This is the month when for three weeks there is an amazing phenomenon.
Horsetail Falls on the east side of El Capitan is lit up by the sun for about 10 minutes a day towards sunset. It looks like flowing fire.
To see this display reservations are required. There's almost a full page of how to get them on the Yosemite website. And then the rules and regulations about being there.
How does this natural phenomenon work? Horsetail Fall must be flowing - it is an ephemeral waterfall so can be dry or not flowing. Then the sky must be clear without cloud cover or haze. It occurs during a short time during sunset. It is about 10 minutes.
And how was this figured out? Ansel Adams had a picture of the falls in 1959, but no mention was made of the fire effect. There are no records by white settlers or native tribes either. It was in 1973 when a hiker took a picture of the firefall and shared it later.
Looking at this picture below, doesn't it seem strange that this wasn't seen and recorded? This comes from Dave Koch at PetaPixel and he provides all the information needed for photographers. It is HERE. He's got various shots taken with his numerous cameras. And they are absolutely wonderful.
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