Yosemite Snowshoeing

Now in my tenth year of living in Fresno, I FINALLY made it into Yosemite to do some snowshoeing! Having grown up on the east side, we didn't have access in winter, as Tioga Pass would close at the first sign of snow. Last Sunday, friend and colleague (he's an ag econ prof at Fresno State), Dwight, organized a snowshoeing trip with a few friends, and invited me along.

This is a snap of part of the group taking stock of our gear once we arrived at the trailhead to Dewey Pass, which is actually the parking lot of the Badger Pass Ski Area in the park. As you can see, not much snow....but enough for us to tromp around on for a bit. Well, 10 miles.
Is Dean a giant, or is this igloo by the trail really tiny?...
We followed signs like this yellow one to Dewey Point. Many of the trees were covered, like this one, with bright green lichen. If I've spelled that wrong, or even called it by the wrong name, please feel free to correct!
We reached Dewey Point right about lunch time, and enjoyed our lunches with this view in one direction -- note Half Dome in the righthand side of the frame.
And this was the view right in front of us -- we were even with the top of El Capitan! Of course, since I've only driven below El Cap on the Valley floor, I wasn't even sure that's what this was initially, as it looks so different from this perspective. But amazingly majestic still, of course.Of course, the incredible weather brought out others, too, so we found a nice couple from the Bay Area to snap our group's pic at Dewey Point. Left to right: Janice (an econ prof), Dwight, Dean (friend Lizhu's husband), me with gloriously windblown hair, and Leslie (Dwight's girlfriend and a school librarian).
Then we looped back down, and in the last few miles, went through a beautiful flat meadow.
I don't have professional photography equipment, obviously, but it had been so warm for so many days that the snow in this meadow was in the form of very big fragile crystals. Beautiful.
And those trees...breathtaking.
Fingers crossed that we'll get more snow -- of course, we really need it for bigger reasons than my wanting to snowshoe some more, but the additional snowshoeing will certainly be a bonus!