Yosemite - El Capitan

I spent the next 3mi (5km) on an uneventful meander, enjoying the beautiful forest and having the Merced River’s company as it wound its way beside me. I took a little detour to Bridalveil Fall. It is known for thundering during the spring so much that reaching the trail's end is sometimes impossible because of the strong spray created as it plummets 620ft (189m) from above.

I crossed the river on its northern side and stopped at one of the valley’s viewpoints. The granite cliffs rose above the treelines with a commanding presence whilst Bridalveil Fall tumbled in the distance from a hanging valley. Here I sat in silence, listening to the birds singing, the river babbling and feeling the trees filling my lungs with clean air. It was easy for me to imagine the valley's summer color palette of green and grey slowly changing to a warm palette in autumn and a cool palette of white, grey and icy blue by winter.

My next stop was the 100-million-year-old, granite rock called El Capitan (‘the captain’). A million years ago, glaciers carved this vertical rock formation. Whilst the summit of El Capitan can be reached via a trail hike, the challenge is in the technical climb up The Nose, a route ascending 2,900ft (880m) up the central buttress of the monolith. The first ascent was completed in 1958 by Warren Harding, an accomplished rock climber who succeeded in climbing some 28 first ascents in Yosemite. It took him 47 days to summit El Capitan and it would take another 27 years before The Nose was successfully completed in one day.

Leaving the climbing to the experts, I chose to enjoy this grand rock formation from the meadows adjacent to it. Laying out a picnic blanket in the centre with snacks and drinks, I took in the splendid 360 degrees of towering cliffs and surrounding trees. I think I may while away some time here in the sunshine amongst this magnificent landscape.

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Yosemite - Nevada Falls

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is the internationally recognised Yosemite National Park. Designated a World Heritage Site, Yosemite is characterised by its granite cliffs, deep valleys, giant sequoia trees, grand waterfalls, streams and expansive meadows. Nearly 95% of Yosemite is a federally protected wilderness area, which means it is still wild and free from human development. It is home to black bears, bighorn sheep, coyotes and marmots. 

With five vegetation zones including woodland, montane forest and alpine zones, Yosemite has mixed forests of conifer, pine, cedar and fir. As the landscape elevation increases, vegetation becomes sparser, trees become smaller, and granite cliffs become more dominant. The long-distance Pacific Crest Trail travels through the park.

The Ahwahneechee People led by Chief Tenaya were the indigenous tribe living in Yosemite. Most tribe members were driven out of the area after John D. Savage led the 1851 Mariposa War and European Americans settled in the area.

Four years later, Galen Clark moved into the area to recover from tuberculosis and stumbled across the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove. He fervently lobbied for the protection of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove and by 1864 the Yosemite Grant was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln which was “the first time the US Federal Government set aside land for use as a park”. Handed over to the state of California for preservation, Galen spent the next 20 years as the guardian of Yosemite Valley.

Galen was a friend of John Muir, the “Father of National Parks''. A prolific writer, he picked up the reins from Galen, campaigning to further protect the area. He succeeded with the creation of Yosemite National Park in 1890. However, the park did not include the valley nor the grove. Muir, never one to give up, continued lobbying and, following a camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt, made a compelling pitch for Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove to be returned to federal protection and added to Yosemite National Park. Roosevelt agreed and signed a bill in 1906 doing exactly that.

Another notable conservationist was photographer Ansel Adams, who is considered the “spiritual father of American landscape photography”. Ansel shared the same great love for Yosemite and spent significant time in the park capturing its essence and moodiness. His dramatic black and white images “aimed to evoke its vastness and sublime grandeur”. Adams’ photography was often paired with Muir’s writings, illustrating their passion for Yosemite.

Despite the park's vastness, most visitors, including myself, spend their time in Yosemite Valley. My journey begins at Nevada Fall, a 594ft (181m) waterfall with a bent shape. After a freefall for the first third of its length, the waterfall hits the sloped rockface tumbling down into the Merced River. A pool at the top of the falls is a popular swimming hole.

As a photographer at heart and inspired by Ansel Adams’ photographs, I consider the composition of Nevada Fall and the story I want to tell through my images. After a handful of vertical and horizontal shots, I head towards Vernal Falls on the John Muir Trail.



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