Re: Before and After The Storm - 3/30-4/1

Did some playing around in the snow over the weekend around Wawona Dome and Chilnuala Creek and beyond.
Thought some may get a kick out of the before and after shots:

Top of first fall:




2nd Fall:




Further upstream where camped 2nd night:




and one I like of the main Chilnualna falls (although the color doesn't look quite right now compared to the one above... hmmm...):


Here's a couple of videos I took too:






Originally was just going to put a map up since I find it both disheartening and amusing that the
most looked at pictures are often the maps...

Hope you enjoy,

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I do enjoy...Thank you!

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"It is all very beautiful and magical here - a quality which cannot be described. You have to live it and breath it., let the sun bake it into you" - Ansel Adams

Interesting, thanks.

Were the after pictures during the storm, or after the storm? From the pictures it doesn't look like a lot of new snow, I was skiing at Squaw and Alpine over the weekend and Squaw reported 12" on bottom and 19" on top.

Edit: to clarify the question...I was thinking of going up that trail and am thinking if the 'after' pics were near the end then that snow would melt pretty fast, making the 'top of the falls' section less of a concern.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2012 07:10PM by ttilley.

Tom,
I didn't (and you won't either) need snowshoes until the trail junction above the falls.
Even right now there would be no issue getting to that point without any special gear.
The other picture I posted showing the trail covered in snow... it only looks dangerous.
Seriously you do not need anything but two feet to go thru that.
If you want to go beyond the trail junction there were many feet of snow. Def. need
snowshoes. And all the lakes will be frozen over. It was getting nasty and I was
getting really tired so I nixed going beyond Grouse Lake.
It started snowing around 2pm and stopped about 8pm. The after pictures are all
the next day.
I went up Wawona Dome and then headed towards Grouse. With snow it's just 5x
more difficult and slow going... the view from Wawona Dome is nice with view of
Raymond and Wawona below... but IMHO the gem is the creek itself.
Don't cross it and just keep going up and up... and you'll see cascade and falls
and some really sweet stuff. I def. want to go the entire way up sometime now....
In direct response to your question... it maybe snowed about 8". So by our standards
not much... but it snowed all the way down to Wawona so it was a nice
hike out on Sunday with everything flocked.

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Thanks for the conditions info. I'll have to think about which April weekend to go up there, but it sounds like any good weather weekend should do.

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ttilley
Thanks for the conditions info. I'll have to think about which April weekend to go up there, but it sounds like any good weather weekend should do.

You're welcome.

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Chick on great pics I'm having Yosemite withdraws. I'll have to post my most recent trip from glacier point. I'm heading to mt Whitney in June, I'm sure your busy but if you were interested we could chat.

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chick-on

and one I like of the main Chilnualna falls (although the color doesn't look quite right now compared to the one above... hmmm...):

There you go : )

Digital cameras really struggle with white balance in the snow.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 05:47PM by dqniel.

Daniel... you did the wrong one. I was talking about the one below that one.
I can send you the RAW file if you want to play with it.
Your edit looks almost too white now. With no sun it was definitely an off white.

A different view of the above that I like more...



Have fun

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Well, even with no sun it shouldn't be blue. So you're right that if the sun wasn't out it probably should be a bit darker, but no blue unless it's reflecting something blue. Also, a telltale sign that it's the white balance at fault is by looking at the grey areas (rocks, shadows) and seeing if they have color when they shouldn't.

Your photo above the one I color-balanced is probably how the snow should look when it's cloudy:




I can play around with the reddish colored shot some other time. Back to fluid mechanics homework I go!

Well part of the reason for the color is b/c that shot was taken before the sun had even risen.
About 7am. If you look at the entire set the 3 I have put there from that time all look that-a-way.

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Here's a second attempt, trying to keep the more dimly lit atmosphere but eliminating the blue cast:

Those look nicer. Thanks.

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By the way, keep posting trip reports and photos. I don't always respond because I don't always have something worth reading, but I always read through them and enjoy the pictures and the stories.

OK Daniel. And you are welcome.

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cool shots, when you set up camp in the snow (never done) Im assuming you find a spot thats clear or clear all the snow away from an area?

Most people camp on the snow. Some pitch (is that the right word?) a hammock over the snow. I'm sure the chicken will pull up a few pics of his snow camps.

Personally, I have snow stakes and just pack down a patch of snow and set my tent up on the snow. Chick-on has posted pics w/ multiple types of snow camps.

What they said. Depending where you end up you might have no choice...
(with 10 ft. of snow... you have to sleep atop the snow unless you find some granite sticking up)
The upside is that you can make just about any place flat for camping.
I've shown alot in the past as they said...
Here's a funny one from near the Panorama/Starr King Tr. Jct.
We had a blast digging this out... and then I pulled out my "12x12" tarp...
and lo and behold it shrunk to 10x8 ... I guess it was due to the cold...
Luckily it didn't snow that night...

(a snow trench is one way to avoid taking a tent... but this isn't really how to do it)
(prob. just take a real tent... )

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chick-on
What they said. Depending where you end up you might have no choice...
(with 10 ft. of snow... you have to sleep atop the snow unless you find some granite sticking up)
The upside is that you can make just about any place flat for camping.
I've shown alot in the past as they said...
Here's a funny one from near the Panorama/Starr King Tr. Jct.
We had a blast digging this out... and then I pulled out my "12x12" tarp...
and lo and behold it shrunk to 10x8 ... I guess it was due to the cold...
Luckily it didn't snow that night...

(a snow trench is one way to avoid taking a tent... but this isn't really how to do it)
(prob. just take a real tent... )

but this looks way more fun than a tent.

Another fun one:


The set for this trip (B4 and After Storm) are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/WawonaDome

(I took a tent)

(The non-tent one's are from last year)

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chick-on
Another fun one:


The set for this trip (B4 and After Storm) are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/WawonaDome

(I took a tent)

(The non-tent one's are from last year)

Ok, honestly it did rain slightly the night before such that most of my bivy was frosted over which you cannot see in this photo. Now the reason I was so cold when the picture was taken is that, a few moments earlier to said taking of picture I was out in the cold doing what most Burros do naturally in the morning after digging a hole. After which I ran back and tried to warm myself back up again!

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Catalonian Burro

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chick-on
Another fun one:


The set for this trip (B4 and After Storm) are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/WawonaDome

(I took a tent)

(The non-tent one's are from last year)

Ok, honestly it did rain slightly the night before such that most of my bivy was frosted over which you cannot see in this photo. Now the reason I was so cold when the picture was taken is that, a few moments earlier to said taking of picture I was out in the cold doing what most Burros do naturally in the morning after digging a hole. After which I ran back and tried to warm myself back up again!

(five times before lunch usually)

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Old Dude

That does not look like fun!

Well... the funny thing about the 2nd one is that I had my tarp-tent...
and it started snowing a bit... and I really felt bad for Luis-the-cat-a-peal-er there.
Luckily it didn't snow much at all and the whimpering subsided quickly.
Purty much I said to him "I never said I wasn't bringing a tent!".

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dqniel

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chick-on
What they said. Depending where you end up you might have no choice...
(with 10 ft. of snow... you have to sleep atop the snow unless you find some granite sticking up)
The upside is that you can make just about any place flat for camping.
I've shown alot in the past as they said...
Here's a funny one from near the Panorama/Starr King Tr. Jct.
We had a blast digging this out... and then I pulled out my "12x12" tarp...
and lo and behold it shrunk to 10x8 ... I guess it was due to the cold...
Luckily it didn't snow that night...

(a snow trench is one way to avoid taking a tent... but this isn't really how to do it)
(prob. just take a real tent... )

but this looks way more fun than a tent.

I was not a happy Burro when the Goat pulled out the smaller tarp. But, looking back, he did do most of the work digging the hole.

Guess what I learned is that one should apply what one learns in rock climbing to situations like this: do not trust even yourself. Check and recheck da rope, da biner, da harness, and I guess da dimensions of da tarp.

very fantastic! especially love the snow trench picture

Great before and after shots. I bet it well be even more white now.