The Journey Continues:
I should explain what journey means here. This was indeed a journey all over the western US to see many places for the first time (Yosemite being the exception here). In truth, it was a journey where I transitioned from my old life as a married man living in Central Washington…to a new life as a single man living someplace new in Arizona. And this trip was the long, slow road to that new life.
As I mentioned last time, as I drove down the Big Oak Flat Road into Yosemite Valley, I discovered it was the height of the Autumn season in that beautiful valley. The lower the elevation, the more color appeared. And while Yosemite Valley (at 4,000 ft.) has many evergreen trees, it also has a great many deciduous trees that turn all different colors this time of year.
The picture above is just one example of the beautiful Autumn colors here. You can see more on my Flickr Yosemite album by clicking on this link. This album shows Yosemite photos from Spring, Summer and Autumn. I bet you will be able to guess which are which (hint: if you see lots of water, its Spring).
I didn’t think a great deal about my life or the meaning of it, or my new life ahead. All I did was think about photography and how to capture all the beauty this valley has to offer. I shot from sunrise to sunset, loving every minute of it. Luckily, I was very familiar with all valley locations and was able to find some of the best locations for Fall color.
The most exciting thing that happened on the second day was crossing a meadow, heading for a select spot on the Merced River. There, I ran into a very large brown bear foraging for food. He saw me and began loping off in a different direction. These Yosemite bears are not very aggressive unless they are very hungry and smell food on your person.
A friend of mine tells the story of how he was once fishing up in the high country and had caught several fish. He was hiking along a trail across a meadow and spotted a large bear heading to intercept him. He knew what the bear wanted, so he dropped his fishing creole and took off in a different direction. True to form, the bear went right for the fish and had a snack. Fortunately, I had no food with me in that meadow by the river.
The other thing I remember about this time was seeing no Yosemite Falls. I told you last time that there was no water in Yosemite Creek, so this was not a surprise. But it was the first time ever in my life to see no Yosemite Falls. Very strange.
It was a great two days in Yosemite Valley and I took many more photos than you see in my Flickr album. Now that I have a big 27” iMac Retina computer, I look forward to processing and showing you more beautiful photos of Yosemite in Autumn.
But after two days camping out in the valley, it was time to head west to visit friends for a couple of days and sleep in a real bed. PS: just in case you wondered about hygiene, I was able to shower every day at Camp Curry.
Stay Tuned…
(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)
To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page
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