Saturday, May 9, 2009

Yosemite National Park






Yosemite National Park – it is so stunning, what else is there to say about it? Well, for one thing, it was arguably the inspiration for the whole National Park system; for another, it was the first piece of America set aside for preservation for posterity . . . in 1864, by Congress and President Lincoln . . . right in the midst of the Civil War!

For another, it was unfortunately named . . . Yosemite is the English transliteration of a Miwok Indian word meaning "They are killers!" referring to the Ahwahneechee Indians who lived in Yosemite Valley. The other suggested name was Ahwahnee, which is what the Miwok called it, no violent meaning attached.

All that aside, the view as you enter the valley is breath-taking (see the first picture) – a panorama of granite and waterfalls. The waterfalls were running strongly when we arrived, due to a heavy snowpack over the winter. The second picture shows Ribbon Falls in the valley, just to the left of El Capitan.

El Capitan stands some 3300 feet above the floor of the valley (thus about 7500 feet above sea level) and is the Mecca for rock climbers. There is a sometime contest to set the record for the fastest climb up those 3300 feet – it's less than 8 hours, I believe, although many climbers spend four or five days (and nights) on its face getting to the top.

Then, of course, there is Half Dome, named because it appears to have been split in two, although the other half is nowhere to be found. The last picture shows the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, at another location in the valley.

The geologic history of the valley, of molten lava, tectonic plate shifts, millions of years in the formation of granite cliffs, is so much more interesting than any possible "Creation" scenario that one could never settle for anything other than that story. Non-believers (in evolution and "natural" history) apparently do not come to Yosemite . . .

1 comment:

Ted said...

Yosemite is a great place isn't it.
We were there also today...picnic in the meadow for mothers day.
Ted
www.campingsierra.com