Horsetail

After Breakfast, and after a nap, went over to Lower Falls to check on report of Deer carcass....actually I'd seen distant pic friend had taken on walkabout..they saw Bobcat on the walk too!...which if I hadn't napped, I could have tagged along on and seen also!!...they got a really nice pic of Bobcat...hope to get copy for postup...back to the Deer....needless to say it's grim when the Deer are brought down(Coyote)...and I was curious to see what tracks were in the snow...a Coyote had been seen limping from the location...I have clips of a Coyote that limps going back to last year....from the Viewbridge, one could see the location, and I went back down the trail and attempted to get out to where it was...I say tried because I postholed into the Creek on the way!...a posthole is when one leg goes through the snow, which leaves one in an awkward position!....one leg was in the water, and the other was bent and under my chin....I had to kindof flop back, roll over, and crawl over the snow to dry land!...that being a nearby Cedar...the Creek's not deep, so no danger, but one boot was soaked...so I headed back to the Cabin...but before, I took a nice clip from where I was of the Falls and the Bridge...three Japanese girls were posing and smiling, a pic I missed, as I didn't realize it was for my pic!!...back along the Path, I happened on the Does and Fawns...pics and clips...and while making the clip, the Path got kinda crazy with a house cat on a leash being mobbed by ohh and ahhing tourists...the tripod was low, and from the Deer I swiveled to get the Cat!...it's a neat clip, and the Cat gets stuffed into a carry bag....and then to add to the oddity, a gaggle of photogs were down at the Path beginning ...clip...and all together they picked up and headed towards me...oh!..I had to give up on the Deer..see clip..it was interrupted just when the Deer were posing good and beginning to all walk my way, a way that brought them across the Path...the commotion spooked them back up into the Rocky Slope...but not before being photographed by the mob of photogs!!..more clip...I'd post it all up, but too many people didn't realize they were being filmed...the 12x does that...it looks like it takes only stills... back at the Cabin I changed boots....and the time was nearing for an exploration up Four Mile to see what could be seen of Horsetail Falls and the El Cap Firefall....took everything, poles, snowshoes, yak traks, and late lunch....chicken salad, hershy's, orange juice, chips...everything I didn't take with yesterday!!...over at the trail head, I found the trail nicely groomed by two snowshoe tracks that appear to have been made by Hikers coming down from Glacier Point...with the heavy MickyBoots, I made a slow slog up the long early switchbacks...didnt need the shoes...overgeared I was, as usual!!...four or five switchbacks up, after the fallen Ponderosa and Oak that one has to crawl under, I came to a stop with a so so view of El Cap...I know there are better ones higher up, but I dont know if they have a better view of Horsetail, I was where I was, and too tired to go higher, well, too tired to race higher, as I was Chasing Light!...I sighted in the minidigi, clips, and switched back and forth with 12x, clips, and could see a little of the Falls...and a lot of the Clouds moving about El Cap...I made a seat in the snow, and had lunch, and when nearly done with the sandwhich, which was still being masticated in my hurry, I started the didgi to take the clip of the cloud rising up El Cap...very cool...after that clip, it looked like the light was gone, it was about five pm, so I picked up, and headed down...when I came to the one other spot I'd passed earlier with a view through the trees, I could see a glow starting....sighted the didgi...and thankfully got a little clip of Horsetail glowing that reddish orange...it may not seem like much, but one must realize the next few days will be stormy, and it may not clear again on my days off...or anyone's for that matter!...one of the charms of Horsetail is it's unpredictability!...got back to the Cabin in the late dark of evening, feeling sad about the Deer....oh!...another group of Japanese girls were at the Swinging Bridge, I said 'hi', as everyone does here in passing one another, and they all said 'hi' together like a little song chorus...and I laughed...and they giggled...sunny blue and cool, fresh snow from last night...with the after storm Cloud show about the Rims...and another fine Winter up hike...though on the way up on these, I might express a different evaluation!...Junco pic was from the View Bridge...in low light the 12x takes the better pics...but all three cameras performed well, considering the didgi falling in the snow at the Posthole, and always perched on the tripod in the snow falling from sky, and trees, and snow falling into the pouches for the 12x and new camera!...cold doesn't seem to bother them either, just the batteries go faster...