Well, the party's over

[Donald]

I've just posted this on my DMacK Photography Facebook page:-


Well, the party's over. Left Yosemite this morning and am now back in Fresno for one night before my flight to Los Angeles, then London, then Edinburgh which starts here in Fresno tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

What an adventure it's been. What wonderful people I've met. What astounding landscapes I have seen.

Have I made any good pictures? Well, we'll find that out once we get home, get everything uploaded and start the editing. Editing is going to be a massive job. I said coming here, that if I produce 12-15 images that make folk stop in their tracks and go 'Wow', then I'll be very happy. I think I know which these images are, but we'll see.

And just for those who moan at me for not doing enough in colour, yes I've done some of them as well, especially the Aspens in their Fall colours that I encountered near the town of Bishop.

Moments of intense emotion, when I think of the circumstances that led to me being here. Moments of great happiness in thinking about the future that is taking shape for me. Overall, I am so, so glad that I made this trip. I hope my memory holds out for many years so that I'll be able to re-live it in my thoughts as well as my images.

[Bobobird]

+++++
Always happy when someone is happy....

[terrib]

It's heartwarming to read such positive thoughts on your trip. I understand the wide ranging emotions. I'm happy that the trip went well and wish you an easy trip home. Really looking forward to your photos!

[Mike Buckley]

I can't add anything important to Bobo's and Terri's thoughts, so I'll instead thank them for expressing my own sentiments so very well.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

^^^^^What they said. Sorry I jumped the gun sorta with my other post. Saw you on-line and figured you were already home. BIG opps on my part (sorry, I'm old I don't think in Internet terms of you can get on it anywhere you are, what can I say?).

[Manfred M]

I'm glad you've had a very successful trip. That should make the upcoming flights and the inevitable jet-lag a bit less daunting.

As the others have said, I'm looking forward to seeing your images.

[Jimr1961]

Very cool Donald. Did you make it to Devil's Postpile? Bishop creek was supposed to be in good fall colors. I hope you hit it well.

[NorthernFocus]

...Overall, I am so, so glad that I made this trip. I hope my memory holds out for many years so that I'll be able to re-live it in my thoughts as well as my images.

Glad you're coming away with that sort of thought about the trip, Donald. So happy that it went well for you. Looking forward to seeing some of the images you captured. But don't share them all just yet. Leave a few sleepers hidden away so you can re-live the journey some time in the future when you pull them up for editing.

[Donald]

Jim

First of all, thank you for all your pre-visit advice.

I was right in the valley but did not see the Postpile itself. There was roadworks going on and cars had to go into the campsite area and then you had to walk in, about a three mile hike (the next day they were starting a shuttle bus service from the campground to the ranger hut beside the Postpile.). On that day, my hips were pretty painful and I couldn't face the prospect of a 6 mile round hike. I was disappointed, but ...............! Just back from there is a little lake (well, really just a pond). But I stopped there and it was so beautiful.

I had a great day that day - Going round the June Lake loop and around Mammoth Lakes (just for a look).

As for the fall colors - On the advice of one of the ladies at Tioga Pass Resort, I went into Bishop. Going south through the town, I took a right on West Line Street (I think the 168) and just kept on going. The folks at TPR told me to take both forks on the road, to both North Lake and South Lake. I went to North Lake first (yep, right up the dirt road to the lake). It was beautiful. Then I came back down and took the South Lake fork.

Well, what I saw on that road just blew me away. Scotland can be beautiful in the Autumn/Fall. Back home, we've seen the pictures and heard about the fall colors, particularly the Aspens. But nothing matches being there and seeing a hillside of yellows and reds of the Aspens in full fall color. It was a sight such as I have never seen in my life. Quite ovwerwhelming.

I'd been holding up really well up until then, but I know that Sheila (my late wife) would have loved to have seen that. When I thought about that, it cracked me up. And I'm not ashamed to say it. It was something truly, truly beautriful.

[Jimr1961]

Yes, all three forks of the Bishop creek drainage are beautiful, especially when the Aspens turn. I'm so glad you got everything you wanted and more. Can't wait until the first shots come in. If LAX wasn't so difficult, I'd drop by and say hi during your layover, but that type of visit is tough in major airports these days.

[Mike Buckley]

My wife prints one or two stories about "this day in a previous year" every day and we conclude our evening meal with a reading of them. Thanks to that, I learned today rather coincidentally that Yosemite National Park was established the very same date in 1890 that I am posting this message.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Mike, the story of why it became a National Park is really interesting too.

[Mike Buckley]

Donald,

I realize that you and I had discussed the relative impracticality of getting to the parking lot or trail head, now unused, that Ansel Adams used to capture his famous photo of Bridal Veil Falls and Yosemite Valley. Even so, I just have to ask if you tried and, if so, were you successful?

[Loose Canon]

Donald,

Yeah, well the Party’s just begun!

With all of the shortcomings and faults, the country you are coming home from did, at a minimum, one thing right.

That was to preserve Nature’s Gifts here. Well, at least some of them. Among others, we have Ansel and Muir to thank for that. We own this as a citizenship and as owners, I hope we always fight to make sure it is always available to all of us. You have seen what this means.

It’s very cool to see you have met some of the wonderful folks. Regardless of what one may hear, there is an abundance. We are all one and when we are in The Big Out There, it is never more apparent.

Hopefully, your emotional moments bring and brought you joy as you celebrate Life and move through.

Would that you always remember and never forget as you continue sir.

I, for one, will be setting on the edge of my seat to see what you did with one of the most incredible spots on Earth!

[Donald]

Donald,

I realize that you and I had discussed the relative impracticality of getting to the parking lot or trail head, now unused, that Ansel Adams used to capture his famous photo of Bridal Veil Falls and Yosemite Valley. Even so, I just have to ask if you tried and, if so, were you successful?

I looked at the trail that I assume was the one that staff at the Gallery advised could be taken. It was very steep. Also looking at where it went, I could see the point they made that, even if that were from where Adams captured the photograph, it will now be so overgrown that no image could be made from there.

Once I get home I want to study where the top of the left-most of the Three Brothers sits in relation to the skyline/edge of the land behind it. That will provide a good guide as to whether Adams was at what we now know as Tunnel View, as claimed by Gallery staff, or was higher up (as both you and I, Mike, thought was the case).

[Mike Buckley]

as claimed by Gallery staff

Tom Till is a reasonably famous photographer. He has a wonderful print for sale titled Angkor Wat that has just one teensy weensy little problem: it's not Angkor Wat and any one of the millions of people who have been to Ta Prohm or seen accurately attributed photos of it would know that it's a photo of Ta Prohm. I even told the manager of his gallery about it and sent a note to Tom Till about it. He never changed the title of the print, at least not the last time I looked.

The sort of thing you're trying to figure out is very difficult to do by looking at photos. My bet is that the gallery staff is wrong and are too lazy to do the necessary research.

[Bobobird]

Tom Till is a reasonably famous photographer....

But if it was me I would be hounded all the way to hell....

But with "fame" come benefits just like Donald (oops! not Our Donald though he is also famous) but the one you guys down South are so lucky to have!

[John 2]

................................ Moments of intense emotion, when I think of the circumstances that led to me being here. Moments of great happiness in thinking about the future that is taking shape for me. Overall, I am so, so glad that I made this trip. I hope my memory holds out for many years so that I'll be able to re-live it in my thoughts as well as my images.

........and how many of us can say that. As I read your post, you will be about to start the not so nice bits of a special adventure, that is 24hrs of long distance air ravel but it has clearly been worth every minute. Your images are probably the nearest I will get to the same experience and so don't delay too long after you boot up that computer when you get back, Looking forward to it.

[JBW]

may this time nurture a future of shared love.

[rpcrowe]

I am very happy that you enjoyed your trip but, sad that I was unable to meet you like I had anticipated. I am looking forward to your images...

I never mentioned this because it is not the best time of year to visit there but, there is a road (accessible by vehicle) which brings you to to a crest overlooking the Mammoth Twin Lakes. When there is snow covering some of the terrain, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been,

However, memory often is wrong. I once visited a lake in Utah (Yankee Meadows) and thought this meadow lake with snow capped mountains in the very near background was absolutely breathtaking. I visited it a few years later (after beginning in digital photography) and was totally disappointed. The drought had dried up the lake, the meadow was brown, not green, and there was no snow on the mountains. So much for revisiting a site...