Arrival at the park took place in the morning while the sun was in full force. We didn't really have to wait in a line to pay and enter. The weather was clear and bright. Once we entered into the park the decision was made to go to the valley floor first. This is where the meadows are in bloom and the river meanders through wooded forests and grasses. We stopped along a little pullout area to take in the views. These two tall trees stood out in the meadow that was blooming with golden rod and other yellow wild flowers.
In the meadows is where you will find the indigenous insects. I saw
butterflies and blue iridescent beetles as well as flies. Other types of animals that was spotted are squirrels who despite the rules of the park want to be fed and will beg.
The plant life flourishes in the meadows with all the natural water flow. Big huge dandelions are going to seed and will be propelled by the gusty winds that bring the summer storms. It takes great restraint for the kids not pick these. Most places view these as weeds - but not in this park! These wild plants are welcomed.
At a glance the meadows look like they are comprised mostly of grass. A close inspection reveals that there are multiple kind of grasses, plants and flowering wildflowers. I spied my favorite kind of grass which is commonly known as snake grass. It is a hollow segmented type like miniaturized bamboo without the wood.
Multiple meadows could be found throughout the park. They can also be viewed from up above at Glacier Point. The sizes ranged from small to large open fields. Here a definitive boundary between the meadow and forest can be seen. With the mountainous scenic scape in the background. At one of our meadow stops another family parked behind us. The two girls were doing macro photography of the flowers. As I watched one young girl put her hands out - one on each tree and looked down. I wondered what she was doing. I looked up to the tops of the redwood trees and noticed a large amount of moss growth. The entire top of the tree was carpeted in moss. I tapped my traveling companion on the shoulder so that he may photograph the tops of the trees. As I was clicking my own photos I felt a brisk breeze. Through my view finder I saw the wind blow off a chunk of the moss. My partner and I watched is drift through the wind and land on the hood of our vehicle. What a gift! I did my own macro photography of it and gave it to the little girl who touched the tree.
Continuing to other meadow areas... the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies can be seen fluttering through the various meadows. I also identified Sulphurs, Blue Coppers, Hairstreaks and Skippers.
Bees filled almost to capacity gather more pollen on flowers that resemble daisies with a center mound. These flowers are almost going to seed and are ready for the next cycle.
The river that flows through out the valley encompasses much wildlife. Besides the minnows and
water insects the ducks can be seen paddling in crystal clear water. Rocks and granite pebbles of all sizes are polished naturally by the river offering up some really cool reflections.
As the day progressed it soon became lunchtime which triggers a whole entirely different set of animals.
We saw a bear strolling down the river towards the picnic area. There was a moderate amount of people around the shore of the river. The bear came close enough to get some good shots and make some of the parents around us a little nervous. They scooped up the children and put them in the vehicles. When they decided it was safe they could watch from a distance.
Here the bear is navigating fallen trees that criss cross the river. He walks the length of the tree trunk and pauses to decide whether or not he should take the plunge. Fortunately for us, he decides to ease into the depth of the river and paddles like a dog.
In the deeper parts of the river the bear swims easily but very cautiously around the group of people watching. The spectators including my party were amazed. The paddling was quick with much strength.
The bear decides to turn around and go back to the area of the fallen trees. I decide to go up the river bank a little closer to the area.
Here the bear decides to take a look at me. He sniffed the air to try to smell. I was located a little bit above him on the river bank behind and between two trees. It was really exciting to see the young adult bear. He had jewelry around his neck, meaning that he was collared. The bear realizes now that the best course of action is to cross the stream and get to the other river bank. That side of the river is where the jogging path is. Upon swimming again and wading through the shallows and up onto a sand bar he finally crosses to the other side. The bear's timing was unlucky as a jogger was approaching. The bear hid in the shadows of the brush and kept real still. After the jogger had past he quickly moved up the embankment to the trail and proceeded to trot on the trail in the opposite direction of the jogger.
After finishing the drive around the valley floor, it was time to turn our attention skyward. We decided to drive to Glacier Point with a quick stop at Tunnel View.
Tunnel View is located right next to the tunnels. It provides a breath taking view looking down the valley towards Half Dome. We got lucky on the weather. The cumulus clouds have built up through out the course of the day.
We continue our drive up to the top of the park and stop at Glacier Point. The drive is the typical mountain road curving it's way to the peak.
Upon parking at Glacier Point we can see that the storm front is moving closer. A family that we had seen many times at various stops around the park asked us to photograph them. So we spend some time taking shots for them using their camera.
As the storm approaches it also starts to break up and become partly cloudy skies. It never once rained on us. With the sun gleaming out of the clouds the colorful refracted light can be seen from the waterfalls.
Using a telephoto lens the rainbow colors are very apparent around the closest waterfall. You can also get a feel for the river that it feeds.
Here is Half Dome in the shadows of the storm. View is from Glacier Point.
