Category: Photography

Yosemite’s Jeffrey Pine atop Sentinel Dome

One of the most photographed trees in the world was made famous by photographers Ansel Adams (in 1940) and Carleton Watkins (in 1867). The iconic Jeffrey Pine once resided on top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, the tree died after a severe drought in 1976-77.  The “skeleton” of the tree was standing for decades until it fell sometime in August 2003 after a series of severe storms. 

Yosemite National Park is located in California’s western Sierra Nevada.

Ansel Adams famous picture of the Jeffrey Pine, 1940

Life of a Gnarled Pine

This tree became an icon of Yosemite is partially due to its improbable location; it grew out of the cracks on top of a granite dome.  That location caused it to be shaped by wind and weather. Park rangers say that the tree was around 400 years old, was 12 feet tall and the seed was probably dropped by a bird, and it germinated in a crack in the granite.

Sentinel Dome is the second highest point on the rim of Yosemite Valley. It was named due to its likeness to a watchtower. The US Geological Survey marker was placed atop the Dome in 1905 and records the elevation as 8117 ft above sea level.

The Jeffrey Pine is a species of North American pine tree that is mainly found in California but also in western Nevada, southwestern Oregon and northern Baja California.  It was named in honor of the botanist John Jeffrey who first documented the species.  These pine trees closely resemble Ponderosa pines and have a lovely vanilla-scented bark.

Two women atop the Jeffrey Pine, California Historical Society, Date unknown

Death of an Icon

During the severe drought in 1976-77 which was the tree’s downfall, park rangers and visitors tried to save the tree by carrying buckets of water up the Dome to it but to no avail.  Even after it’s death, it’s wind-battered, gnarled skeleton was still visited and photographed.

The skeleton of the Jeffrey Pine, Photo credit: Jan Spell, August 1986

After a series of severe storms in August 2003, the dead trunk of the Jeffrey Pine broke off leaving the main stump. In keeping with the National Park Service’s principles, the remaining stump will be allowed to disintegrate over time. The tree’s life, death, and fall are part of a natural process. 

Most of the upright portions of the tree are gone but visitors continue to photograph it.  The views from Sentinel Dome are spectacular as you can see up and down Yosemite Valley and into the backcountry.  It is certainly well worth the visit.

Jeffrey Pine stump as it appeared in 2010. Photo credit: Jan Spell

How to Visit

The tree is nothing but a stump, but it is still visited and photographed and the hike and 360-degree views from the top of Sentinel Dome are phenomenal. I highly recommend taking the hike to the top of Sentinel Dome and paying your respects to the tree stump that once was one of the most photographed trees in the world.

Sentinel Dome as seen from the trail. Photo credit: Jan Spell, 2010

The Sentinel Dome Trail is located in the Glacier Point portion of the park.  It’s a 2.2 mile (round trip) out and back “moderate” hike.  This link has a full description on how to get to the trailhead and the particulars of the hike. Yosemite National Park – Sentinel Dome Hike – Just Go Travel Studios

Jeffrey stump with El Capitan in background
Half Dome from Sentinel Dome

Sentinel Dome can be seen from Tunnel View. In the picture below, the Dome is indicated with a red arrow.

View of Sentinel Dome from Tunnel View. Photo credit: Jan Spell, 2010

Sources

45 Historical Sites That No Longer Exist — Best Life (bestlifeonline.com)

Yosemite landmark falls / Sentinel Dome’s oft-photographed Jeffrey pine topples (sfgate.com)

Pinus jeffreyi – Wikipedia

Horsetail Fall – the New Firefall

Horsetail Fall is a small, ephemeral waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. For approximately two weeks in February each year, the setting sun hits the waterfall at just the right angle to create a deep orange glow that almost looks like lava. It’s an amazing natural phenomenon that happens when three things occur simultaneously.

  • Enough water in the Fall
  • Direct sunlight at sunset
  • The sun’s angle is just right

This phenomenon reminds people of the former man-made Firefall where burning embers from a bonfire were pushed off Glacier Point (1873-1968).

The photo on the left is of the former Firefall over Glacier Point (courtesy of the Yosemite Archives) and the photo on the right is of Horsetail Falls (Photo credit: Christine Fey).

There isn’t much water in this Fall to begin with so if it’s a dry year, the phenomenon may not occur at all. Yosemite needs to have an a decent amount of snowfall as Horsetail Fall is fed by snowmelt. In addition, during sunset, the temperature needs to be above freezing so there will in fact be liquid water in the Fall.

The phenomenon occurs during the last 10-15 minutes before sunset. That’s a very short window to not have a cloud block the area. It only lasts about three minutes. See my story about that below.

The sun’s angle is what causes it to glow orange. That only happens in February and October. The Fall is dry in October, so February is your only chance to see it.

Here’s a really great video with wonderful pictures of the glowing waterfall and a lot of information about how to view it. Yosemite’s Natural Firefall – YouTube

How to Visit

The dates vary slightly each year but are generally around the same time. The predicted dates for 2023 are February 10 through 27. Photographers make their lodging reservations a year or so in advance so it would be practically impossible to get a reservation within the Valley for the upcoming event.  If you did find something, it may be only for one night. The National Park Services concessioner, Aramark, that runs the lodging in the Valley does charge almost twice as much during this time.  But if this is what you want to see, it’s worth being in the Valley and not driving in and out of the Park. Yosemite National Park | Lodging & Year Round Activities | TravelYosemite.com

Every year, the National Park Service has different rules in place to control the crowds for safety and to protect the environment. The rules seem to get stricter every year since more people are attempting to view Horsetail. For the 2023 Horsetail Fall season, reservations will be required to enter Yosemite on the weekends in February. This includes those not visiting the Fall. Please check the NPS website for the current rules and how to get reservations. Horsetail Fall – Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

My Personal Experience

A travel buddy and I attempted to see and photograph a glowing Horsetail Fall in February 2017.  We had three nights at the cabins at Curry Village so we had three opportunities to see the phenomena.  Two of the nights it was pouring rain.  The one night that the conditions seemed perfect, we got our spot and marked it with a tripod and lawn chairs three hours beforehand.  Everything looked great but just as it was the perfect time, a huge cloud blocked it.  We didn’t get to see it but that’s one of the reasons why this is so special.  It’s hit or miss.

Sun is on the Falls. It’s just a bit too early
Cloud covered the Fall at the wrong moment
So many people come out to photograph the Phenomenon. We got our spot three hours early. Photo Credits: Jan Spell