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Yosemite National ParkThe Jewel of the Sierra NevadasBy Valerie Summers
Close by, I stopped at the Yosemite Museum where I viewed the cultural history of the Miwok and Paiute people and visited with a Native American cultural demonstrator who was creating twine. A second room displayed paintings of the park’s many outstanding views. My aesthetic senses sated, I started off to explore the area’s natural beauty. Hiking continues as my favorite Yosemite pastime. I began my exploration with a visit to Yosemite Falls which in the past I have viewed thundering down the 2,425 foot precipice leading to the lower falls. On other visits it has appeared frozen in mid-air creating fantastic ice sculptures. On this viewing of North America’s tallest waterfall, the water gently sprayed down the cliff onto the boulders below with a vibrant rainbow intersecting the mist. In any form, Yosemite Falls wows all visitors.
The sense of taste is sure to be satisfied at one of Yosemite’s Special Events including Vintners’ Holidays, Bracebridge Dinners in December and Chefs’ Holidays during January and February. Vintners’ Holidays is a celebrated consumer wine series offering guest fine wines from all over the world. Vintners and industry experts guide participants through wine tastings, informative seminars and panel discussions with each session topped off by a gala dinner. Originating in 1927, the Bracebridge Dinner is Yosemite’s grandest tradition where The Ahwahnee Dining Room is transformed into a Renaissance recreation of an Olde English Christmas fest. The ornately decorated room is filled with revelers dressed in extravagant period costumes singing and dancing while fanciful holiday dishes are served. This event became so popular in the past that attendees were chosen by lottery. Now, the festival has been expanded to include several nights so that more celebrants may be accommodated. Foodies delight in the Chef’s Holidays where top culinarians from across the country showcase their personal styles and techniques through a series of demonstrations and seminars. Each session highlights the unique specialties and talents of the guest chef in a five course meal paired with some of California’s finest wines. Special packages are available for all these events. After a sumptuous dinner at The Ahwahnee one evening, I lucked out by catching one of two performances given by the Andrea Fulton Chorale presenting their Holiday Pops concert. The hotel lobby had been transformed into a concert hall and every seat was taken. An appreciative audience enjoyed the talented group performing traditional and non-traditional songs of the season with several lively numbers cleverly choreographed. I saved the Mariposa Groves for last as I departed Yosemite. This outstanding collection of giant sequoia’s, many of them thousands of years old, is located at the southern-most end of Yosemite. Viewers, including me, stood in awe of the 1,800 year old Grizzly Giant, believed to be the park’s oldest living tree. I walked along the quiet paths, craning my neck to view these marvelous creations that have withstood the onslaught of nature and man, a fitting finale to my visit to one of nature’s most astounding creations – Yosemite National Park. For information: Yosemite National Park Reservations & Information Photos: Courtesy of Yosemite National Park |
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The
phrase “picture perfect” must have originated upon viewing the Yosemite Valley
from what is now called Inspiration Point. To the left, the monolith, El
Capitan, stands guard. To the right, Bridalveil Falls creates moving drama while
in the distance, the distinctive Half Dome completes the triangle of this
magnificent spectacle of nature. Making my way down into the valley, the Three
Brothers and the jagged spires of Cathedral Rocks loomed above while the
sometimes rushing waters of the Merced River trickled alongside the roadway.
Mother Nature paints a variety of pictures for all the seasons and during my
last visit, in late autumn, the full force of winter storms had not yet arrived.
Yosemite’s
1,189 square miles of parkland, featuring 800 miles of trails, epitomizes an
outdoor paradise. Simply viewing this exquisite jewel offers a memorable
experience. Painters and photographers remain inspired by its beauty and
continue to capture it on film or canvas. My visit to the park’s Ansel Adams
Gallery included a special meeting with curator Glenn Crosby, who proudly
displayed several of Ansel Adams’ original prints along with the works of
several other notable photographers which were under lock and key. These works
are for sale and a private showing may be arranged by advanced reservation.
Along with this special viewing, Crosby incorporated a fascinating history
lesson including personal information on Adams and Yosemite inspired naturalist,
John Muir. 
Finally
ready to continue my hike, I crossed the nearby bridge and headed toward Mirror
Lake. In mid-December, the snow had not yet covered the valley, but frost clung
to the delicate meadow flora, glistening in the sunlight. As I entered the
woods, enjoying the quiet and admiring the moss covered rocks and boulders of
all shapes and sizes, I was startled as a doe bounded across my path, not six
feet away, followed by a snorting buck in hot pursuit. The path gently climbed
and I clamored over some rocks here and there. Further ahead, I spotted another
buck, this one calmly grazing. I did not want to startle him so I waited. He
turned and looked at me then continued his snack, then sauntered down the path I
was following for several minutes, entirely ignoring me. When I finally reached
my destination, Mirror Lake was not as all as I had remembered it from many
years ago. The lake is now much smaller. Eventually, as a part of its natural
evolution, it will become a meadow.