Nevada Falls

Wildfires burned in Tuolomne Meadows the entire time I was in Yosemite. Some days and nights smoke would blow into the valley and fire's scent into my nose. This same smoke is what picked up a reddish color in front of the sun and greeted me as I raced toward the top of Nevada Falls to catch the sunset. At first, a few others marveled at the scene, too. But, they slowly trickled away down the trail. As I continued to watch the scene unravel, I realized I was the only witness to see the water glow gold in the setting sun's light. I couldn't help but think, that just maybe, Ansel Adams was looking down in the Valley on this beautiful night.