I knew it was a long shot. I tried to see Yosemite s firefall anyway.
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Yosemite s firefall, captured on Feb. 7, 2021.Courtesy of Nam Ing
I wasn’t planning this year to see Yosemite’s National Park’s firefall, a natural phenomenon during which the rays of the setting sun illuminate Horsetail Fall in fire-red, orange and golden hues. Reservations would be hard to come by, I knew, and lines would be long, parking lots would be full and crowds of photographers would be annoying (or even deadly).
Oh, and if it got cloudy or the waterfall went dry, there would be nothing to see.
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Yosemite s firefall has become an obsession for photographers aiming to land the perfect shot. Here s how they do it
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Photographer Lee DeCovnick says of the glowing Horsetail Fall: “The moment when it lights up, actually refracting, all of a sudden, it just sorts of pops, glowing, lava-like, deep colors with vibrancy, gorgeous.”Lee DeCovnick 2013Show MoreShow Less
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Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park is illuminated by rays of the setting sun on Feb. 18, 2019. The firefall phenomenon can occur in the later weeks of February only when conditions are just right.Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
Credit: Getty Images / Heyengel
Mother nature works in mysterious and marvelous ways. One of the most stunning examples of her work is the Firefall light phenomenon that can be viewed at Yosemite Park in California s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The natural light wonder occurs in February when the sun and water come together to create a mesmerizing light show that resembles lava flowing down the Horsetail Fall, over the Eastern edge of El Captain in Yosemite Valley. However, there s no guarantee that you will actually be able to witness Mother Nature s show. This small waterfall usually flows only during winter and can be easy to miss. Firefall only happens on evenings that have a clear sky when the waterfall is slow; any amount of haze or cloudiness can completely ruin the effect.