Dannie likes Sunshine. Warm Seas. Golden Sands. Lulling Breezes. Sunny Beaches. Girls in Bikinis. Wife in Bikini.

So we're driving along Hwy 120 into Yosemite National Park and I see a sliver of white on the mountain peaks.

YL (excited shriek): Hey baby, I can see SNOW on the mountain!

DC (panic): WHAT?!? Snow?!?! I'm in berms and a T-shirt!

YL (hasty reassuring): Ahhh, no lah, it's just old melty snow I'm sure. Anyway, we're not climbing any mountains.

5 MINUTES LATER....

DC (really panicky): What's that?

YL (looking around): What?

DC (pointing with his chin): That! That bit of WHITE STUFF... ON THE ROAD.

YL (realising it really is snow at human level): Oh er. That's... styrofoam! You know, like what shopping malls in Singapore sprinkle on their facades during Christmas. It's fake snow.

DC (hysterical): THERE'S MORE OF IT!! SOME MORE THERE!! AND THERE! AND THERE! THERE THERE THERE THERE THERE TOO!!

YL: Baby.... stay calm... just keep driving.

DC (wailing): Why you bring me here in winter?!?!?!

For the records, it's not suppose to be winter. We see advertisements on TV declaring "Spring has Sprung!" (oh.ha.ha.) and Old Navy is having a Shorts Sale. Macy's has created a Spring blossomed-themed showcase. The kids here are all on Spring Break right?!

So don't blame us if we came unprepared for snow! :( We were dressed in T-shirts and our pants only reached up to our knees/ankles and I was in ankle socks! Boo hoo. I could at least keep semi-toasty in my 2-layered La Fuma jacket but Dan had to make do with his Giordano windbreaker. Poor thing. I felt bad about pooh-poohing when he asked whether he should pack his possum-fur gloves (Note: possums are classified as pests in New Zealand - we apparently did the country a favour by buying possum-fur products) and his Ski Dubai cap for this trip. The weather charts at the Visitor Centre declared that the minimum temperature for that day was minus 1 degree Celsius and a grand maximum of 8 degree Celcius. I swear the numbers on the chart were laughing at us. How mocking.

Mummy, where are my gloves?

Anyway, Yosemite Park is absolutely scenic and there was no letting the cold stop us from seeing it. On our way to the village centre which was cozily tucked in the Yosemite Valley (read: warmER temperatures there - although very minimally warmer), we stopped to photograph a few pretty waterfalls.

Scenic spots are everywhere in Yosemite.

I love photographing waterfalls - the challenge of 'freezing' moving water into a picture perfect image of a dreamy misty white flowing ribbon. So amid frozen fingers and blue fingernails (my fingernails really turn a scary grey-purple-blue shade when cold), I spent minutes at each fall just toggling the knibs and knobs on my camera and exploring different settings each time until I got it absolutely RIGHT. Here are my 2 most favouritEST waterfall pictures which I'm very happy with:

Splish splash, no I'm not taking a bath.

Splash down point!

Most national parks in the US have free shuttle bus service that ferries visitors along the most scenic routes, so as to cut down on private vehicle usage within the park and to keep the air clean. In a bid to be green (especially after being part of the mega carbon footprint created by the super long Singapore-LA flight) and also to give Dan a break from driving), we hopped onto the shuttle to Lower Yosemite Falls - which turned out to be one measly bus stop away. And so that was our half-baked attempt at being part of the green MOVEMENT.

It was absolutely freezing at the falls. We made pathetic attempts at convincing ourselves that we were slowly adapting to the cold, but the moment the wind blew a curtain of misty spray from the falls in our direction, we went absolutely batty and started tap-dancing on the spot like Mexican jumping beans to keep warm. We managed to keep still long enough to photograph the beautiful falls though.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.

Lower Yosemite Falls - the easy one to get to.

You can trek to the base or the top of the Upper Falls.

Water water everywhere, all of it trying to go somewhere.

The top of El Capitan had been sitting in cloudy gloomsville and shrouded from sight. However, the skies cleared considerably in the late afternoon, enough for us to have a peek at the peak of the infamous Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge.

El Capitan looms over us - keeping a straight face throughout.

View of the cloud-capped Half Dome.

Sunset is suppose to be the most gorgeous time to see Half Dome and the Yosemite sky at its best. As we were firmly convinced that Mr Sun had been skiving at home and didn't come to work today, we didn't think he would turn up just to demonstrate how he goes to sleep behind a mountain. So we didn't stick around for the no-show.

We made our way out of the park as dusk fell. The splendid views were very truly appreciated from the warmth of the car!

Beautiful.

Dusky drive back home.

I'm truly happy that I've finally made it to Yosemite - one of the places which I've always wanted to visit (it's marked with a big green thumbtack on my world map at home.) One of the highlights of the day was spotting a wild coyote (just like Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes!) I thought it was a small funny-coloured wolf at first though.

Who are you calling a funny-coloured wolf?

After finding out that it was a coyote, I was in a real smuggly bubbly mood at having spotted one! Although Dan still keeps insisting otherwise.

YL: I think I just saw a wolf!

DC: It's probably a dog.

YL: It doesn't exactly look like someone's pet you know. It must be a wolf!

DC: Okay, then you can get out to snap the photos here. I'll just stay in the car.

YL: But what if it's really a wolf? You're letting me go out there alone?

DC: No lah, what rubbish. You saw a rabbit. Stop imagining things. Now go snap the photo. I'll stay here and look after the car....

Yeah I know, my husband loves me alot. His actions say it all.

Mysterious mystifying mist walk.

YL

written by  DanYilin on April 10, 2009 from Yosemite National Park, California, United States
from the travel blog: go.
Send a Compliment

---

Aaaahh..... These pics remind me of my NZ trip!

Freaky weather we experienced too! Snowing in Queensland when it wasn't suppose to.

Haha... Yeah yeah, see la! Laff @ me when I asked if you guys brought winter clothings! =P

But glad you guys having a GREAT time!

written by  Zennie on April 12, 2009

---

a ski Dubai cap! wahahahaha

written by  junwei on April 14, 2009

---

Yes that Ski Dubai cap we bought when visited you is really neat n toasty! Good buy that was. Nvr thought we wld buy winter stuff in Dubai.

written by  DanYilin on April 16, 2009

---

I love that last mystifying pix!

written by  Daphne on May 2, 2009

comment on this...