Red Fontinalis moss, 1000ft water falls and other aquatic plants

Tom Barr

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Well, it's hard to beat this place for scenery, inspiration and it's one reason why I live here:

RedFontinalis.jpg


This is what happens to regular Fontinalis moss if you just give it snow melt water.
Turns a burgundy red.

Of course the real reason I went here was not for the aquatic plants, bears, snakes, deer, awesome bird wildlife, rather this is the spring, summer melt.
That means huge water falls:

bridalveilmay1808.jpg


Bridalveil is cooking along real nice about now.

then they got this ugly looking rock in the way too:
halfdomemay1808.jpg


Ruins the view of the valley:)
 

Tom Barr

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But I went all over,

whitefloweerhorsetail.gif


C. macrophylla, a nice annual aquatic:
Callitricthesmay1808.gif


Wapama was rocking:

Wapamafallsmay1808.jpg


Felt like a hurricane at the base.

Tetlulufallsmay1808.jpg
 

Tom Barr

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Bonsai are nice when nature makes them:

ponderosabonsai.gif


redfirbonsaimay1708.gif


redfirbyhorstail.jpg


And horsetail falls is a nice falls as well:

horsetailfallsmay170811.jpg
 

Tom Barr

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This is a "little dinky" fall by the road side:

Cascadefallsmay1808.jpg
 

orion2001

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Wow!! *collects jaw from floor*.

That is awesome! Btw, where do you live Tom? I am so envious of you!! Here on the east coast it is still frickin raining and in the 40s!!!

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!!

Sorry, ignore that :). Great pics! Enjoy summer on behalf of us poor east coast dwellers.
 

Tom Barr

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I live a couple of hours from Yosemite in CA.
So I'm about 2 hours between the Sierras and the Coast.

It's in the 90-100's this last few days so the warm weather started really melting off the snow above 7000-8000ft, it's about in the 70-80's at that altitude.

Snow plows have not made it over Tioga pass yet though, maybe by Memorial day, last weekend in May. They still have 16 ft of snow there.

To give you a scale, the little cascade water fall is about 300-400ft tall.
Bridalveil is 620ft, Tueeulala Falls is 800ft and Wapama is actually 1300 ft, 1700ft if they had not dammed it up, you cannot see the upper cascade easily though.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

rusticitas

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I need to start getting out and experiencing nature. I love it, but too often I stick myself inside behind the computer working.

Very inspiring photos, Tom!

Any universities/colleges out there? I should look for IT positions, then I could do both. :)

-Jason
 

tedr108

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Beautiful pics, Tom ... thanks for sharing.

I know this type of scenery well ... I've been spending a week backpacking in the Sierras every year (in September usually) for the last 15 years or so. The Sierras are still amazingly pristine.

BenchLake.jpg
 

orion2001

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Thanks Tom...I'm going to have to try looking for some emplyment round those parts once I graduate. Hopefully there are places where I could work.

Summer around here is actually quite gorgeous and there are lots of places to go hiking/camping. It's just that summer and the good weather lasts for such a short time! The Adirondacks are close by so I'm hoping to plan a trip there.