Re: September 2011 Yosemite Falls

My reservations are for the week of September 12th. Considering the amount of snow, this year, what do you think the odds are of Yosemite falls having any water(other than the rock face being wet)? I'm hoping it's not too hot, this summer to slow some of the snow melt. One can only hope.

Most likely there will only be a small stream of water going over Yosemite Falls, even with all the snow we had this year. However, Vernal & Nevada Falls should have a reasonable amount. With the lessened amount of water in the Merced River there are nice reflections of the Valley in the river and of course less crowds so it's still enjoyable.

We booked reservations for late August and glad according to you that some falls will be around.

Here's from Aug 27th, 2010:



If you search this site you may be able to also find a shot from the top of Liberty Cap looking down
at Nevada Falls. I wasn't quickly able to find it...
Yosemite Falls was pretty much non-existent ... didn't even take a photo.

Have fun

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Sorry to tell you but the odds are not good. Actually they're pretty darn bad.
I'd say that it will have been long become a trickle.
There's just not a huge drainage area that feed Yosemite Falls.
Even The Merced is way down then and those falls can be almost non-existent.

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Go to Chick-on's Bridalveil Pics to see it from the top:

https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/Bridalveil#

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Old Dude

The falls being pretty dry at that time of year is another one of the reasons the valley isn't quite so busy then.

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Old Dude

Rubbing my crystal ball, my prediction would be it will be more of a trickle of water going down. How it usually looks by the second or third week of August in normal rainfall years. I would be surprised if it was any more than that.

I usually always go at around this time, but this is the best snow season the park has had in years, so I was hoping. Our summers have been mild the last couple of years.

The most I've seen, in Aug./Sept., was a thread of water comming down...usually the face is just wet. I seriously hate this time of the year (in the park), so dry. I dream of being there in May or June...maybe before I die...heh

I went last year once in May and once in September. There were big changes. In May, all the waterfalls were in full bloom and by September, Yosemite Falls was a trickle. I remember hearing a few of the waterfalls were year-round but I am not sure.

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Sherry
I went last year once in May and once in September. There were big changes. In May, all the waterfalls were in full bloom and by September, Yosemite Falls was a trickle. I remember hearing a few of the waterfalls were year-round but I am not sure.

In the Valley, Bridalveil, Vernal & Nevada (just to name three of the better known waterfalls) are nominally "year-round" but there's a HUGE difference as the summer wears on. The very first time I climbed to the top of Vernal Falls, the flow was so light that I could easily walk around in the Emerald Pool just above the Fall. In May, going in to the Emerald Pool would be a pretty sure guarantee of instant death. I've seen Bridalveil with so little water coming over the edge that gusts of wind will actually blow the water back up.

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DavidK42
I've seen Bridalveil with so little water coming over the edge that gusts of wind will actually blow the water back up.

And hence, its name. That's when the fall looks most like a bridal veil.

AHHH. Now that makes sense.

Seems like May and June are the time to go. I will aim for this next year.

On a low or maybe even normal snow year May/June makes sense.

But this is a high snow year so I'd say June/July. It's a shame to visit Yosemite and not have Glacier Point and Tioga roads open.
Too much snow and water causes many of the most interesting places and trails to be closed or uncomfortable to get to.