Our colleague Carolyn Botell’s photos of Yosemite never disappoint! She made a quick stop in Yosemite Valley on February 3, 2021, and captured a few shots of the snowy scenery. Here’s how she described the day:
The stately summit of El Capitan peeks out over clouds.
Yosemite Valley after a storm is my favorite thing to experience, especially in winter. There is something magical about the way mist rises from the meadows and river, and the way the clouds seem to hug the high, cold granite rock walls until the sun comes along to burn them away.
The Three Brothers formation creates soft silhouettes in the mist.
Everything glistens like it is fresh born, and the blue sky sparkles with winter light.
Half Dome, half-hidden by trees and wispy clouds.
But most of all, I like seeing the visitors standing in the snow, looking all around them in awe, struck quiet by the majestic beauty.
Snowy shores flank the Merced River.
I saw an American dipper in the water near Pohono Bridge. I did not have my long lens camera with me to get a photo, but it was happily bobbing up and down and diving into the freezing water next to a snow-covered rock.
Yosemite Falls streaks down sunlit granite.
On a more sober note, we need a lot more snow before winter turns into spring. Our watersheds are desperately lacking, causing our fire season to get longer each year, so that is my fervent hope, for more winter weather.
The smooth slopes of North Dome rise over Washington Column and Royal Arches.
Thanks to Carolyn for the gorgeous glimpse of the Valley and reflections on the season — check out our webcams to see what the rest of winter holds in store for the Sierra Nevada (and catch real-time views of the park year-round). See more Yosemite snapshots, and share your own, in our Flickr group.
