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Trees in Flooded Meadow

Trees in Flooded Meadow. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

 

Yosemite Valley trees stand in a meadow flooded with spring snow run-off.

 

At first glance, this photograph perhaps looks more like something from the Florida Everglades. But as the spring snow melt switches into high gear many typically dry places in California are distinctly wet. During my pre-Memorial-Day visit to Yosemite Valley many meadows and even low forest areas were flooded by the rising Merced River. More than once as I hiked in the Vally my trails simply disappeared under water!

 

I know this spot well and have photographed here in the past — when it was a dry forest along the banks of the Merced. But this week the water came almost to the roadway and flooded the trail in places. In fact, I had to set up on some rather spongy ground in order to frame this scene.

 

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Uploaded on May 27, 2023
Taken on May 24, 2023