Granite Cliff Studio

As temperatures and sunshine are increasing, so are the plants, animals and waterfalls. Longer days in the valley have given a breath of life to the once frozen meadows. Colors have infiltrated the blank canvas. The rivers and creeks rage with power. Birds dance from branch to branch for snacks that the recent blooms provide. As I write this entry, the park and the Merced are at their most saturated level so far this year. The Merced is reaching most of the 9 bridges in the valley and the walkways are underwater. The mornings when there is no wind, the water in the meadow is a mirror and as you walk the mirror of the granite cliffs moves with you every step of the way. It appears as another universe through the portal of the reflecting water. Water continues to pour into the valley from every angle, the valley itself is 7 miles long and there has to be about 3-4 waterfalls every mile on each side. That is over 50 waterfalls that have turned Yosemite into a fantasy land.

Although the meadows and most of the forest floors are hidden underwater the exposed vegetation is lush and blooming. Moving from Hawaii to California it is hard to be as excited about flowers and their brief season. In Hawaii, the Plumeria, Hibiscus, Gingers, Jacarandas and Puakinis were always blooming with aromas and colors and they were always around. In the Sierras the weather can be brown and gray with the seasonal changes, a white canvas of snow makes you forget about colors and life. So the eruption of flowers in the spring feels different, it means warmth and light are coming, the bees and deer are returning to feast on the growth. The long days of snowmelt are restoring the life to Yosemite.

Images from Spring in Yosemite: