Yosemite Horsetail Falls

[651roy]

Thanks in advance for any info.

Does anyone have a good guess about snow/water conditions for Horsetail falls even happening next month in Yosemite?

I have the week of the 2/22-28 planned for a photo trip somewhere. Leaving from Rapid City, SD.

[sierraman]

Thanks in advance for any info.

Does anyone have a good guess about snow/water conditions for Horsetail falls even happening next month in Yosemite?

I have the week of the 2/22-28 planned for a photo trip somewhere. Leaving from Rapid City, SD.

Still a little early to tell. Need to have a decent snow dump around the first week of February. Valentine's Day (Feb 14th), seems to be the best time to photograph Horsetail Falls if the conditions are right. The valley will be super crowded with photographers that week.  

[651roy]

Thanks for reply! I have read that the falls depends on approx 30 acres. Makes sense about needing a recent/current snow/rain.
If there is a falls during that week of the 22 will there be sunset light?

[sierraman]

Thanks for reply! I have read that the falls depends on approx 30 acres. Makes sense about needing a recent/current snow/rain.
If there is a falls during that week of the 22 will there be sunset light?

Sure. The lighting will only be slightly different but will still make for a good photo op if the conditions are right. Like I said previously, the valley can be crowded with other photographers so make plans to stake out a spot earlier in the day to watch the sunset. 

[HSakols]

Photographing Horsetail Falls is like attending a sporting event - you will be surrounded by crowds of photographers. The Park Service now even closes a lane just to provide more parking.  I'm looking forward to photographing the crowds setting up their camera's.  What is best about late Feb. is beautiful winter light that illuminates more than Horsetail.  Right now it is so dry that I'm not sure the Badger Pass Ski area will be able to stay open much longer.  However, as a good buddy always tells me, the storm window opens after the first full moon in Feb!  Let's hope that is true.  I'm am supposed to ski out to a hut later this month, but I'm worried there won't be enough snow.  Have a great time! This winter has been more about rock climbing for me than skiing.

Hugh
El Portal, CA

[dreed]

Other threads on Horsetail falls:

Yosemite horsetail falls
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=32305.0

Yosemite: best view of Horsetail Fall?
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=74664.10

Yosemite 2013 January/February Update
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=75712.0

I've driven out to Yosemite four times in three years to capture the Horsetail Falls and ended up with one set of pics worth having. Timing is everything and it may be that there is only one evening in any given year where the stars align properly.

[dreed]

Photographing Horsetail Falls is like attending a sporting event - you will be surrounded by crowds of photographers. The Park Service now even closes a lane just to provide more parking.  I'm looking forward to photographing the crowds setting up their camera's.

Indeed: Endangered species spotted in Yosemite National Park
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=62806.0

What is best about late Feb. is beautiful winter light that illuminates more than Horsetail.

Yes! I've noticed that people can be so preoccupied with shooting Horsetail Falls that they totally fail to notice what the light is doing to other features directly in front of them.

However, as a good buddy always tells me, the storm window opens after the first full moon in Feb!  Let's hope that is true.

Since 2011, the winters have been rather dry although 2012 wasn't too bad in Feb, it was very dry early on with Glacier Point open up until after Christmas! But it is well and truly too early to know what Horsetail Falls will be like in Feb.

[langier]

3-4 years ago, I went. It started sunny, there was snow and the drive over was nice since I didn't have to chain up my 4wd as I have at times in Yosemite. However, it overacted up. As we got the the valley drive, everywhere with a view was taken and cars were abandoned on both sides of the parkway as though people were fleeing war. Cars jutted out into the traffic lanes and every parking space was taken. The real spectacle were all the cars along the way and all the tripods, long lenses, black and white, large format to point-and-shoot, all pointed upwards to the non-event that day.

It was late and totally overcast with no hope of clearing, let alone color. Everybody was there… Except Ansel. This was his birthday and his message lost to the masses was that this spectacle had had enough film and pixels captured for the day, if not the year. I stopped but to photograph all the tripods and moved along. I had a couple of my own and unique photos for this trip and was content.