revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

Thanks, folk. Thinking of going there September/October.

Tobers17 Loc: Southern California

I stayed at the Rauch (rhymes with "house") Ranch a little outside Mariposa with three friends thru AirBnB two years ago. It was wonderful! 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor (0ne review was my glowing one). The owners are most accomodating, the ranch is a working Angus cattle ranch and vineyard and it's quite historic. You would have a three bedroom bunkhouse all to yourselves. It's wonderful! You'd pay as much at a corporate, boring motel...currently $159 a night, but you really need to stay longer to do justice to Yosemite!! I've been there so many times and each time there are so many beautiful sights to photograph and visit. Have a wonderful, safe trip...and yes, the snow was deep and will still be present in the high country. I agree that Tioga will probably be out of the question. If you decide to stay at the Rauch Ranch, call the owners, Lesli or Mike and ask them about road conditions, along with CalTrans. Rauch Ranch and Vineyard, 3398 Ben Hur Rd, Mariposa, CA 95338 Phone: (209) 742-7162

CMH

Two of my favorite places and I just got back from CA this week.

Be sure to bring your CPL in the Sierras. Those granite walls will play hob with your shots without one and you will want to capture the deep blues in the high altitude sky. I personally love the short hike over the ridge from the Tioga Pass entrance station into Gaylor Lakes. You have to be in decent shape as the air is thin. If you have time, get above Upper Gaylor. There is a great old stone miners cabin with a view of the entire Cathderal (?) range in the background.

Re the San Diego-Phoenix drive: I just got back from 3 days in Anza Borrego Park. Fonts Point at dawn is a classic. Arroyo Salado is also great. The "roads" are quite dry now but you will need AWD, good ground clearance and PATIENCE. I rented a Ford Explorer from Avis in SD and it worked beautifully. I also spent an evening in the Algodones Dunes Wilderness east of the Salton Sea. North of Rt 78 is Wilderness, south is the off-road vehicle area. Dunes waves at sunset are great and a long lens will catch the dune buggies both during the day and at night. You can't park on 78 but you can do so at the Osborne Lookout Park about 3-4 miles in from the west side. Happy shooting!

Cryppy Loc: Gouldsboro, ME

Many thanks.

10MPlayer Loc: California

-edit- removed by 10M

I mentioned the Ansel Adams center in the valley on another recent post. They give a walking tour around the floor of the valley and show you some nice views of Half Dome, the river where Adams shot it from and El Capitan. It's basically a course for beginner photographers who want to take it seriously and though I've been working at it for a few years and have taken several classes I found it interesting and useful.

10MPlayer Loc: California

Unless you're shooting wildlife you'll get a lot more use out of the wide angle lens than the 300mm. I never took my long lens out when we were there last Spring.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

There is a place called "Fish Camp" along CA 41 just outside the south entrance that has The Narrow Gauge Inn which is a very nice place to stay. Old style but updated cabins integrated nicely into the forest. The Narrow Gauge RR is adjacent and worth a rise through the forest. It is the remnants of an old logging railway. No matter where you stay I have to say that a day i and a half is NOT enough time to even begin to see Yosemite.

Stash Loc: South Central Massachusetts

Thanks 10MPlayer.

NorCal Bohemian

Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks -

Just a quick heads up - especially for those of us 62 years old or up - the National Park Service is still offering a Senior lifetime pass - that covers all of the parks in the country - for $10! It is scheduled to rise to $80 - but the date for the increase hasn't been announced, but should be soon. If you order the pass online, there is a $10 dollar handling charge, which does not apply if you buy your pass at the gate. Here is the link to their online store:
https://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html

This is National Parks week - and today and tomorrow - all parks have free admission!

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Sequoia is cool, but it doesn't compare to yosemite. Spend the extra time in Yosemite and skip sequoia.

Marc52

In Sequoia, Crescent meadow/log meadow hike come alive at sunrise, absolutely beautiful. With the large amount of rain California recieved this year, the Meadows should be filled to the brim with wildflowers. There is a fallen giant redwood that reaches out into the large meadow that you can walk out onto and get some wonderful views of the meadow lined with massive readwoods. The Congress trail has a huge number of the giant sequoias. General Grant and general Sherman trails show the biggest trees in the world. If you are looking for sweeping vistas and aren't afraid of heights, Moro rock trail is a good place to feel near the top of the world, you can see mount Whitney from here (tallest in the lower 48 states). Crystal cave is very impressive, but a bit of a walk. Giant Forest loop trail is also a good one. Near there is a place called sunset rock that offers spectacular sunsets. All the giant redwood hikes are easy, but you could also spend an entire day on each one if you had the time. I used to go there every year when I was a kid, probably 30 times in my life, and it is still one of my favorite places in the world. If you had more time, Kings Canyon National Park offers breathtaking views of the high Sierra Mountains and is accessible front Sequoia National Park. All of the hikes I listed except for Moro rock and Crystal cave, are easy for just about anyone. Have an amazing trip and create wonderful memories!

Marc52

In Sequoia, Crescent meadow/log meadow hike come alive at sunrise, absolutely beautiful. With the large amount of rain California recieved this year, the Meadows should be filled to the brim with wildflowers. There is a fallen giant redwood that reaches out into the large meadow that you can walk out onto and get some wonderful views of the meadow lined with massive readwoods. The Congress trail has a huge number of the giant sequoias. General Grant and general Sherman trails show the biggest trees in the world. If you are looking for sweeping vistas and aren't afraid of heights, Moro rock trail is a good place to feel near the top of the world, you can see mount Whitney from here (tallest in the lower 48 states). Crystal cave is very impressive, but a bit of a walk. Giant Forest loop trail is also a good one. Near there is a place called sunset rock that offers spectacular sunsets. All the giant redwood hikes are easy, but you could also spend an entire day on each one if you had the time. I used to go there every year when I was a kid, probably 30 times in my life, and it is still one of my favorite places in the world. If you had more time, Kings Canyon National Park offers breathtaking views of the high Sierra Mountains and is accessible front Sequoia National Park. All of the hikes I listed except for Moro rock and Crystal cave, are easy for just about anyone. Have an amazing trip and create wonderful memories!

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Unless you are a wildlife photographer you really won't need the big lens. I took my 100-400 lens to Yosemite 3 weeks ago and used it for some Steller's Jays that I happened across. But I am a wildlife photographer and I'm glad I took a large lens for that reason. But that was the only reason I brought it.

Stash Loc: South Central Massachusetts

Stash Loc: South Central Massachusetts

I am 75 and got mine when I was first eligible many years ago. Best $10.00 I ever spent.