Yosemite National Park has long been one of my favorite places. The park may be roughly the size of Rhode Island at 747,956 acres, but Yosemite Valley has always been its heart and soul. It’s beautiful any time of year, but it’s during the winter when the temperatures drop and the snow falls that 7 mile long by 1 mile wide Yosemite Valley truly comes alive. Once winter sets in, Yosemite National Park is transformed into a winter wonderland of unimaginable beauty.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Yosemite during the winter, and it’s long been my favorite season here. There’s nothing quite like seeing the 3,000 to 4,000 foot tall granite cliffs of this grand cathedral of nature rise up above the snow covered valley as snow blankets the cliff tops and Yosemite high country above. Winter transforms this place into a scene seemingly straight out of Heaven. I’ve always felt Yosemite is a thin place, as place that blurs the lines between Heaven and Earth, but seeing Yosemite transform into a magical winter wonderland always seems to take that feeling to a whole new level.
I grew up hearing my Dad talk about John Muir and Ansel Adams, and the reverence high esteem he held them in cultivated my love for Yosemite from a very young age. Even when I was young, I knew how special this place was. I always loved winter, we grew up with a hill right near our house and whenever it snowed I would find myself outside, playing in the snow until way past dark, and I’d be out there again first thing in the morning. When my Dad would show me photos of Yosemite in the winter such as Adams work “Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park,” it had a profound effect on me. If winter was this beautiful at home, Yosemite in the winter must be among the most perfect scenes on Earth.
The first time I laid eyes on Yosemite in the winter, it did not disappoint. It exceeded all expectations, and I’ve spent most of my life returning here in the winter ever since. Yosemite has always been a magical place, but seeing the tops of El Captain, Cathedral Rocks and Half Dome covered in snow as Bridalveil Fall tumbles over the cliffs while the trees and valley below lay covered in a beautiful coat of snow is a sight I’ll never forget. Witnessing Tunnel View, Valley View (Gates of the Valley) and other magical scenes transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland is something straight out of a dream, and it's something I'll never forget. As a child, I remember watching the cartoon of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” by CL Lewis. I’d always get sad whenever winter ended, so it’s no surprised that I’ve spent a large majority of my career as a Professional Fine Art Landscape Photographer returning to Yosemite in the winter.
Winter transforms every part of this place into something uniquely beautiful and different. Ephemeral ponds and streams form, low laying for forms and the cloak of winter only adds to the mysterious beauty of this thin place. The way low clouds hug the tops of the granite cliffs as Yosemite Falls tumbles 2,425 feet towards a snow covered Cook’s Meadow below is something straight out of a fairy tale. It’s long been said Yosemite Valley is Yosemite National Park’s heart and soul, but Yosemite Valley in the winter is more than that: it’s a scene straight out of heaven.
Some of my favorite memories in my career involve snow shoeing around deep snow in the valley with my tripod and camera gear, simply taking in the incredible splendor of this place until the wee hours of the morning. At one point, I drove over 700 miles each way 3 separate times in 3 weeks to take in the majesty of this unbelievable winter wonderland. I’ll often drop everything and return here the moment I see conditions line up. At one point I spent nearly 3 weeks straight in Yosemite during R2 and even R3 chain restrictions.
I’ve always enjoyed cold weather far more than warm weather, so it’s fitting I’ve spent a lifetime coming here in the winter. I often find filled with feeling of peace and serenity whenever I return here in the winter. It feels like something out of a dream and no matter what’s happening in life time always seems to stand still whenever I’m here. Yosemite in the winter is easily one of the most inspiring places I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s a place which always seems to cleanse the soul and leave us feeling refreshed and renewed. I hope everyone viewing my Winter in Yosemite Valley Fine Art Photography gallery experiences the same feelings of peace, wonder, tranquility and inspiration that I’ve always experienced here.
I remember hearing Norm say during the series finale of Cheers "You can never be unfaithful to your one true love, you always come back to her." That's why I will always return to Yosemite in the winter. I've spent a lifetime chasing beauty and fleeting light in nature. Of all the places I've ever spent time during my career, winter in Yosemite is one I truly love. It's a place I will always return to.
