It's been on my bucket list for a quite a few years to capture the firefalls in Yosemite National Park! Not only is does the timing have to be right, but this year with the Covid restrictions, we needed a permit to get into the park. It was a limited system, but we were able to secure a permit for the window of opportunity to capture this natural phenomena!
From a local source Yosemite Firefall:
"But the Yosemite Firefall can be finicky. Although Horsetail Fall is visible from multiple viewpoints in Yosemite Valley, several factors must converge to trigger the Firefall. If conditions are not perfect, the Yosemite Firefall will not glow.
First and foremost, Horsetail Fall must be flowing. If there’s not enough snowpack in February, there will not be enough snowmelt to feed the waterfall, which tumbles 1,570 feet (480 meters) down the east face of El Capitan. Likewise, temperatures must be warm enough during the day to melt the snowpack. If temperatures are too cold, the snow will stay frozen and Horsetail Fall won’t flow. Lack of runoff is why there is no Firefall in October when the sun hits Yosemite Valley at roughly the same angle. By October the runoff that feeds Horsetail Fall has long since dried up.
The sky must be clear at sunset. If conditions are cloudy the sun’s rays will be blocked, and Horsetail Fall will not light up. Winter weather is highly variable in Yosemite, however, and days that start off cloudy can clear up by sunset.
If everything comes together and conditions are just right, the Yosemite Firefall will light up for about ten minutes. To see Horsetail Fall glowing blood red is an almost supernatural experience."
I was fortunate enough to capture this phenomena three nights in a row! The night this was taken, I hiked up to a precarious spot above the valley to capture a more unique perspective. Hope you enjoy!
Yes! I do enjoy this beautiful photo, and I'm so glad for you, that you got a permit and that all the other things fall together, to get to see this phenomena in person. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Absolutely amazing to read this - how many things had to come together within your limited time period. This is stunning! Can't imagine what it was like in person!
