Highway 140, West Entrance to Yosemite National Park, California

I went to Yosemite Wednesday, Feb. 6 after a monster winter storm dumped 2 feet of snow Tuesday alone in valley. The West Entrance reopened by noon on Wednesday after 2 days shut down. Snow chains were required to put on unless 4×4 wheels.

A photographer at Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite Valley Chapel in Snow, Yosemite National Park, California

El Capitan at Sunset, Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, CA

After cruising around the valley floor and taking beautiful winter landscape pictures, I ended up at Tunnel View which my favorite spot all time at sunset.  I didn’t expect to take this epic, a stripe of light hitting the rock after disappointing cloudy sunset few minutes earlier. I was about to leave the tunnel view, removed all gears and tripod set-up. But I was stunned by a band of orange which lighting up the side of mountain where my car faced.  I turned around to the right and looked straight at the El Capitan where a stripe of light just reached. I grabbed a camera and rushed to take a couple of shots handheld. The orange light lasted about 6 minutes till it disappear.

I was so lucky to get this awesome shot and have  learned a lesson again. Never leave early till 30 minutes after sun went down. I will long remember the epic moment.