Sunset over Half Dome, from Snow Creek

Thanks to Hurricane Hilary, my backpacking plans changed. I was planning to hike the John Muir Trail and it was canceled. Instead, we visited Yosemite National Park for a night, before the storm moved in and spent the night at Snow Creek. We were planning to go to North Dome, but the Pika fire has burnt 850 acres of land around North Dome and camping is not allowed there. Snow creek turned out be a fantastic place to be up close to Half Dome. A unique angle with the sub-dome. We could even see hikers going up the cables from here. After dark and brooding skies, just at the stroke of sunset, the sky opened up just enough to light Half Dome gorgeously.

Yosemite's Half Dome catches the last light of day, its granite face glowing orange against the dusky sky. The foreground is a tangle of weathered wood and green foliage, a stark contrast to the smooth, massive rock formation. I've been coming to this spot for years, hoping for this exact light.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California