Winter Wonderland
We had planned a trip to Sequoia National Park a couple of weeks ago. However, there was a severe snowstorm rolling through the region and all but one person gave us the “are you crazy?!” look, so we decided to postpone the trip. We went anyway! The weather was calm, and there was still snow! It was very special because it was Minhan’s first official time experiencing the snowy winter landscape. This will be a long post, full of photos, photography tips, and some history, so let’s get started!
Moro Rock Trail
Although Moro Rock Trail was closed to vehicles, hiking was permitted and offered spectacular views of the snowy landscape. The only catch was that points of interest that are normally easy to reach by car became harder to reach by foot. However, that also meant that these places were less traveled. This gave us a unique opportunity to explore popular areas with a lower density of people.
The view at the top of Moro Rock was stunning. After trekking the 400 steps to the summit, we enjoyed panoramic views of the snowy Great Western Divide. I especially love the effect of the polarizing filter on bringing out the blue sky on the left photograph below. And the haziness of the sky on the right photograph gave the park a secluded vibe, which was fitting for the lack of people on the trail.
Tunnel Log
Tunnel Log is typically one of the busiest areas in Sequoia National Park, but with Crescent Meadow Road being closed, all of a sudden no one was at the log. Sometimes a little bit of luck can offer a rare opportunity to capture a shot that might not be possible under typical conditions!
Big Fern Springs
We drove past Big Fern Springs a couple of times, but the sign indicating the springs is on a turn that can be hard to anticipate. So when we were exiting the park, I had my eyes peeled for the sign since it looked amazing as we drove past it a few times. I was super excited to finally catch the sign and pull over. Luckily, the springs were shaded at this time, which offered even lighting and a great opportunity to photograph the water. Photographing any sort of waterfall is best done when there isn’t direct sunlight.
To get that silky smooth look, I attached a neutral density (ND 400x) filter to the front of my lens to cut out ~9 stops of light to allow me to increase the shutter speed. I also used a tripod to reduce camera shake for the long exposure. I’ve always wanted to take a shot like this, and am really happy with how it turned out! I also exposed to the right (ETTR) to bring out the details in the shadows during processing (read on!).
A Bit of History of Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park has a very rich history. The Western Mono Native Americans settled here seasonally and used the mountains as trade routes. They often left pictographs in their path, like this one at Hospital Rock:
Sequoia National Park was the first national park to protect a living organism: the sequoia trees. It was made America’s second national park in 1890 by President Harrison. It wasn’t until 1903 that the first road into the Giant Forest was completed and wagons were able to access the big trees. As more people owned cars and visited the park, Generals Highway was built in 1926, and that’s when traffic started building up in the park! Now, the park is over 629 square miles and is adjacent to Mineral King Valley, which deserves its own post!
Comments, conversations, feedback, and messages are always welcome!