Yosemite National Park

Before heading back east for the holidays I decided to spend some time in Yosemite. People have been telling me for years that the park is a must see destination. Many of those same people warned me about the tourist traffic in the park during the summer months. In early December the weather had been relatively dry and mild and the timing was right for me to explore Yosemite without fighting large crowds.

I arrived very early in the morning and planned to spend the entire day in the park. Yosemite Valley is breathtaking. From the first look as I emerged from the tunnel to the views from the valley floor I felt like I was looking at one oil painting after another. With so little precipitation the Yosemite Falls had been reduced to a misty spray compared to pictures I have seen of the powerful falls in the spring. This photo shows El Capitan from the Merced River. El Capitan is the largest granite monolith in the world rising 3,000 feet straight up. The cold and peaceful morning gave way to a mild afternoon with a slow trickle of tourist traffic.

I'm glad that I waited to experience Yosemite in the off season. It's hard for me to imagine such a serene place packed with 4 million tourists per year.