Tioga Nights. July 2021

I was indecisive as usual this weekend. I had four different potential locations in mind but couldn’t commit to any of them right away. After contemplating at forecasts again, I closed my eyes for a moment and used my intuition: Yosemite High Sierra. I was lucky enough to snag a day use reservation at the last minute. 

I somehow ended up at the same exact location as last year, Doda Dome. It was deja vu to be there again, eating a cold sandwich for dinner and waiting for the sun to set. It took me a moment to process that I was standing here, exactly one year ago. Where did time go? The sky was almost free of clouds this time which allowed the alpenglow to project over Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding peaks. I ran around the dome, switching lenses several times, framing foreground subjects but also the distant landscapes. The mosquitoes started to swarm me right at sun down even though I came prepared this time with layers, gloves, and 2 kinds of insect repellent. They were ruthless. I had to quickly get my photos and hike back to the car. 

As the sky darkened, I had to look for a spot that was not obstructing the Milky Way but also not where car headlights could ruin my long exposures as it did last year. I stopped at a pull out looking south at Tioga Lake and knew this was going to be it. The highway was to the west, which I thought was annoying if people’s high beams would cause unnecessary localized light pollution, but it seemed to be the best bet of the night. At 10pm, the Milky Way had risen to the south but partially blocked by Mt Dana. This gave me some time to check my alignment with Polaris and also my settings. Starting at 11pm, it was prime time, pure darkness.

It felt amazing to stare up at the night sky. I never saw so many shooting stars before. All my problems and stress from the week disappeared for that evening and was overridden by sense of exuberance. There was no cell service, just me and Mother Nature, I love it.

I brought my winter gear knowing the overnight low was in the mid 40s. I did well up until 1:30am, when my body started to get chilly. It wasn’t long after until I noticed that my lens was fogging up. By then I was near shivering. I finished the last exposure around 2:30am and jumped into the car with both blankets over me. I was ready to get some shut eye but noticed several gnats and mosquitoes attracted to the car door light. I did not want a repeat of last year, where my left leg was swollen due to some bites, so I spent the next 15 minutes smashing the buggers with my hand. 

Cathedral Glow. July 2021