Photographer Captures Avalanche Hit Yosemite National Park as Winter Storm Takes Dangerous Turn
Yosemite National Park shut down over the weekend due to a powerful winter storm that wreaked havoc in the area. Visitors are faced with inconvenient conditions. Lodging is there, but the options are too limited. Most of the roads are inaccessible. On top of the heavy snow and icy conditions, an avalanche seems to have dumped an entire planet of snow in the national park, and everything is now masked in a glittering white façade. A photographer named Max Loewenstein (@maxloew) has managed to capture footage of the avalanche in Yosemite that is now making rounds with the media outlets, like FOX26 News.
The avalanche was destructive, no doubt. But the problem became even more escalated due to the pre-existing snowpack. The early months of this winter left Yosemite hanging in a dry spell, with a mere peppering of sugary snow crystals on the landscape. The layer was crisp, too thin, and incapable of bearing the load. In such a scenario, this avalanche came leaping as a monster upon a garden of flowers. The foundation was weak, so when the snow got jettisoned on the land, the slopes became fragile, risky grounds for visitors to set their foot.
"No wonder why they closed the park today," Loewenstein wrote on Instagram, adding, "Avalanches, downed trees…the storm that closed Yosemite caused a lot of chaos." However, the park still has “some of the most beautiful conditions” he has ever seen, he wrote. In the latest footage, he captured the sight of a towering cliff in Yosemite, resembling a desert glazed in white whipped cream. Jutting upwards from the foot of the cliff appears a copse of conical pines, looking like sugar-dusted candy canes. At the edge is an icy river. A close-up shot reveals clouds of icy fog rolling from the middle valley of the cliff. "That so cool to watch. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere near it tho," an Instagram user commented on his video. "That sounds is scary but incredible!!," another wrote. "I heard that this morning omg," a third commented.
In another video Loewenstein shared a few days ago, he recorded the winter storm in full effect in the national park. "The park is absolutely getting dumped on. No chance of seeing Firefall until maybe this weekend, but the park is an absolute winter wonderland right now. This is my Third time catching snow in Yosemite and it’s the most I’ve seen in years," he wrote.
He also recorded Yosemite’s beloved El Capitan enshrouded by a veil of cool, milky mist on February 18. This is the time, unfortunately, when visitors should have been flocking to El Capitan to witness the annual spectacle of “firefall.” But with so much snow accumulated in the valley, it seems unlikely.
Meanwhile, Yosemite Ranger Scott Gediman shared with the outlet that although Curry Village/Yosemite Hospitality is closed, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Ahwahnee are open. People with reservations can enter the park via Highway 140. Additionally, staff have been moved from soft-sided cabins to hard-sided cabins. If you are planning to visit anytime soon, please check official National Park Service updates before making any travel plans.
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