The Yosemite Rose Bed & Breakfast and its feline mascot, Little Boy, a super lovey fat black cat. If you ever visit Yosemite you owe it to your self to stay at this reasonable and beautiful establishment. The rooms were cozy and spacious, the food was delicious and organic and the company absolutely marvelous. Oh yea, the prices are really reasonable too. Also, Rene Zelwigger has stayed here!
As we got to the west entrance to Yosemite we discovered we needed snow chains or we would be forbidden entry. We had to turn around and buy a set of chains for the rental car - for one day's use! LOL Still it was well worth the expense because, as you can see from the above picture, they were very necessary. The roads were predominantly snow and ice covered and, as we ascended to about 7,000 feet, we felt very grateful for having gotten them. They served us best, however, when trying to negotiate our way out of the parking spaces we found ourselves in. All in all it was totally worth it!
At one of the many view points was this spectacular view of Half Dome to the right of El Captian and to the right of the Cathedral Peaks.
Here is a less close up view from the same lookout.
Further up the road was another turn out where we parked and stopped to shoot some pictures of the snow covered trees and a section of the Merced River.
The Merced River from the same turn out.
This was anothe section of the Merced River. It was so picturesque I couldn't stop snapping.
This is a great view of El Capitan.
This was another section of the Merced River. As the sun came over the mountains and into the valley it warmed the air causing this blanket of mist to hang over much of the snow covered area. It was breathtaking.
This is the famous Yosemite Chapel. I have never seen a cuter little chapel and the snow made it more perfect, particularly with the massive granite mountain in the background.
Yet more of the Merced River and the awesome mist that hung in the air.
This is Bridalveil Falls.
This is Horsetail falls. Notice the faint rainbow near the top.
One of about three dozen small snowmen in this open field. Again, the mist was amazing.
This is the Awahnee Hotel. It is the most famous lodging in the park and the most expensive at a minium of $450 a night! It was really packed, despite the snow. Still, it was glorious tucked in a beautiful corner of of the valley.
This was a path leading away from the Awahnee Hotel. We would not have found ourselves on this path were it not for several people who created their own parking spaces in the hotel parking lot thus blocking the park buses which in turn blocked our car in its parking space. How fortuitous because on our walk I took some great shots.
I couldn't get enough of the mist.
Most mist in the trees.
I could have snapped pictures here all week!
That lovely open valley area near the hotel.
Ice covering moss on a branch (in case you couldn't tell). LOL
A closer view of Half Dome from the Cury Village parking area. Had we more time in the park we would have ventured further into the valley towards Half Dome. It is every bit as massive as this picture implies.
Leaving the misty calley as the sun faded.
Ok, we drove around in this circle three times, mostly because we got misdirected, but on the third pass I finally gota picture of this lone bald tree hiding in the mist under the glow of the setting sun against the mountain.
El Capitan in the setting sun. Sadly we only managed to get two thirds of a day in the park - far to little - but it only whet our appetite to come back again and explore at greater length another time, maybe the fall of 2010? Wouldn't that be spectaular.
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