Santa came early for me this year and gave me the gifts of Tioga Pass opening, blue Sierra skies with 50F temperatures at 10,000 feet, and not one but two bald eagle sightings in one day. Maybe I was good this year!
After hearing that Tioga Pass reopened yesterday, I dashed up to the high country this morning, wandered around Tuolumne Meadows and then climbed Gaylor Peak. On my drive up the Merced River Canyon near Briceburg, I spotted a bald eagle perched on a tree. I rarely see bald eagles in this area, so imagine my surprise later in the day when another one soared above me while I hiked up Gaylor Peak. The good weather is supposed to continue this week, so I urge you all to take a trip up to Yosemite National Park and drive to Tuolumne to see the winter landscape. For those who can't make the trip, here's a selection of photos I took today. Enjoy!
Bald eagle in Merced River Canyon on highway 140 near Briceburg (photo by Beth Pratt)
Bald eagle soaring over Gaylor Lakes in Yosemite (photo by Beth Pratt)
Tioga Lake from Gaylor Peak (photo by Beth Pratt)
Granite Lake from Gaylor Peak (photo by Beth Pratt)
Tuolumne Meadows, Cathedral Peak, and Mt Hoffman from Gaylor Peak (photo by Beth Pratt)
Gaylor Lake Basin from Gaylor Peak (photo by Beth Pratt)
Tuolumne Meadows (photo by Beth Pratt)
Tenaya Lake with Mt Conness in background (photo by Beth Pratt)
Gaylor Peak (photo by Beth Pratt)
Mt Dana and Mt Gibbs (photo by Beth Pratt)
Clouds Rest (photo by Beth Pratt)