Yosemite Valley Past Peak

Michael Frye reports this week that last Thursday’s light dusting of snow provided both beautiful images of color peeking through the dusting and the last of the peak in Yosemite Valley.  Here’s a report taken from his blog:

Past Peak – Yosemite Valley – “The next question is… what did the storms do to the fall color? While the rain and snow Thursday night knocked some leaves down, things were still in pretty good shape on Friday. But it got colder Friday night, and then there was another storm, and more cold temperatures Sunday night and last night. I spoke with Ansel Adams Gallery staff photographers Evan and Kirk, and it seems that the trees that were already turning, particularly the big-leaf maples in many spots, lost most of their leaves. There’s still some good color around Fern Spring, and Valley View, and some oaks and dogwoods in the eastern end of the Valley are still partially green. It’s been a long, slow-changing autumn in Yosemite, with no real peak. The best color is probably over, but some spots could have good color for awhile longer.”

In our experience, some of the loveliest color can be found with the first snowfall on the last fall color.  Black oak can be covered with snow or frost, well into early winter for moody photographs, so consider visiting Yosemite in November to capture these kinds of photographs and for the special solitude that occurs during this quiet time in the national park.