Ice and Snow on Tioga Pass and Tioga Lake. Near Yosemite National Park, California. June 5, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Late afternoon shadows fall across the frozen surface of Tioga Lake with Tioga Pass and the snow-covered peaks of Kuna Crest beyond.
On June 5 I made my first “summer season” visit to the Sierra of the year. Usually I mark the start of the post-winter part of the year by heading to Yosemite Valley to experience the waterfalls close up during the peak flow of the meltwater-filled rivers. This year I had time for a one-day trip and I did, indeed, start in the Valley. The waterfalls are close to as big as they get right now, and the Merced River is close to reaching flood stage, with large meadow areas of the Valley already under water. (The latter is actually a normal condition at the peak of the runoff cycle.) However, after shooting in the Valley into mid-morning, I decided to head elsewhere because the crowds were oppressive and because tran-Sierra Tioga Pass Road had opened this very morning.
I’ve been over Tioga Pass Road before on or close to the first day that the route is open, but I haven’t seen conditions like these up there since the mid-1990s. (In 1996, IIRC, the pass didn’t open until July 1 after a very heavy and late winter.) There was still snow almost everywhere along the road. It would be possible to ski or snow-shoe in many areas and, in fact, there were people engaged in just those activities. Melting water was everywhere. In places where I have never seen water before there were roaring creeks, often pouring down next to or even onto the roadway. All lakes and ponds are nearly or completely frozen still. Tuolumne Meadows itself is still completely covered by snow… except where the flooding Tuolumne River has created a giant, fast-moving lake.
I made this photograph at Tioga Lake late in the afternoon after making a traditional visit to the “Who Nellie Deli” in Lee Vining for the ritual fish tacos. Long shadows from nearby peaks and clouds fall across the frozen surface of the lake, the saddle of Tioga Pass is beyond, and in the farthest distance it is still winter on the peaks of Kuna Crest.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM at 90mm
ISO 200, f/9, 1/1000 second
keywords: yosemite, national, park, sierra, nevada, mountain, spring, nature, tioga, lake, pass, mammoth, peak, kuna, crest, ridge, winter, conditions, spring, early, season, june, 2010, snow, ice, frozen, shadow, rock, boulder, reflection, melt, forest, sky, cloud, evening, road, eastern, landscape, winter, nature, stock
Dan… looks like you were able to experience some unique conditions. The light and shadows in this one are tremendous, and it is incredible to know that this was in June! I am heading back to Yosemite in mid-July, and am looking forward to seeing for myself some of the amazing scenery from this area that you have so generously shared over the years.
Dan –
Good info on Yosemite. We got there around 1pm, and spend more than an hour looking for a parking spot. The size of the crowd was almost sickening – I’ve never seen it like this. I’ll have my report on the blog later today.
I didn’t get a chance to call you because by the time we got out for a hike, I had virtually no energy.
Beautiful shot, by the way. I wonder how long does the snow/ice remains there?
Beautiful photo Dan… I was wanting to go up this weekend to photograph along Tioga Rd, but wasn’t able to get away…
Awesome, Dan. I’m itching to get up there, including a trip to the Whoa Nelly Deli.
I’ll reply to “all” (David, Ivan, Michele, and Rosemary) in one post…
These really were (and probably are, for a week or so to come) really special conditions. Typically when the road opens things are a bit more melted out than this. It was great to back in one of my favorite places on the planet!
Ivan, I started out in the Valley, and the crowds were bearable for the first few hours. (Folks must have either gotten up later than I for the drive up or else were still eating breakfast in the Valley.) I got in a couple hours of shooting before the crowds became just too oppressive, at which point the Tioga Pass drive started to look a lot more appealing!
Michele, I think that it will still be worth a drive for winter conditions for another week or so. Rosemary, I suspect that you know the Whoa Nellie Deli menu as well as I do? I also like to stop at Latte Da’ for coffee – and sit on their porch to drink it.
Dan