Tuolumne Grove on our way to Yosemite Valley and did the 2.5 mile round-trip hike to see the Giant Sequoias.
Tunnel Tree
The Tuolumne Grove has one of the tunnel trees that served as attractions for people to drive through, although it's no longer a living tree. You can't drive through it but the upper part of the tree is beautifully sculpted by nature.
Sunset
The sun was setting when we arrived in the valley. I couldn't resist sharing these photos of El Capitan and Half Dome.
Dewey Point Panorama
On our second day we went up to Badger Pass and snowshoed out to Dewey Point. Last year we did the same trip in January and there was so little snow that we hiked the entire way in hiking boots. This year we were glad to have snowshoes and happy to see a lot of snow in the high country. At the top is panorama view from this year and below is last year's for comparison.
Drought Stressed Trees
On our way out to Dewey Point, we passed many drought stressed trees - a lot of brown branches on the trees as well as whole dead trees.
Dying Trees in Valley View
We often get a great view of the valley when returning from Badger Pass in the late afternoon. In this year's photo on the left, you can see how many brown trees there are; compare this to the carpet of green in the photo on the right from 2010
Mirror Lake
On our last day we walked out to Mirror Lake and we were treated to this glassy reflection.
Parting Shot
Rob and me at Dewey Point with the Yosemite High Country behind us.