Tag Archives: pass

Sneak Pass

C59F5630.jpgI have seen a large number of displays by the Blue Angels over the years.  Their display is a good one generally (although the ground portion is a little time consuming in my opinion).  The sequence does not vary much from year to year but it works well enough so that is probably no big surprise.  One of the fun parts is the sneak passes.  The four ship head off in one direction to distract you and a solo jet streaks in from the left at low level and high speed.  This catches a lot of people by surprise.

C59F5638.jpgJust as everyone is getting over this, the other solo jet does something similar from crowd rear to make you all jump again.  The displays that are held over water provide an added option for the first sneak pass.  With no obstacles, the aircraft can end up very close to the water.  This makes things look even more impressive.  Also, the high speeds can result in some impressive vapor formations in the shock waves.

C59F5622.jpgThe Fleet Week display on the Friday had great weather conditions but, surprisingly for the Bay Area, the humidity levels were not terribly high.  Consequently, while the sneak pass had its usual surprise impact, it did not result in any vapor on the jet.  The upside of this was that the optical distortion caused by the shock waves was visible in some shots when a reasonable amount of background was included.  Not what I was aiming for but not a bad alternative.

Donner Pass

wpid7672-AU0E8150-Edit.jpgA work trip was tacked on the end of a photo project since I was in the vicinity – if a two and a half hour drive counts as the vicinity!  I found myself driving over the Donner Pass twice in one day.  The first trip was early in the morning.  Everything looked great in the early light but I had a place to be and so hanging around was not possible.  However, on the return leg, I wasn’t under pressure to be anywhere (except the airport the following morning) so I was able to stop when I got to the area of Donner Lake.  The sun was already going down and the moon coming up.  Took me a short while to work that out since I was initially hoping the moon would stay up long enough for me to get there, only to realize which direction I was facing and it was only getting higher in the sky!  Doh!

wpid7674-AU0E8160-Edit.jpgI did manage to get to see the lake with some light still on it as the shadows started to stretch across.  A very pretty location although not one I think I did justice too.  Another time perhaps.  I suspect I will get to make that trip again before too long.

Olmsted Point

One part of Yosemite that I have not previously explored is the Tioga Pass Road.  It has either been out of my way or closed for the winter during previous visits but this time I decided to take the drive across to end up at Mono Lake.  The route takes you to Olmsted Point.  This is only a couple of miles from my starting point in Yosemite Valley but the direct route is not available to cars so an hour’s drive is the alternative.

Olmsted Point itself is a pretty bleak and exposed place.  The view across to Yosemite Valley is good (and would probably be a lot better at a different time of day to my visit)and you can see a lot from the parking lot.  It is only a short walk to a better spot but most people don’t bother walking down.  The rocky outcrop is very bright and on a sunny day the light is quite harsh.  However, you do get a view of everything around you which makes it worth doing.

 

Is This Lake Real?

The drive along Tioga Pass Road is an impressive one with plenty of dramatic scenery around you.  As you get to Olmsted Point, your initial view is towards Yosemite Valley.  However, if you turn around, you are looking towards Tenaya Lake.  This was the next stop on my journey.  Looking at the lake from Olmsted Point, it was hard to believe it was real.  You are very high along this pass, often above 9,000′, and the sky is a darker blue at that height.  Also, the water is clearer since it is either straight from the sky or from snow melt.  Consequently, the blues are intense.

The lake looks like something that someone would create as a made up lake.  It is very striking.  It isn’t alone either.  As you drive further towards the descent to Mono Lake, there are a number of lakes that have been created with dams and they all are pretty impressive.  I don’t know how they look on an overcast day but in the sun they look great.