YOSEMITE'S FRAZIL ICE AWESOME!!!!!!

[Lebam in LA]

Long, but amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9V9p4mFEYXc&vq=medium#t=15

Turn on your sound so you can hear the narration.

YOSEMITE'S FRAZIL ICE

It is hard to imagine that Yosemite is only 60 miles from Fresno -- where it never ever snows and rarely gets below 32 F in the dead of winter.


This is an incredible video! It only happens in March and April. I have never seen a creek come to a complete stop like this before and start up again someplace else.

It's like a lava flow. Turn on your sound. Now just enjoy ..........................

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. A friend sent me the very same video last week...

It is awesome!

I saved it in my YouTube account and have seen it several times since...

WOW.

[Lebam in LA]

2. WOW is right

Guess my trip up north will be a little earlier this year. I've been to Yosemite a few times but always in the summer.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Spring, when the melt makes for countless waterfalls

and school in session makes for fewer fellow visitors.

[denbot]

3. Yeah, CaliforniaPeggy posted this last week.

Or longer..

[notadmblnd]

4. we've always called it slush

it's is cool though. Most of ours is stationary.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Very cool.

Thanks.

[rhett o rick]

6. Thank you

[Diana Prince]

7. Watched with my 5 yr old...

She just kept saying how beautiful and cool it was.

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. There's an ICEE Machine in this place!

(tm)

[Jokinomx]

9. Wow...thanks for sharing this...

The time lapse near the end was very cool.... pardon the pun :-)

I have been to Yosemite 3 times .. all in the summer. A magical place at anytime of the year. Absolutely stands alone among National parks .. in my opinion.

Peace

[underseasurveyor]

10. That WAS very cool.

I've not ever heard of frazil ice. Learned something new.

Thanks for sharing :-)

[JHB]

11. I've seen that effect on a micro level...

...with slushy runnoff on streets and in small (tiny) streams, but to see it on that scale is amazing.

[Maru Kitteh]

12. That was beautiful. Thanks for bringing it here. :-)

[Beaverhausen]

13. very cool. can't believe I haven't been to Yosemite yet

Lived in California for 19 years now...oh, almost to the day. Need to get up there.

[B Calm]

16. 50 years ago my dad took the 59 Chevy an us three kids across the country

to California. I was 10 years old when my dad drove into Yosemite Valley. The sight was something I've never forgotten. It's like entering into heaven. My wife has never been there, but we plan to retire here in few years and I promised her and myself to go there the year we retire!!

[shanti]

17. check out the california board

they're planning a DU trip to yosemite in june :)

[petronius]

14. Forget the ice - I want to see more of that gorgeous ranger!

</male piggy> ;)

OK, the ice is very cool too - got me wondering if I can carve out a weekend this month or next to head up that way...

Thanks for posting!

[tammywammy]

15. Very interesting.

Thanks for posting!

[Xithras]

18. Living only two hours from Yosemite, I've been there many times during the winter.

The park is nearly always empty in the winter, and I've snowshoed down the trail from Happy Isles to Bridalveil Creek without ever seeing a single other person. It's truly a magical place, and it's a VERY different experience than visiting during the warmer months.

I've never seen the frazile ice on Yosemite Creek, but I've seen the same effect on Bridalveil before. It's a bit smaller scale than what you see in those videos, but it's still neat to watch.

The really cool thing to watch are the avalanches coming off the higher granite slabs right after a snowstorm. The snow comes sailing off the tops of the cliffs in a huge threatening mass, but it drops so far that the air spreads it out and slows it down. The massive piles of snow just seem to evaporate into the air. If you're lucky enough to be standing beneath the slide point, the effect is like a sudden light snowfall coming out of a clear blue sky. It's a neat experience.

Of course, the ice spalling off the cliff is LESS fun to stand under. It's impressive to watch, but it's killed a number of people. The rangers actually warn hikers to stay AWAY from the cliff faces in winter because falling ice is a constant hazard. You can hear it booming across the valley nearly every morning.

You know, I was wondering what to do this weekend. I think I just figured it out...

[Poll_Blind]

20. Outstanding!

+1

PB

[xchrom]

21. Awesome. nt

[watercolors]

22. Beautiful, we saw this ourselves yrs ago .

Yosemite is so lovely and breathtaking. Everyone should see it. We have been there at several different times.

[Maru Kitteh]

23. K and R'd for Saturday :-)