Halfway to Half Dome

Like satin veils of white and gray, streams of water coat the flat surface of majestic hillsides of Yosemite National Park, scaling hundreds of feet to feed the violent rapids below. At the Pines Campgrounds, people build their temporary homes between the immense heights of conifer trees in a valley which displays the subtle striations of color on the surrounding faces of granite cliffs, sharing this land with a variety of birds and rambunctious ground squirrels. A lazy stretch of the Merced River flows besides this outdoor civilization, and the perpetual motion of water meeting rock create a soothing elixir of sound and an environment ideal for relaxation and meditation. The rustic pathways that comprise the perimeter of the camp site individually offer a unique perspective of Yosemite’s terrain, some seeming desolate and wild ,others populated by dozens of smiling tourists eager for a photo opportunity. Once the sun has slipped behind the peaks of the majestic mountains, an aura of tranquility overcomes the recreation area as darkness creeps, and all is at rest aside from a few voices in the distance, the crackling of pit fires scattered across the landscape, and shadows of fellow campers illuminated by the glow of the moon.