Just wondering if anyone has been to Yosemite in the last week or so. How is the water? I have seen predictions that it will be high this year, and also low? Any major construction projects going on?
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I was there the day before you posted.
It is now spring in the Valley. The dogwoods are beginning to bloom and other trees are starting to leaf out and the meadows are beginning to turn green. The falls are flowing strongly, and many of the early season falls that will be gone later are flowing right now.
The question of water flow potential is an interesting one. Earlier in the winter we thought we were having a normal winter, but then it did not rain/snow as much as usual during the end of the wet season. Consequently, the snowpack is now perhaps a bit lower than average. My hunch is that there will be pretty decent flow but that it will end a bit sooner than usual.
There is major construction going on along the Northside Road, which was still closed when I was there. This is a mixed blessing. While you cannot drive on that road, and thus traffic on Southside is heavier than usual - you can walk over to that side of the Valley and enjoy some solitude in usually crowded places. On Sunday I walked over to El Capitan Meadow in the morning to photograph trees and I was the ONLY person there. You'll never have that experience this time of year when the road is open.
Also, the road lower down in the Valley near the Highway 120 junction is a real mess. This section of the main entrance to the valley is down to one lane with one way traffic controlled by an automatic traffic light.
The road to Glacier Point opens tomorrow - May 2. There has been no announcement regarding Tioga Pass Road, but I'd be willing to bet on some time in the second half of May.
If you are contemplating a photograph from Wawona Tunnel view, you might consider the 1.3 mile hike up to Inspiration Point instead. I photographed there on Sunday... and I was the only person there. I enjoyed a Valley sunset in complete solitude, with the exception of a deer that wandered by. :-)
I get up there a lot. Let me know if you want to know more.
Dan