Horsetail Fall last night, 5:27 p.m.
February has been completely dry around here so far, with very warm temperatures. That warm weather has been melting the snow on top of El Capitan and creating a strong flow in Horsetail Fall – easily the most water in the fall since 2010. Yesterday was another clear, warm day (the high in Yosemite Valley was 67 degrees), with nearly ideal conditions for Horsetail. I wondered when I might see such conditions again, so I decided to head up to Yosemite Valley.
A first-hand look at Horsetail actually revealed less water than I expected. With the exceptionally warm weather we’ve been having I thought Horsetail would really be gushing, perhaps even approaching the high flow shown in this photograph from 1995. But nevertheless it was flowing well. I’d say the water level was a little above average for February (and, of course, way more than anything we’ve seen during the last four years of drought).
I decided to go to Southside Drive, since the only photographs I’ve made from that area were during the drought, with meager water flow. People had told me that traffic was terrible over the weekend, so I was prepared for the worst, but the traffic and parking weren’t bad at all. The park service had blocked off a lane on Southside Drive for parking, which helped. (I saw later that they blocked off a lane on Northside Drive too.)
Some high clouds sliding down from the north late in the day dimmed the light occasionally. But Horsetail lit up nicely between about 5:20 and 5:27, and the wind played with the spray a bit, making the fall look bigger. Then the light dimmed, no doubt blocked by a thin cloud out to the west. Around 5:35 the glow intensified again, and we got another couple minutes of strong, colorful light before sunset (which, depending on which app you consulted, was at 5:37 or 5:39) – though the wind died, and the water fell straight down. All in all it was a very good night for Horsetail.
The window of best light on Horsetail extends for about another week, until maybe February 23rd. A storm is expected to arrive this afternoon – our first storm in weeks. Snow levels are forecast to start off around 8,000 feet, which is above Horsetail’s drainage. The rain will temporarily increase the runoff, but toward the tail end of the storm the snow level is expected to drop to around 5,000 feet. That means more snow to help feed the fall, but the lowering temperatures will also slow the melting and diminish the flow. There should still be plenty of water, but probably not as much as during the last few days. After the storm exits on Thursday the temperatures are predicted to warm gradually, climbing back up into the upper 60’s by Tuesday, which should kick Horsetail back into high gear for the tail end of the window.
Skies will probably be overcast this evening, but there’s a chance they could clear in time for sunset tomorrow. After that it’s expected to be sunny, though often after a storm we’ll get into a pattern where condensation clouds build up late in the afternoon along the west end of Yosemite Valley, blocking the light. That can be frustrating if you’re trying to photograph Horsetail. Skies will be clear all day, then just as the light is starting to get good the clouds move in and the light disappears. But sometimes the sun can break through those condensation clouds for a brief minute or two, so don’t give up.
As long-time readers know, I’ve been trying for many years to nail down the best dates for photographing Horsetail Fall. I’d reached the conclusion that the window of best light starts about February 16th, and my observations last night seemed to confirm that. The photograph above, captured at 5:27, shows some light hitting the cliff behind (and to the left of) the top of the fall. The photograph below, taken at 5:37, shows the ideal, classic Horsetail Fall light, with only the waterfall lit, making it seem as though the fall were glowing with its own inner light:
Horsetail Fall last night, 5:37 p.m.
So that perfect, classic light can happen on February 16th, but only just before sunset. Observations from past years have shown me that it doesn’t happen at all a couple of days earlier, not even at the last possible moment before sunset. Over the next week or so, as the sun sets a little further north and a little later each day, that shadow line to the left of Horsetail (created by the Nose of El Cap) will reach the fall earlier – ten minutes before sunset, then fifteen minutes, then twenty minutes. That creates a longer window for capturing that ideal light, but eventually the very last light on Horsetail (assuming perfectly clear skies) will become less colorful. Up until February 20th (or perhaps a day or two longer) it’s possible to see red-orange color on Horsetail with the very last light, but after that the Nose of El Capitan will begin to cut off the light before the sun reaches the horizon, so after about the 23rd the most intense color will be orange. By March 1st the most intense color will be gold, and by mid-March there won’t be any color to speak of. It’s hard to determine an exact cutoff date, because the light doesn’t change greatly from one day to the next, but there’s definitely a big difference between February 20th and March 1st.
Of course I’m nitpicking this. The light for the photograph at the top of this post is pretty striking, despite the sun hitting a small portion of the cliff behind the fall. And I saw some photographs of Horsetail from this past Saturday (February 13th) that looked great because the wind really kicked up and blew the spray around, making the fall look bigger, and mostly hiding the cliff behind the fall. So with enough water, and some wind, the days around mid-February can be great. At the other end of the window (around maybe February 23rd to 25th) you may not get that red-orange color, but you can still get some intense orange, and that can often be more striking. By the time the sun gets low enough to create the red-orange color on Horsetail it’s sunk into haze, dampening the intensity of the light a bit (unless the skies to the west are exceptionally clear). The neon-orange color that you can get about ten minutes before sunset usually has more contrast and intensity.
So there you have it: more information than you ever wanted to know about this famous, tiny waterfall. This looks like the best year for photographing the Horsetail lighting event since at least 2010. If you come this weekend, be prepared for traffic jams and large crowds. 🙂 For information about where to photograph Horsetail Fall, see this post.
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Horsetail Fall Forecast; The Best Time to Photograph Horsetail Fall, Revised; Falling Fire
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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
Great description. I was on the north side of the river last night and you provided a perfect “play-by-play” of the sunset. I might head up again in a few days and was wondering if you had any experience seeing the mistglow from farther east. I have seen spray whipped up by the wind and backlit in the afternoons before but don’t know if that spray would take on the orange color this time of year if the conditions were favorable. Thanks.
Thanks Kanwarjit. I hope you got something you’re happy with last night. It’s certainly possible to get an orange glow on the spray when you’re further east behind the cliff, but you need a good flow and a lot of wind to blow the spray around. The wind tends to die right before sunset, so it’s iffy, but on a very windy day it might be worth a try.
Great photo! Judging from your recent photograph of Horsetail Fall, it looks like the photo was taken from a position way above the valley floor. Were you up on a large, tall boulder?
Thanks Hemant. No, I was right on the valley floor. I get that question a lot, so I think there’s something about that angle, where you can see the slope above the fall, that creates that illusion.
Like to see it one year. Would I ever photograph it? Hmmm… Probably no. It is a very cool optical effect though.
Michael, it is an amazing thing to see, but I don’t blame you – it’s not you’d be making a unique photo. 🙂
Dear Michael,
I was also on the same location yesterday, but stood near the river bank, along with several of your fans talking about your theory and guessing where you were at the moment:-). We didn’t see you then. I was about to send you a couple of my shots today to be useful as one of your data points, but saw you already made great pictures on the same day. Folks told me that Monday had three times more people probably due to long holiday.
A couple of people I met told me that both Monday 15th (south side) and even Saturday 13th (north drive near picnic area) were fantastic and much better than what we saw yesterday, they didn’t observe significant light on the left side of the wall at sunset time, maybe this year is a bit earlier than usual? I guess the scene was not as dramatic as I was hoping for maybe because we lost quite a bit of light intensity near sunset and not have enough wind to create bigger glowing? Do you think this new storm will improve the situation for this weekend?
Best,
George
George, I hope you got something you like yesterday.
>A couple of people I met told me that both Monday 15th (south side) and even Saturday 13th (north drive near picnic area) were fantastic and much better than what we saw yesterday, they didn’t observe significant light on the left side of the wall at sunset time, maybe this year is a bit earlier than usual?
I think I discussed all of that in this post. The 13th was apparently quite breezy, which blew the water around and made the fall look bigger, and helped hide the cliff behind the fall. But I’ve seen several photos from that day at sunset, and they clearly show light on the cliff behind the fall. On the 15th the sun sets at only a slightly different angle than the 16th, so differences are going to be subtle. I did say that I was nitpicking, didn’t I? When I say that the window of best light starts AROUND the 16th, and ends AROUND the 23rd, those are my best estimates, and I’m looking for the classic Horsetail Fall light where only the waterfall is lit, nothing else. It’s very clear to me at this point that this window starts around the 16th, or maybe the 15th, but just barely. That ideal Horsetail light lasts longer as we get deeper into the window.
This year isn’t earlier than usual. The sun sets at almost the exact same angle every February 15th, and 16th, and 17th, so how could the light change? If anything, this year is later than usual because we’re about to hit leap day. (Next year the sun will set at exactly the same angle on February 15th as it did on February 16th this year, the light on the 16th will be the same as the light on the 17th this year, and so on.)
>I guess the scene was not as dramatic as I was hoping for maybe because we lost quite a bit of light intensity near sunset and not have enough wind to create bigger glowing?
The intensity of the light is entirely dependent on how clear the atmosphere is to the west-southwest. I thought the light last night was very good. There seemed to be some high clouds or haze that muted the light slightly, but not much. There was a period between about 5:28 and 5:35 when the light was definitely blocked by a cloud, so we missed a period when you would normally have some of the most intense light. And wind definitely helps by making the fall look bigger. But my guess is that if last night is not as dramatic as you were hoping, that’s mostly because you’ve been looking at photos from people who have exaggerated the drama by pumping up the saturation and contrast a lot in software.
Dear Michael,
Thank you so much for writing such a detailed message to address my questions! It shows your incredible knowledge to this topic and willingness to share it with people. I feel really lucky to follow your blog and learn so much about Yosemite.
You are right that some pictures may have been over saturated in PS to mislead. Nevertheless, this is my first time seeing horsetail fall and I was completely blown away by this unique optical phenomena!
Best,
George
I was there this past weekend, Friday was a bust as a cloud cover came in. But like you said, Saturday was absolutely stunning, got some amazing shots and, as you mentioned, the wind kicked up a spray and on one of my shots you can picture the African continent by the mist. People were applauding during the ‘show”. Oh yeah, I picked the Southside drive for Saturday night and had some nice chats with my fellow photographers around me. I didn’t bother heading out on Sunday which was good, cloud lingered all day and I could seek out other places to shoot!
Thanks for your detailed, informative blog on this famous phenomenon. It seems to me that less falling water and little or no wind creates a more realistic vision of what a horse’s tail looks like—exactly how you captured it in this beautiful photo! Looks like YNP received quit a bit of snow overnight as the webcam photos look pristine.
You’re welcome Ann, and thanks.
Hey, Michael,
I love reading these posts about the February event, especially since it is unlikely I will ever get out there at this time of the year. But, in addition to that, congratulations on the cover shot for the latest issue of Outdoor Photographer! It was great to see it.
Thanks very much Robin!
Hi Michael,
We were there Saturday (north side), and the lighting cooperated very nicely throughout. I have a whole sequence of shots showing the progression from early evening light to the last bit of light and right after. The spray was kicking things up nicely at different times.
Surprisingly, even though traffic around the village was horrible, we were able to get a “parking” spot for the firefall reasonably easily, and the area we picked wasn’t overcrowded at all. I expected much worse to be honest.
I will say that pictures actually don’t do it justice, no matter how gorgeous they are. Seeing it in person was a real treat.
I was also surprised by the number of non photographers that were there to see it over the weekend.
Doug
I’m glad you had such a good day on Saturday Doug. Seems like many people were able to capture some good images of Horsetail that night. And I’m glad, though a bit surprised, that you didn’t experience too much difficulty with the traffic.
Mesmerizing picture of Horsetail Fall !! Thanks for sharing this post 🙂
Thanks Richard!
Michael, thanks for all of the great tips and information on shooting Horsetail, you have some amazing work. I was at Southside on Wednesday night and got about 4 minutes of amazing effects; I think it was due to the warmth of the day and the wind. Except for a few people scoping out spots for Thursday, at different times, I was the only one there, it was a great show. Thanks again for all of the info, you can click my name to see my shot. Thanks again.
You’re welcome Darrin. Since it was overcast I’m sure most people thought there would be little chance of getting light on Horsetail, but kudos to you for trying anyway. You never know, and your photo looks great.
Michael you have some amazing shots!! I wanted to visit this weekend however do you think it’s too late to see the firefall?
Thank you Suzanna! I think this weekend is too late for the best color on Horsetail Fall. You can see gold color at that time, maybe even orange, but not red-orange. It can still be pretty though.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for all your updates. I went on Feb 19 and was there with the throng of photographers. It was a hazy day and the clouds obscured the event around 5 minutes before sunset. I did get a couple of decent shots. Then on the Feb 24, I decided to make another day trip from Los Angeles (24 hour round trip, leaving at midnight) as the weather seemed favorable. This day it was amazing as it was clear and there was a light breeze blowing which created awesome spray. Below are a couple of shots from the event:
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/Landscapes/i-8nmfksR
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/Landscapes/i-XrPKcwq
Thanks again for all the updates – it seems though that this phenomenon might last until the weekend.
You’re welcome Nikhil, and I’m glad you were able to capture some nice images of Horsetail. Would you mind telling me the time stamp for the two photos you linked to?
Hi Michael – The first one was taken on February 24th at 5.24 PM. The second one was taken on the same date, but at 5.41 PM.
Thanks Nikhil – that will help me figure out the end of the window for the best light on Horsetail. I’m wondering if the light left the bottom of the fall shortly after 5:41?
Hi Michael – I was actually going to post a couple of more shots so that you could see when the light left the bottom of the fall. The light actually left the bottom moving upwards until it left the top (it was very cool). It started to leave the bottom at 5:41:55 PM PST (of course my camera time might have been a few seconds off). Here are a couple of pics after it started to move towards the top
This is at 5:43:48 PM PST:
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/photos/i-D9VfJf4/1/L/i-D9VfJf4-L.jpg
This one is at 5:47:13
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/photos/i-b6kndfc/1/L/i-b6kndfc-L.jpg
Shortly after the second photo was taken, the light disappeared. Hope this helps.
Thanks again Nikhil! That’s very helpful.
Finally – here is one that I really like due to the trees being backlit.
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/Landscapes/i-vTnVw6C
And one more Michael…
http://www.nikhilshahi.com/Landscapes/i-VB2MVTL
This one was taken on February 24th at 5.36 PM (PST).