Sorry to inform you, but you’ll have to wait until next February if you hope to view the “lava” flow over Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park.
It’s not that you can’t get tickets as if it were a Sold-Out event – it’s because the spectacular natural Horsetail Falls Firefall show that Mother Nature puts on occurs only once a year in late February. And the opportunity to view it lasts for only about 10 days … and only for 10 minutes each day right at sunset. But boy, when the illusion of “lava” flowing down Horsetail Falls’ 1,570 feet (480 meters) face happens – it’s breathtakingly gorgeous!
And there’s no guarantee that there’ll even be a Firefall next year. The conditions must converge perfectly, and that hasn’t happened for at least the past 5 years because of the drought plaguing California.
Obviously the first criterion is enough water to have the Horsetail Falls’ “lava” flow. And this year they’ve had enough snow in the Sierra Mountains to ensure that the falls could be fed. Then the temperatures must warm enough to melt the snowpack in order to produce enough water for the “lava”. And then the sun must be aligned perfectly at just the right angle to produce the red, orange and gold reflections to create the illusion. And for that to happen there can be no cloud cover, which is pretty rare in February. And then you have to be in the perfect spot in Yosemite Valley to view Horsetail Fall, which is on the east face of El Capitan, to capture it all.
We should note that while the angle of the sun is also properly aligned in October, there’s no water flowing at that time of year to produce the Firefall. But this year the Firefall of Horsetail Falls was phenomenal.
The natural Horsetail Firefall should not be confused with Yosemite Firefall that began in the summer of 1872 and continued for almost a century. The owners of the Glacier Point Hotel had hot embers from dying fires raked over the edge of Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley 3,000 feet below. From a distance it appeared as a glowing waterfall.
Undoubtedly the Awahneechee Indians, who called Yosemite Valley home for hundreds of years, had observed the natural Horsetail Firefall – but if so, they never shared that information with white settlers who discovered the Valley in 1851.
Galen Rowell is the person who took the first-known photograph of the natural Horsetail Firefall, and that was only in 1973. Now hundreds of photographers from around the world flock to Yosemite in late February hoping they’ll be one of the lucky few to actually view it – an experience they describe as so deeply moving that it brings tears to their eyes along with actual applause!
The most convenient and crowded viewing area for the “lava” show is at the El Capitan picnic area, just shy of 2 miles past Yosemite Lodge at the Falls on Northside Drive. It’s only a small pullout area marked only by a small sign – but in late February, if you keep your eyes peeled for a horde of tripods, you’ll have found it. ENJOY!
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8 Responses to “Friday Fun – When the “Lava” Flows at Yosemite”
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Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/3961248
Awesome photos of a spectacular event which only happens once a year if conditions for it to occur. Thanks to Nameless for the beautiful photos of this extremely unusual event at Yosemite.
I spent large chunks of my childhood and adolescence in Yosemite, and am old enough to remember the original (man-made) Firefall. My uncle, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, spent years trying to phoograph it well – if you just take the picture, the stream of fire just appears to be on a black background. The secret was to set up a tripod in placce, get a long-exposure photo of the mountain and sky at dusk, just enough to show the shape, and then return for a second exposure of the fire (or in this case the "fire." I assume the technique hasn't changed although the nature of the fire has – although since it happens earlier than the man-made one, it might not be as necessary. (I do see a lot of pre-focused tripods in the video, though.) Thank you, Nameless. This is just wonderful.
I was privileged to see it several times in my childhood and remain in awe. Thanks for this special memory lane Nameless and Joanne for the cross post.
How Beautiful !! Gorgeous, stunning photos!!
Thank you, Nameless for this, and Joanne for posting.
This is gorgeous! Thanks Nameless, and Joanne, for sharing it.
Absolutely gorgeous!!! I have never been to Yosemite so these pictures are a "poor cousin", but totally awesome.
Absolutely breath-taking. Thanks for these wonderful pictures, video and your text, Nameless.
Thanks for cross-posting, Joanne.