I've finished up with images fro the first two days or our trip, specifically
Hetch Hetchy. For those unfamiliar with
it and its history, it is another large, glacial valley in Yosemite NP, north
of Yosemite Valley. In a long, drawn-out
process involving protests from many, led by John Muir and others, San
Francisco ended up building a dam to fill the
lower part of the valley to provide water and power for SF. The curious may
read more starting here.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Yosemite_area#Fight_over_Hetch_Hetchy_Valley>
And here. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetch_Hetchy_Valley>
Feeling that the valley had been ruined, I'd never been there, although I've
hiked in the upper part of its watershed,
near the Sierra crest. A couple of recent articles touting it now that the
hiking trail bridge at Wapama Falls has been
repaired led us to visit this month. The valley floor is indeed inundated, but
not to the height I had somehow imagined.
All the granite walls are still there to be viewed, and quite impressive. You
can see the extent of the flooding at this
interesting site.
<http://www.sierranevadaphotos.com/gallery/hetch_hetchy/hetch_hetchy_history.asp>
Now that I've been there, I agree that it shouldn't have been dammed. There's a
movement to undam it, capturing the
water farther downstream, but losing some of the power generating capacity.
Some good historical photos are here.
<http://www.hetchhetchy.org/>
Regardless of the dam and lake, it's still a visually wonderful place. Not up
to Yosemite Vally for sheer spectacle, but
well worth the visit. Although not much NE of Yosemite Valley, it's a bit drier
and there are fewer falls. Wapama Falls
is the most impressive. It's a five mile round trip, so I'm pretty sure I'm not
competing with Edward Weston. ;-) The
upper drop is slightly less impressive than Yosemite falls, as it is broken
into two parts. The lower falls is right up
there though, shooting out and down. Unlike Yosemite Falls, where all the water
from the lower basin surges out one way,
Wapama is more like a river delta, with many smaller falls boiling out over a
very broad expanse. The multi-part bridge
across that part is much longer than at Yosemite Falls. Very wet this time of
year.
I've given Wapama Falls its own sub-gallery.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=California/Yosemite/Yosemite_2011/Hetch_Hetchy/Wapama_Falls>
The only other named falls in the valley, Tueeulala Falls, three other
ephemeral falls that are quite strong this big
snow year and many seeps get a separate gallery.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=California/Yosemite/Yosemite_2011/Hetch_Hetchy/Falls>
Even if you don't like flora and fauna images don't miss the image of the
Red-Tailed Moose.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=California/Yosemite/Yosemite_2011/Hetch_Hetchy/Flora_and_Fauna&image=SAM_0352iamix.jpg>
If you are like Mike Johnston of TOP ". . . ubiquitous scenics that bore me out
of my mind.", that's probably more than
enough. If you enjoy beautiful scenics and some other interesting odds and
ends, including a v. rare from Moose B&W, the
rest of the images are here.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=California/Yosemite/Yosemite_2011/Hetch_Hetchy/General>
Color Me Scenic Moose
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