Backlit dogwood blossoms
New green leaves are just starting to appear on the deciduous trees in Yosemite Valley, and by this weekend there should be a lot of fresh green color everywhere. Most of the dogwoods have sprouted the little green discs that are precursors to the full while blossoms. If the weather had stayed warm I would have said that this weekend would be good for dogwood photography, but the cooler, wetter pattern that’s set in this week may slow that down, and most dogwoods probably won’t be in full bloom until sometime next week or the following weekend (May 8th and 9th).
Warm sunshine this past weekend pushed the water level in the falls and Merced River way up. The flat rock that I referred to on my other blog was almost completely submerged on Monday morning, and the “kick” at the top of Upper Yosemite Falls was mostly buried. But again the current cooler weather pattern will cause the waters to recede a bit until the next warm spell.
Tags: Landscape Photography, Michael Frye, Wildflowers, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley
Excellent news! I will be in Yosemite May 12-16th! I was lucky enough to catch the dogwoods last year during my camping trip too…how exciting…. Thanks Michael
Well in most years May 12-16 would be late for dogwoods — they’d be laefing out and looking ratty by then. But this year they migh be perfect.
How long does the dogwood bloom usually last, Michael? I’d love to dash up for some pics, but I don’t think I can until the 15th (so I’ll cross my fingers that they last that long!). We were in Zion about 10 days ago, and the trees were just beginning to leaf out there–that new-green-leaf color has to be one of the most beautiful colors on earth.
Robin, there will still be Dogwoods blooming on the 15th, but they will be leafing out by then, and those leaves tend to hide the blossoms somewhat, so they’re not quite as photogenic as when they first bloom. And yes, I agree with you about that green color!
Thanks for the update! We will be there May 17-21…….hope the dogwoods hang in there til then!