Ice Crystals on the Merced River
Yosemite National Park, Dec 2013. This image was taken in Yosemite Valley at a place where the Merced River appears to flow lazily. Its laziness is deceptive. You needn't travel far upstream to appreciate the speed and power of this river as it tumbles over Nevada Falls then Vernal Falls as well as the cascades between and below them. But here, at this spot, on this winters day, the river seemed still and was partially frozen. The ice crystals on the rocks look like a collection of white snowball cakes while the mountains and snow covered trees provide a fairy land of reflections on the glassy river. Its peace and serenity belying the strength of the river like the tenderness of a mother coddling her child. Awarded: Honorable Mention, Sacramento County Fair, May 2014
