Oh, the water: Yosemite's spectacular waterfalls

Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite, June 11, 2011 (Photo by Beth Pratt)

At the viewing point from the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls, park visitors—drenched from the spray—glance up in awe as over 2,000 gallons of water per second fall with a thundering roar 2,425 feet down from the granite cliffs above.

Yosemite’s waterfalls always provide a spectacular show, but this year the 384% above normal snowpack for June has given birth to a breathtaking display of moving water not usually seen this late in the season. Waterfalls in the park usually peak in mid-May, and Yosemite Falls is often dry by the end of August.

When walking in Yosemite Valley this past week, it was impossible not to hear the thunderous music of the falling water, especially when hiking up the Mist Trail. The rocky staircase winds by Vernal and Nevada Falls, and the waterfalls douse visitors as they pass and roar as loud as a passing train. Other waterfalls, like Royal Arch Cascade, fall gentler and play a more subdued tune as it slides down the smooth granite above the Ahwahnee Meadow.

For intrepid hikers, the ultimate Yosemite waterfall experience is making the trip to the top of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America. Although the trek is strenuous—three grueling miles with almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain—those who make it receive the ultimate reward: being able to stand next to the top of the mighty falls as it tumbles over the brink.

For more information on visiting Yosemite, see the official site of the National Park Service.

Alligators, wolves, and Anderson Cooper! Oh, my! NWF Voices for Wildlife Gala

Jack Hanna with one of his wildlife friends (Courtesy NWF)Next week Hollywood will be visited by a different kind of celebrity, as legendary wildlife expert Jack Hanna will be bringing his stars of the animal kingdom to the National Wildlife Federation’s Voices for Wildlife 75th Anniversary Gala on June 15 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. 

Guests young and old will get a chance to meet Hanna’s famous animal friends, many which represent endangered species and wildlife impacted in Coastal Louisiana and the Gulf. Those scheduled to appear include a gray wolf and alligator, along with a California desert tortoise, bald eagle and many other species found throughout North America. 

 

The celebration also honors wildlife heroes such as award-winning journalist and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, actress and advocate Alyssa Milano, Academy Award winning film producer Lawrence Bender (producer An Inconvenient Truth, Inglourious Basterds), and acclaimed nature photographer and Chairman of Oakwood Worldwide, Howard Ruby.

 

Seats are limited, but reservations can still be made for this family-friendly event, which also includes cocktails, dinner, an awards ceremony, and a special musical performance. Proceeds from the celebration—generously supported by the Grace Cooper Harrison Trust—will benefit the National Wildlife Federation’s education and conservation programs in California. For reservations or more information, visit Voices for Wildlife. 

Desert bighorn sheep in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Desert bighorn sheep in Anza-Borrego State Park (Photo by Beth Pratt)In my twenty years of exploring California and the Sierra Nevada, I have never seen bighorn sheep in the state. The closest I ever came was during a hike on the Granite Divide in Yosemite where we found scat and some tracks on a ridge. Living in Yellowstone, bighorn sheep sightings were a daily occurrence—on my drives up the Gardner River Canyon to and from work, the magnificent animals usually greeted me on the ridges as they traveled to drink. Yet my desire to see a desert bighorn remained unfulfilled—until last week.

After a mere fifteen minutes upon entering Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, my friend Michelle started pointing and uttered something incomprehensible in her excitement. Finally, I made out the word “sheep” and pulled off the road as soon I could.  To our delight, a herd of ewes and young lambs leapt up the rocks and gazed back at us as we stood watching their movements. Desert bighorn are rare to spot, and although the animals were once in abundance, the population in the park has decreased to less than 300.

Climate change has taken a toll on the bighorn sheep of California. In a recent study by the University of California at Berkeley, the scientists found that 30 of 80 groups of historic populations of bighorn have disappeared in the last century, and sadly the animals may face extinction by the next century if the increases in temperature forecast for climate change prove true.