Jan. 31—Fewer people in 2021 will get a chance to see Yosemite National Park's 'firefall' phenomenon, when Horsetail Fall is aglow in February with the sunset.
Yosemite announced Friday that reservations will be required to enter the park starting Feb. 8 and will be needed at least through the end of that month. Yosemite remains closed until at least Monday due to wind and snow damage.
'Due to accumulated snow in pull-offs, icy roads, and nonexistent shoulders, no stopping, parking, or pedestrians will be permitted along Southside Drive between the El Capitan Crossover. CrossOver Alternatives. CrossOver is described as 'allows you to install many popular Windows applications and games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux computer' and is a popular app in the OS & Utilities category. There are more than 10 alternatives to CrossOver for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Wine, Windows and BSD.
The glowing golden orange effect happens mid- to late-February when conditions are right: Enough water in Horsetail Fall and clear skies so the setting sun can illuminate it. The thin, 1,000-foot ephemeral fall over the eastern edge of El Capitan is barely noticed by many visitors to the popular park in California at other times of the year.
Hundreds of people have descended on Yosemite Valley daily in recent years in hopes of catching a glimpse of the firefall. The need to reduce crowds this year — part of Yosemite's work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 — was a factor in deciding to implement a temporary reservation system for Yosemite.
Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said Friday that it was too soon to say whether the firefall phenomenon would happen this year. The park received significant snowfall this week, but it's been a dry winter overall.
A separate reservation isn't needed to see the firefall once visitors get into Yosemite.
Best firefall viewing times, spots, parking
Photographer Aaron Meyers calculated some ideal firefall viewing times for 2021, falling between 5:20 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Feb. 11 to Feb. 27. He predicts Feb. 21 will be the best viewing day if conditions are right.
A popular place to see Horsetail Fall is around the El Capitan Picnic Area, between the Camp 4 campground and El Capitan.
Yosemite officials outlined special restrictions in place from noon to 7 p.m., Feb. 13 to Feb. 25 — also noting that 2021 details are subject to change.
During those days, Yosemite officials said only those with disability placards are allowed to drive to the viewing area at El Cap Picnic Area and park in turnouts on the north side of Northside Drive.
Others should park at the Yosemite Falls parking area, just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge, and then walk there (1.5 miles each way). The picnic area has vault toilets, and trash and recycling dumpsters. One of Northside Drive's two lanes will be closed to vehicles so people can use it to walk. No parking permits are needed.
People can also walk east from El Capitan Meadow. Officials said tree clearings opened up new viewing spots in 2020.
Meyers wrote on his photography website, 'The sunset starts out on the west side of the rocks during early February and progressively moves east (from left to right in the photos). If you want to see the falls all lit up in the early 'Fire Falls' season, go further east. As the sunset moves east you can move east (towards picnic grounds) to get good shots.'
For older visitors, the firefall can be reminiscent of another grand spectacle of the same name that ended in 1968: The pushing of burning coals over Glacier Point into Yosemite Valley below.
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COVID-19 update
President Joe Biden signed an executive order last week that requires everyone wear face coverings in federal buildings and on federal land to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Gediman said Friday that Yosemite was still awaiting specific direction about implementation in national parks, but that masks are 'highly highly encouraged' for Yosemite visitors now. Yosemite has been working with local, state and federal public health departments.
Yosemite officials haven't shared the number of coronavirus cases in the park, but COVID-19 has been reported in Yosemite, like most places in California and the U.S.
Much of Yosemite sits in rural Mariposa County, which has reported some of the fewest cases of COVID-19 in the state: 358 total coronavirus cases and five total deaths, as of Friday.
But counties around Yosemite in the central San Joaquin Valley have been some of the hardest hit by the virus, with thousands of COVID-19 cases and more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths. Previously this winter, Yosemite was only open for day-use visitation to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Before that, the park implemented its first day-use reservation system this summer to reduce visitation after closing for a few months.
More Yosemite parking and driving restrictions
Yosemite detailed a number of parking and driving restrictions in February.
Those without disability placards won't be allowed to stop, park or unload passengers between Camp 4 and El Capitan Crossover — a short segment connecting Northside and Southside drives near El Capitan. Those rules apply along the crossover, too.
Southside Drive will be open to vehicles, but parking, stopping, or unloading passengers along it is prohibited from the crossover to Swinging Bridge Picnic Area.
'Pedestrians will also be prohibited from traveling on or adjacent to the road in this area,' park officials continued. 'From Cathedral Beach Picnic Area to Sentinel Beach Picnic Area, the area between the road and the Merced River (including the river) will also be closed to all entry.'
The restrictions are aimed at protecting the environment and visitors. On Feb. 22, 2019, the park tallied more than 2,000 people that day gathered to see the firefall in areas mostly lacking parking and restrooms. People trampled sensitive vegetation, caused erosion, littered, and exposed themselves to unsafe conditions, officials said.
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Horsetail Fall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. This small waterfall usually flows only during winter and is easy to miss. On rare occasions during mid- to late February, it can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset. This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing. Even some haze or minor cloudiness can greatly diminish or eliminate the effect. Although entirely natural, the phenomenon is reminiscent of the human-caused Firefall that historically occurred from Glacier Point.
Viewing Horsetail Fall in Late February
Due to the popularity of the event, restrictions are in effect during mid- to late February each year (February 12 through 28 in 2021) daily from noon to 7 pm. (This has been extended from February 24 to February 28.)
To view Horsetail Fall, park at Yosemite Falls parking (just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge) and walk 1.5 miles (each way) to the viewing area near El Capitan Picnic Area. Vault toilets, along with trash and recycling dumpsters, are available at the picnic area. Northside Drive will have one lane closed to vehicles so pedestrians can walk on the road between the viewing area and Yosemite Falls parking. Bring warm clothes and a headlamp or flashlight. Parking, stopping, or unloading passengers will be prohibited between Camp 4 and El Capitan Crossover. Vehicles displaying a disability placard will be allowed to drive to El Capitan Picnic Area and park in turnouts on the north side of Northside Drive.
Southside Drive will be open to vehicles, but parking, stopping, and unloading passengers will be prohibited between El Capitan Crossover to Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. Pedestrians will also be prohibited from traveling on or adjacent to the road in this area. From Cathedral Beach Picnic Area to Sentinel Beach Picnic Area, the area between the road and the Merced River (including the river) will also be closed to all entry.
El Capitan Crossover (the road connecting Northside and Southside Drives near El Capitan) will be open to vehicles, but parking, stopping, and unloading passengers will be prohibited.