Thinking of Photographing Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall?

Posted on 19 January 2009

Horsetail Fall. Yosemite National Park, California. February 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

During the second half of the winter season the setting sun lines up just right to cast a final beam of light onto a southwest-facing portion of El Capitan. When conditions are just right the snow-filled area above El Capitan warms a bit at about this time and seasonal Horsetail Fall may drop over the edge of El Capitan. If everything falls in place just so, the beam of warm sunset light strikes the upper portion of the fall, and if you happen to be in the right areas in the Valley you can witness what has been called the “Yosemite’s natural firefall.”

If you are thinking of going to witness this event, whether as a photographer or just as a viewer, you might want to follow Edie Howe’s Little Red Tent blog. Edie lives in the Valley, and is known for posting firsthand reports on conditions that may – or may not – produce this seasonal spectacle. (If you want to see the light on Horsetail Fall, you should be aware that conditions have to be just right – and your chances improve if you have some travel flexibility and can be there for more than one day.)

Any post on this phenomenon should acknowledge Galen’s Rowell’s famous photograph of Horsetail Fall, and the fact that any later photograph of this scene will unavoidably be compared to his image.

Category: Commentary
Tags: beam, blog, edie howe, el cap, el capitan, fall, firefall, galen rowell, horsetail, light, little red tent, national park, natural, seasonal, sun, sunset, valley, waterfall, yosemite

5 comments to Thinking of Photographing Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall?

coldstreams

says:

January 19, 2009 at 4:31 pm

I was not aware of this falls. But I did witness the last ever fire fall from Glacier Point.

G Dan Mitchell says:

January 19, 2009 at 4:33 pm

Ed, as in the very last time they pushed burning embers over the cliff? I’m impressed! I recall seeing the firefall on several occasions as a child, but I’m pretty certain I missed the last one.

Dan

Reply

coldstreams

says:

January 19, 2009 at 8:42 pm

Yes. I watched the very last fire fall from Glacier Point on the last day it was done for the season. It was just coincidence that it was the last fire fall. Over the winter, they made a decision to discontinue the fire fall. Pretty neat?

G Dan Mitchell

says:

January 19, 2009 at 10:17 pm

Wow. That is cool. Don’t suppose you have any photographs anywhere?

coldstreams

says:

January 20, 2009 at 8:02 am

Heh – no. Don’t we wish?