Cathedral Rocks and Spires
Cathedral Rocks and Spires, Yosemite National Park, California.
This year the water level of the Merced River in Yosemite Valley has been very high, considering that it's July 2nd already. Normally, this meadow would be dry by mid May.
This flooded meadow had bullfrogs, dragonflies, tadpoles, snakes, red-winged blackbirds and yes, oh so many mosquitoes.
Or here's another way to view it.
Comments and faves
Paul Watson, Peter In Shanghai, Venaslarguisimas, Mamen Saura, and 58 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Paul Watson (84 months ago | reply)
A tranquil scene beautifully captured. Thanks Ling.
Old Shoe Woman (84 months ago | reply)
Beautiful. I've never been there. Thanks for showing it to us through your lens.
PhillipC (84 months ago | reply)
Gorgeous! I've not been there either. Thanks.
Corydora (84 months ago | reply)
Yosemite really is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and this wonderful shot does it justice. Your story about the flooded meadow makes it even more vivid. Many thanks for sharing this with Idyll!
Scrubber [deleted] (84 months ago | reply)
A fantastic landskape !Looks like limestone in those mountains in the background ?
Here the rivers is raising fast now due to snowmelting in the mountains. Have some pictures from one river taken 2 days ago. It has doubled since then.
Dale Allyn (84 months ago | reply)
Thanks, all for your kind words.
Scrubber, the rock type is granite. Many of the cliffs in the valley are nearly white.
Richard- (84 months ago | reply)
The left buttress of the large (Middle) Cathredral Rock is one of the 50 classic climbs in Yosemite (well it was when I climbed it) called the East Butress of Middle Cathedral. Not sure if Dale has climbed it but I did it numerous times, it's such a great route.
The granite is perfect and even for an old, overclimbed route it was a pleasure.
Dale, your series brings back wonderful memories and is as well shot as any Yosemite pictures I've evere seen (including the late Galen Rowell's).
For those of you who track Dale's (Ling's) photos, you should know that he and I climbed together in Oregon over 25 years ago (gad). I haven't been back to Yosemite in over ten years and even ten years ago I went as a tourist, not a climber. Glad to relive some of this through Dale's lens(s), he has a great eye for both good photos and good rock.
Dale Allyn (84 months ago | reply)
Richard, thank you for your very kind remarks. Yes, I too have climbed the East Butress as well as the Direct North Butress or "D.N.B." They were definitely classics.
Best, Dale
belkin59 (84 months ago | reply)
The picture is good enough to be published
Peter Bowers (84 months ago | reply)
DNB gives you serious chops...I've done the East Buttress and NE Butt of Higher...oh and nice shot too
Dale Allyn (84 months ago | reply)
Peter: I've climbed one route on Higher Cathedral Rock as well. I think it may have been the N.E. Butt, but I honestly can't remember just now. I remember that it was a rather clean route. I'd need to check my notes to confirm the route.
These days I travel so much that the gray matter is really challenged. ;)
Richard- (84 months ago | reply)
Some day I'm gonna write a story (like my climbing story that brought us back together Dale) on the first time I did the East Buttress of Middle. I was with a climber who was good enough to lead the entire thing but he killed his arms (and brain) trying to free the aid pitch and so I had to lead the whole rest of it. I was not such a great climber at the time (or ever) but we slowly got up it. In the upper part two German climbers who were speed climbing passed us clipping into my pro. I was so mad I felt like cutting their rope.
My guess is this happens often now as the mix of experienced and newbie climbers is large but at the time it had never happened to me before and it infuriated me.
A few years later I did the east buttress again with a better partner and we did it in much better style. Did the DNB then too as well as a few routes on Stentinal and the NW face of Half Dome. That was my best summer in the Valley... Sorry Dale, but your picture brings back memories.
Dale Allyn (84 months ago | reply)
Richard, glad the image does something other than just sit on my hard drive. ;-)
Peter In Shanghai (83 months ago | reply)
Great shot, love the reflection in the water, added to faves as well as to my list of places to visit!
carlosluis (79 months ago | reply)
I just saw this, wow it is perfect Dale.
ayoye (78 months ago | reply)
Beautiful shot!
Graeme Smith (78 months ago | reply)
Nice shot!
ShirleyGrant (78 months ago | reply)
Lovely photo - great reflection.
good_dood (78 months ago | reply)
Nice pic! Yosemite! Dont know what it is about Yosemite - one look at the teeny thumbnail & you know it's Yosemite! The color of the granite?
Dale Allyn (78 months ago | reply)
Thank you for all of your kind comments. Yosemite is such a fantastic place.
Adam Grim (77 months ago | reply)
Incredible shot!!
wmphoto (76 months ago | reply)
Wonderful capture!
Vít Hassan (75 months ago | reply)
Beautiful landscape,brilliant reflections!
John Goldsmith (75 months ago | reply)
Stunning. You are a master photographer. When I saw this, I thought of two things: 1) WOW!, and 2) Ansel Adams is alive!
Matthew Clark Photography & Design (75 months ago | reply)
Wonderful!!
The Painter
Vít Hassan (73 months ago | reply)
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Please,add this image to:
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no1chrism (70 months ago | reply)
I have just ordered one of these lens's. Hope I can take some half as good as this!!
Dale Allyn (70 months ago | reply)
Good luck with the lens, no1chrism. It's a great lens, but sadly, I think I'll be selling mine soon. I need a wide lens for my 5D. While I still have the 20D and use it with this lens (and long lenses), I can't justify having too ultra-wide lenses.
Thank you for the comments.
Anorel (64 months ago | reply)
This is such a clear and beautiful shot.
Dale Allyn (64 months ago | reply)
Thank you, Anorel.
Matt Granz Photography (62 months ago | reply)
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You are invited to post this image to "Spectacular Landscape, invitation only"
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JD Fielding [deleted] (46 months ago | reply)
Beautiful.
Bachspics (28 months ago | reply)
My compliments on your beautiful image!!
I'm the Admin of The Gallery Of Fine Photography. I’m trying to add to the pool some of the better photographs that have been around a while. This is an exceptional photo.
I hope you will consider it an honor to place your photo in our gallery of the best photos on Flickr. Please add it to The Gallery Of Fine Photography Feel free to tag your photo The Gallery Of Fine Photography.
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kate3453324 (3 months ago | reply)
I wonder if you'd email me about the possibility of publishing this photograph in a book I'm writing? I'd appreciate it if you'd email me at:
kate.ogden@stockton.edu