Yosemite (Part 2) -- Photo Panoramas

I am enamored with panoramic photos stitched together by computer from a series of regular digital photos. I took a whole bunch during our recent Yosemite trip. This post will be dedicated to showing off these panoramic photos.

This technology makes it possible for anyone to take awe inspiring pictures. Of course you also need an awe inspiring place like Yosemite!

The photo to the right was taken just outside the Ahwahnee Hotel. The kids are playing in the snow in the foreground, and you can see the top of Yosemite Falls in the background.  (You can click on all these photos to zoom in on and pan around them.)

The photo above was also taken outside the Ahwahnee, just a few moments after the previous one. The kids are playing in the snow with the main dining room on the right.

Here’s a nice photo of Yosemite Falls from top to bottom, with H & K posing for me. The kids got tired of me asking them to pose for pictures. I remember giving my parents a hard time about being in pictures, too.

The photo above really shows off the wonder of Yosemite. It’s impossible to capture everything the human eye sees in a place like this with such incredible beauty all around, but this panorama comes as close as you can, I think. This was taken near the Yosemite Falls bus stop. The falls are to the right and behind me. In the background is Yosemite’s famous Half Dome.

Here's a view looking down the beginner’s slope at the Badger Pass ski area. To the right is the Bruin chair lift. In the background is the base of Badger and the lodge. That’s little K in the snow near the bottom of the photo.

Another one of Yosemite’s rock sculptures is the Three Brothers. The photo above was taken just beneath them, looking up through the trees. I like the contrast between the cliffs, the clouds and the blue sky!

Looking back east from the road leading out of Yosemite Valley.

Bridal Veil Falls with the Merced River in the foreground.

Pictured above is the Merced looking upriver into the valley. Behind me is a signpost a little taller than my car on the left. It shows the water level at the peak of the 100 Year Flood on January 1st, 1997. Basically everything in this photo, except the mountain peaks and the tops of the tall trees, was covered with water up to the level of my car.  Hard to believe!

Just off Highway 120 near the summit there is a little road leading to the Yosemite Institute. We found a good sledding hill here on our way home today. Along with two other families, we spent a couple of hours sledding. Us parents took turns holding the sleds and launching the kids down the hill. Good fun was had by all!