It started raining today before dawn and rained steadily throughout the day. I’d made plans with one of the coolest people around to catch up over lunch, and wondered how that was going to go. On a sunny day, we’d head out to the river, or someplace like that, but with the weather, I worried she might prefer to stay inside. I was eager to get out and explore, but it’s also nice just to catch up, so I was also prepared to find a dry spot.
I shouldn’t have doubted. When I posed the question, she immediately suggested a walk. In addition to rain jackets and umbrellas, I pulled out my new rain kilt, R borrowed a trash bag skirt, and we headed out into the pouring rain. I don’t know what the fashionistas would have to say, but I thought we looked pretty cool.
In Yosemite, never let the rain keep you inside. We had an incredible walk. Not only were the normal falls rushing again, but there were dozens of ephemeral falls cascading down the cliffs that I had never seen before. Plus, the clouds highlight cliffs in ways that make the familiar magical. I didn’t do a good job of capturing it on camera, but my memories will make me smile for a long time.
The rain started out warm, but then the snow line dropped and we could see snow on the higher cliffs peeking out through the clouds. In the office, we had been checking in on the snow falling up at Badger Pass all day via the webcam. I could also keep half an eye on our house in Yosemite West thanks to Bloomsky (You can see a picture of that at the bottom of the Yosemite Forecast site.)
Last week, I was out in the rain with another friend, and her toddler, splashing through puddles and laughing at little kid antics. That was pretty awesome too.
People visiting the park are often disappointed when it rains during their trip. Little do they know that these are the times that the serious photographers jump excitedly into their vehicles to drive up to the park. The dramatic clouds and lighting show Yosemite off at her best. Plus, sometimes it’s just plain fun to splash around.