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Best full moon views

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Max
Best full moon views
March 11, 2014 10:44PM
Coming up for full moon Sunday. Looks like clear weather. What's best spot to easily access view on short snowshoe for good viewing? Are full moons better with snow on ground or not?
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 07:53AM
I'd say the only short snowshoe in the park is Dewey high trail. and even then...
Might not get the moon as you want it with where it rises now and all. (that a way from Dewey is trees)
(could be slight off kilter here... but I think so)
Everything else you have to get way up high... there's snow up there... but you have to seek it ... will take multi day trip...

If not overnighting... maybe Columbia Rock... all depends wutt ya want.

Sorry if no help. But maybe my no help is better than no help at all. ?


Chick-on is looking at you!
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balzaccom
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 08:11AM
Chick-on is right...unless you are lucky enough to get a heavy snowfall in the Valley itself. Then the best spot of all is right out in the middle, watching the moon rise over Half Dome...

There's also a trail out of Crane Flat that gives some views---but my bet is that by now it isn't snowshoe friendly--probably just boots.


Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 08:48AM
There's no snow at Crane Flat. Nada. Zip.
They took the Nordic sign down couple weeks
ago already. Last storm snow is bye bye there.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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hotrod4x5
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 09:15AM
I use the ap photographer's ephermris to show me where the moon will be. Are you going for photography?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2014 12:38PM by hotrod4x5.
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hotrod4x5
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 12:39PM
You cannot capture a true full moon and balance it with the landscape, since the full moon rises after the sun sets. If you want to get a near full moon, with a fully lit landscape, you need to shoot it the day before the full moon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2014 12:40PM by hotrod4x5.
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DavidSenesac
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 10:57AM
Any serious photographer imaging the moon ought to do their own homework. The first thing is necessary is knowing, the phase of the moon, and where it will be located in the sky at given time of day the moon is in the sky as that is changing a little each day all during the year. Just being outside somewhere will not help if the moon is hidden behind some blocking feature like a mountain.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/

Another issue with photographing the moon in a landscape is being able to capture it without the result being way too contrasty. The moon is bright while landscapes are not. When the moon is at a low angle the atmosphere will mute its brightness making that more possible. Also if the landscape is also bright like bright granite or snow.


http://www.davidsenesac.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2014 10:58AM by DavidSenesac.
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parklover
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 09:59PM
Would a graduated filter work?
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Max
Re: Best full moon views
March 12, 2014 10:41PM
Awesome guys thanks. I was just talking with my son about how to take pics before checking in here. Thanks for trail and pic info. Not really going for pics... just to be out there. We have done lots of backpacking in summer but none in winter and I don't recall ever watching moon at night when up high in mountains. We are really excited.

As it ends up we are taking DNC hike Sunday night from BP. I assume they will head us south east. I know when I've been skiing at BP in past they are views to east of HD and some of Sierra Crest.

We also plan to watch moon on Saturday night from valley. Like the idea of Columbia Rock... thanks chick-on.

What about moon bows? From what I see on Internet it looks like April is first chance for moon box. There is a moonbow expected April 15th on Lower Yosemite with full moon then a full lunar eclipse later that night.

http://gocalifornia.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gocalifornia&cdn=travel&tm=224&f=20&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=29&bt=7&bts=61&zu=http%3A//uweb.txstate.edu/%7Edo01/
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 13, 2014 07:02AM
Cool. My bet is the Full Moon hike takes you towards Badger Pass proper (the REAL Badger Pass)
then zips over to the south to the couple of little domages there... some nice views...


Thanks for the post b/c you made me remember Tempo Dome. Prob. gonna go there very soon with
the wife ... been meaning to go up there. It is no doubt the views you saw when skiing.

In return I'll give you another nugget. An absolute favorite place of mine. 1 mile up Old Big Oak Flat Road from the valley.
Full Moon from there ... pretty sweet. Gotta be. Hmm.... wonder if I have an photos...


Chick-on is looking at you!
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Max
Re: Best full moon views
March 13, 2014 08:03PM
Is Tempo Dome the formation that has a dinosaur (animal with two or three legs, tail and head. And there is a trail running over it's neck) looking small meadow just to the east when looking at map?

Yippy! Clark Range, right? Very cool!


Uh... Old Big Oak Road... looking at maps it looks like one mile up is about at the first tunnel, right?
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 06:47AM
Quote
Max

Uh... Old Big Oak Road... looking at maps it looks like one mile up is about at the first tunnel, right?

Old Big Oak Flat Road, not to be confused with Big Oak Flat Road. If you look at a topo you will see a trail, actually the old roadbed of Old Big Oak Flat Road, running along the north face of the valley. It runs under Fireplace Bluffs to Rainbow View eventually meeting up with Northside Drive at BM 3977 near El Capitan Meadow.


Old Dude
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 03:24PM
Quote
mrcondron
If you look at a topo you will see a trail, actually the old roadbed of Old Big Oak Flat Road, running along the north face of the valley. It runs under Fireplace Bluffs to Rainbow View eventually meeting up with Northside Drive at BM 3977 near El Capitan Meadow.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.723343,-119.654503&z=15&t=t4
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 07:27PM
Thanks. I was running out of time to get on the road.


Old Dude
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 07:09AM
Pix I posted was from
here: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.668229,-119.656263&z=15&t=t4

Temp Dome (never been up there)
is here: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.653077,-119.658880&z=15&t=t4

better may be bit to east of that baby...
I guess what u described... def. gonna check it out this year. Thx for reminder.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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Max
Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 06:51AM
OK I get it thanks
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 07:06AM
Itz dis view:



Chick-on is looking at you!
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Max
Re: Best full moon views
March 14, 2014 10:21PM
You guys are stinking awesome!! Thanks

My son and I are planning on doing Old Oak Flat Road tomorrow night. Moonrise 6:30 and sunset 7:05P. That will work well. We will wait for complete dark then hike back down with good flashlights.

It's going to be interesting to see where DNC is going to take us on Sunday night. Hope Tempo Dome from seeing pics.

Thanks again.
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 16, 2014 08:32AM
We did the full moon snowshoe hike back in Jan 2008, I assume you'll be doing something similar. Here's our GPS track:



And the same track in Google Earth:



I'm curious to see how your route compares.

We really enjoyed the trip, and although it was only 3.15 miles, I remember it taking a while.

It started out in the trees:



And we eventually had some wonderful views in the full moon light. This photo was "hand held", hence the blurriness, but it's the best I was able to get.



Have fun and let us know how it went!
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 17, 2014 06:34AM
Quote
JasonS
Have fun and let us know how it went!
Exactly.

Show me yours and I'll show you mine. tongue sticking out smiley


Chick-on is looking at you!
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Max
Re: Best full moon views
March 29, 2014 06:26PM
I'm trying to learn about how to get pics to this site. I'd really like to show them but it may take a while to do that. I have several that I'd like to discuss. Hopefully soon.

The trip was awesome. Yosemite never ceases to amaze. We didn't make Old Oak Flat road hike because we spent all the time looking for route...including start point. I thought the place to start ended up being a "wood cutting area" on Northside Drive that later a ranger told me that wasn't the place to start up Old Oak Flat Road. We changed gears and my son decided he wanted the Half Dome full moon pic from Sentinal Bridge then we went to tunnel view were we got a excellent view of the moon coming over Cathedral Rocks. Amazing but had to work hard to ignore the crowd. That's OK. I have to make the trek up Old Oak Flat another day. By the way...maybe someone can help me with a question I have now that I've combed the Northside Drive between El Cap and Pohono bridge... Ribbon Falls was running but I couldn't find the water from it along the valley floor road. What's up with that?

DNC snowshoe on Sunday night was excellent. As it ended up we had a bit of a wimpy group so I assume that's why we went from Badger Pass ski area east through clearings and then made a right turn up to Badger Pass. About 1 1/2 miles round trip. DNC provided an excellent guide that had very cool stories about the stars that were out that night. It was my first experience walking in the snow at night without light. VERY COOL! Look forward to doing it on my own without assistance. I'm jealous of you guys that explore Yosemite in the snow. I'm joining you now. Watch out!
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DavidK42
Re: Best full moon views
March 31, 2014 08:41AM
Quote
Max
We didn't make Old Oak Flat road hike because we spent all the time looking for route...including start point. I thought the place to start ended up being a "wood cutting area" on Northside Drive that later a ranger told me that wasn't the place to start up Old Oak Flat Road.

Easiest way to find the OBOFR is to start at marker V7 (formerly V9). Look towards the north wall and you'll see a vague outline of a road. Walk straight back and you'll see a couple of stone-walled switchbacks starting up to the left. There IS a woodcutting area around that but I always found that the guides that tell you to turn down the service road and drive to the wood-cutting area are a) assuming you have a pretty high-clearance vehicle, b) don't really care what might happen to your parked car and c) have missed the easiest way to find it!
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
March 31, 2014 07:45PM
All the times I've driven by the last few years, a gate has been closed and locked so you can't drive up there anymore. Plus there was bunch of construction going on in the area.

Is V7 (Formerly V9) now a paved parking lot? If so then you could just park there and walk on up.
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parklover
Re: Best full moon views
March 31, 2014 08:24PM
When we were there in February we pulled off in front of the gate for a moment and there is a section that looks like it is paved. I am not sure how much of it is paved because it was pitch black out and you couldn't see much. They have not turned that into a parking lot since park vehicles still drive up the road. In the past few years, I have seen the gate opened on many occasions so you just must have happened to be there when it was closed.
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DavidK42
Re: Best full moon views
April 01, 2014 05:48AM
I only get to the park about once a year and on my last trip, I wasn't on the OBOFR but, up until at least a few years ago, the V9 marker was at the east end of the pullout area and the "road" that takes you to the logging area starts at the west end (which, IIRC, is where the gate is). None of that was paved the last time I looked. Every time I've gone up the road, I just parked there in the pullout. I certainly defer to people who have been there more recently than I.

qumqats/parklover: Are you saying they paved the road that leads to the cutting area or the vague outline of road which (whether it's part of the original alignment or not), takes you directly to where the road starts to climb the wall (as I recall, if you go to the wood-cutting area, you have to hunt around a bit before you find the OBOFR)? I've not yet done hi-rez overlays of old maps to try and figure out which (if either) of these is the original alignment (I suspect that there were numerous minor re-alignments of this bottom-most stretch of the road over the years).

Most likely, my next trip to the Park won't be until early September but I'll certainly check this out more carefully. My old-road jaunts have been focussing more on the Old Wawona Road lately but I've been missing the OBOFR!
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parklover
Re: Best full moon views
April 01, 2014 02:37PM
Quote
DavidK42
I only get to the park about once a year and on my last trip, I wasn't on the OBOFR but, up until at least a few years ago, the V9 marker was at the east end of the pullout area and the "road" that takes you to the logging area starts at the west end (which, IIRC, is where the gate is). None of that was paved the last time I looked. Every time I've gone up the road, I just parked there in the pullout. I certainly defer to people who have been there more recently than I.

qumqats/parklover: Are you saying they paved the road that leads to the cutting area or the vague outline of road which (whether it's part of the original alignment or not), takes you directly to where the road starts to climb the wall (as I recall, if you go to the wood-cutting area, you have to hunt around a bit before you find the OBOFR)? I've not yet done hi-rez overlays of old maps to try and figure out which (if either) of these is the original alignment (I suspect that there were numerous minor re-alignments of this bottom-most stretch of the road over the years).

Most likely, my next trip to the Park won't be until early September but I'll certainly check this out more carefully. My old-road jaunts have been focussing more on the Old Wawona Road lately but I've been missing the OBOFR!

It was dark when we pulled off the Northside Dr stopped in front of the gate which was closed at that time. My son will be so embarrass for me to post this but he had to pee so we pulled up in front of the gate so he could run into the woods. The headlights were turned off so no one could see him so I can't say for sure if it was old pavement or there has been new pavement added in that pull off. Since I really have not paid much attention, it might be compacted dirt. I did not see any evidence on any of our trips lately that the road past the gate that goes to the woodcutting area itself has been paved. I doubt it is because why would they pave it. I will be up there in a few weeks so I will look during the day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2014 02:43PM by parklover.
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avatar Re: Best full moon views
April 01, 2014 05:16PM
It's not paved. It's compacted dirt.

.
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