SEPTEMBER 2003 – Large clouds of smoke emerge from the woods of the Yosemite National Park, California. Photo © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
We had entered Yosemite National Park at its eastern entrance and now drove up Tioga Road. Long windings and just light traffic, fortunately. Then we approached the lovely Tenaya Lake with its picnic areas, trailheads, and beaches.
We continued our drive towards west on Tigoa Road and after about 10 Miles we noticed large clouds of smoke emerging from the woods ahead of us. We stopped at the next viewpoint to inspect the scene.
The National Park Service had already put up an excellent poster with all the details to alert and inform visitors. The smoke belonged to the Whiskey Fire which had been started by a lightning on 1st August 2003, i.e. it had been burning for 55 days already when we saw it. To our shock, we realized that Tioga Road would have been quite challenging to pass (if at all) just a couple of days ago. As of mid-September, the fire was covering a significant stretch of the road, and it was the only road towards west.
With mixed feelings we entered the car again, trusting that NPS would stop us if there would be a risk associated. When we approached the area where the fire had been raging a few days ago, there were still thick clouds hanging over the road, limiting the sight ahead, and the smell of burnt wood was ubiquitous. But fortunately, we could not see any fire and could proceed with out trip without further problems.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 24-SEP-2003 |
| Location | Yosemite National Park, CA |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Fuji Slide Film |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 6537 x 4280 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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