May 2011 – Page 4 – National Parks Blog

May 10, 2011May 11, 2011

Oregon Caves Entrance

When you arrive at Oregon Caves National Monument, there is a short walk from the parking area to the visitors center. The walk is along a paved road and immediately gives a feel of the area with a lot of moss clinging to rocks and trees:

Once you reach the visitors center building, there is a beautiful waterfall that empties into a clear pond. This is the water that is coming out of the cave entrance from the river that runs through it:

It’s only possible to explore the Oregon Caves by guided tour which leave in groups of a maximum of 15 people on a regular basis depending on how crowded the day is. A guide will take you up to the Oregon Cave entrance where you will be greeted by a moss covered entrance:

and a river flowing below you:

The guided tour was wonderful providing a nice history of the cave with plenty of opportunities to take photos and ask questions. The first stop inside the cave on the Oregon Caves tour is at Watson’s Grotto.

May 9, 2011

Death Valley Badwater Basin

If you are going to take a trip to Death Valley National Park, you’re definitely going to want to make a stop at Badwater, the lowest point in North America. Badwater has an elevation of negative 282 feet (-86 meters) or 282 feet below sea level. Badwater is marked with a sign (The sign and the Badwater spring beside it are not actually the lowest point of the Badwater Basin: the true lowest point is several miles to the west over the salt flats, but can be dangerous and difficult to reach)

To the right of the Badwater sign is a small spring-fed pool of water that is undrinkable due to the salt content giving the point it’s name: Badwater. Even though the water is undrinkable, that doesn’t mean there isn’t life in it. The Badwater spring hosts varied plant life, aquatic insects and the Badwater snail.

If you are a bit more adventurous, you can take a short walk out into the Badwater Basin salt flat:

May 8, 2011

Giant Saguaro Cactus High Five

I always love it when I come across something unexpected when traveling through National Parks. While heading toward the visitor center at Saguaro National Park in Arizona, I had to slam on the brakes of my car when I noticed that two giant saguaro cactus were doing a classic high five with one another:

May 8, 2011May 8, 2011

Crater Lake In Winter

This was my first visit to Crater Lake National Park and although it was May, there were still piles of snow along the side of the road that stood over 15 feet high. Driving next to these snow banks was enough to make the trip worthwhile and is a great reason to visit Crater Lake in the winter.

The big drawback to visiting Crater Lake in the winter is that your activities are limited. Crater Lake rim drive is closed. Due to the large amount of snow, hiking is pretty much out of the question (although cross country skiing and snow shoeing would be possible — permits are required for overnight snow camping). That means that there’s really only one spot to view and take photos of the lake:

snow covered Crater Lake Wizard Island in winter

As can be seen from the photos, the other big difference is that cloud covered weather doesn’t let the beautiful blue of Crater Lake shine through, and instead leaves it a steel grey. I heard that has a much bluer tint when the sun is shining brightly even in winter, but to really get the color you need to visit in summer (which means I will be back again) when you can take photos like this:

May 7, 2011

Yosemite Falls

If you go to Yosemite, one of the highlights of the trip will be seeing Yosemite Falls. It’s highest measured waterfall in North America with a drop of 2,425 feet (739 meters) and the sixth (sometimes now listed as seventh with the discovery of Gocta Cataracts) highest measured waterfall in the world. While it appears from Yosemite Valley that Yosemite Falls consist of a two-stage drop of Upper Yosemite Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls, there is actually a Yosemite Falls Middle Cascades which consists of five smaller plunges. These are rarely mentioned because they can’t be seen from Yosemite Valley (although they can be seen when hiking the Yosemite Falls trail up to the Upper Yosemite Falls). The Middle Cascades plunge 675 feet (206 meters) which is more than double the drop of Lower Yosemite Falls.

There are a number of vantage points in Yosemite Valley where it’s possible to get a photo of the entire Yosemite Falls which make a spectacular sight.

May 7, 2011

Yosemite Frazil Ice

One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Yosemite was to get the chance to see frazil ice. Yosemite Creek is famous for frazil ice, but the temperatures have to be perfect for it to form. It needs to be a clear, cold night where temperatures get down into the 20s or lower so that the mist from Upper Yosemite Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls freezes to the rocks on the way down. Then the day needs to be sunny and warm enough to melt that ice that froze overnight so that it falls off the sides of the waterfall walls and into the river forming a type of slush in Yosemite Creek. This slushy mess is called frazil ice. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky enough to see any frazil ice on my visit, but here are a couple of videos that show why I was hoping to see it (and why I will be going back until I get the opportunity to witness frazil ice)

May 7, 2011

Yosemite Creek

Yosemite Creek is often overlooked due to the magnificence of Yosemite Falls, but definitely should not be dismissed as it offers a number of beautiful photo opportunities. Yosemite Creek emerges from the base of Yosemite Lower Falls which eventually flows into the nearby Merced River. The first part of Yosemite Creek is rugged with large boulders, but becomes calmer as it flows away with it meandering under a few beautiful bridges:

May 7, 2011

Lower Yosemite Falls

The Lower Yosemite Fall is one of the easiest Yosemite Valley waterfalls to access and makes for some wonderful photos. The Lower Yosemite Falls is the final portion of Yosemite Falls and descends 320 feet (98 meters) drop. There is a viewing area at the bottom where many people that visit Yosemite gather to take photos. The Lower Yosemite Falls is easily accessible near the Yosemite Lodge on flat paved paths and just over a mile hike from the Yosemite visitor center:

May 6, 2011May 21, 2011

Upper Yosemite Falls

One of the most spectacular sights in Yosemite is Yosemite Falls which can be seen from a number of spots on the Yosemite Valley floor and makes for breath taking photos. The Yosemite Upper Falls drops 1,430 feet (440 meters), and just the Upper Falls section ranks as a top 20 waterfall in the world. There are hiking trails from the valley floor to both the top and base of Upper Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Upper Falls usually has water flow year round, but there have been occasions when it has gone dry in the past.

Yosemite Upper Falls from valley lower falls trail

Upper Yosemite Falls from Sentinel Bridge

May 5, 2011May 21, 2011

Yosemite Wildlife

As you walk around the Yosemite Valley, there is a fairly good chance that you will come across some wildlife. Squirrels are plentiful and there is also a good possibility of seeing mule deer if you keep your eyes open. There are a wide variety of birds flying around. While much less common to spot, there are black bears, coyotes and mountain lions. Yosemite wildlife makes the beautiful scenery all that more enjoyable:

Yosemite Wildlife List

Black Bears: If you’re lucky, you might spy a black bear. The black bear isn’t always “black — its fur can also be brown, blond, cinnamon and even white.

Mule Deer: Quite common on the Yosemite valley floor and in meadows, they are one of the easiest big animals to find in Yosemite. Mule deer are also called “Black-Tailed Deer”.

Coyotes: You are more likely to hear the yelps of coyotes than actually see them, but coyotes do roam Yosemite valley. Coyotes are sometimes mistaken for wolves, but wolf packs have never been part of Yosemite.

California Ground Squirrel: You are not likely to see them in the winter when they hibernate, but are likely to during the warmer months. They have a grey/white mottled fur which helps you tell them apart from the Western Grey squirrel.

Western Grey Squirrel: If you see a squirrel during the winter season, chances are it is a Western Grey squirrel. They are known for their quite bushy tails.

Mountain Lions: The chances are that you will never see a mountain lion while visiting Yosemite due to their secretive nature, but they do live in the park. Mountain lions are an important predator which help control the deer, raccoon and squirrel populations.

Marmots: If you happen to be in the Olmstead Point to Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite, you might see these large brown rodents sunbathing in the meadows and among the rocky crevices of the high mountain peaks.