In the Moment:
Michael Frye's Landscape Photography Blog

Rim Fire News

Pastel-colored smoke from the Rim Fire at sunset, 8/26/13, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Pastel-colored smoke from the Rim Fire at sunset, 8/26/13, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

I’ve been spending every spare moment photographing the Rim Fire, but I’ve finally had a chance to process some images. I made this photograph Monday evening, as smoke spilled over from the Tuolumne watershed into the Merced watershed near Yosemite Creek, creating a layered view of pastel-colored trees.

The Rim Fire has become the largest fire in the recorded history of the Sierra Nevada, though undoubtedly much larger fires regularly swept through these mountains before Europeans arrived here. At 192,737 acres, the Rim Fire is also the sixth largest in California history, and seems almost certain to pass the Witch Fire (197,990 acres) for fifth place.

The fire’s growth has slowed considerably. Estimated containment for the Rim Fire is 30%, which represents a lot of progress for firefighters within the last few days.

Highway 120 west of Yosemite remains closed indefinitely. Within the park, Highway 120 is temporarily closed from the park’s western boundary to Yosemite Creek. This means that you can’t drive from Yosemite Valley over Tioga Pass to Lee Vining and Mono Lake (or vice versa). You can reach Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, etc., by taking another route to Lee Vining, and driving into the park over Tioga Pass, but you’ll have to turn around at Yosemite Creek and leave the park via the same route.

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Thank You!

I’ve been a bit preoccupied with photographing the Rim Fire, but I want to express my appreciation for the great response to my print sale through The Ansel Adams Gallery. Thank you all so much! It’s gratifying to see that so many people like the images we selected. If you bought one of the prints, I hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

The sale ends at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time today, so there’s still time to take advantage of the discounts. I’ve included all the information about the images and the sale below.

Thanks again!

— Michael Frye

Half Dome, Sunbeams, and the Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

Half Dome, Sunbeams, and the Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

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Rim Fire Update

Looking west at the Rim Fire from near the Tioga Pass Rd. at dusk, with Venus setting, 8:57 p.m., 8/22/13, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Looking west at the Rim Fire from near the Tioga Pass Rd. at dusk, with Venus setting, 8:57 p.m., 8/22/13, Yosemite NP, CA, USA


Last night my wife Claudia and I made an epic bushwhack to a dome near the Tioga Pass Road with a view of the Rim Fire. This is a two-image stitched panorama, looking west toward the Central Valley, with Venus setting on the left. Each frame was 30 seconds long.

This fire is growing at an alarming rate. It doubled in size yesterday, and as of this morning it was listed as over 105,000 acres. That already makes it the 19th-largest fire in California history. The Rim Fire crossed the western boundary of Yosemite National Park yesterday between Camp Mather and Eleanor Lake.

So far most of Yosemite hasn’t been affected. The smoke has been blowing north, away from the park. The biggest affect is the closure of Highway 120 outside the park, but there are alternate routes.

Let’s hope that growth slows down!

— Michael Frye

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Adapting to Fire

The Rim Fire at dusk, 8/21/13, from a viewpoint near Mariposa

The Rim Fire at dusk, 8/21/13, from a viewpoint near Mariposa


Wildfires are common around here in summer and fall. Fire means smoke, and photographers visiting Yosemite during a fire sometimes complain about the smoke. I’ve learned to roll with it. When smoke spoils my plans, I make a new plan. That attitude actually applies to any photographic situation. I can’t control the weather, so I adapt to whatever conditions I find.

On Tuesday afternoon the clouds over the Sierra were spectacular, so Claudia and I headed up the Tioga Road to try to catch some of those clouds lighting up at sunset. As we approached Siesta Lake, however, we became immersed in smoke from the Rim Fire, and realized that the smoke would block the sunset light. So I went to Plan B, my standard plan in these situations, which is to photograph the fire itself.

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