AN AMERICAN ICON

HALF-DOME PEAK IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK : CALIFORNIA : USA IS TRULY AN AMERICAN ICON ! TO ME IT THOUGH DOES LOOK LIKE A PIGEON'S PROFILE ! 

HALF-DOME PEAK ALONG WITH THE EL CAPITAN AND THE THREE SISTERS WITH THE MERCED RIVER FLOWING BELOW IS A PHOTOGRAPHERS’ DREAM ALTHOUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VALLEY IS A LUSH GREEN MEADOW DOMINATED BY THE HALF-DOME ! 23 JULY 2007

The Half-dome dominates the scenery 

SherpaRitwik, Sipra, Cory and his girlfriend with the Half-dome in the background 

Half - dome is an imposing mountain commanding an excellent view at the head of the Merced River. In 1980 I had travelled to Yosemite National Park in what would then be only my second visit there. It was the peak of Summer. A young couple floating down the Merced in a rubberized raft made for a superb photograph with the Half dome in the background. It was a print and after 20 odd years it had faded beyond any recognition. A regret I nurture even after 40 plus years.

The Merced River in Yosemite with the Half-dome at its head

The Half-dome is a climbers’ delight what with its vertical face posing an interesting challenge to the adventurous. To the less adventurous mortals like yours truly the mere sight of the massively steep vertical face of the mountain is enough to scare the daylight away.

Steep vertical wall of the Half-dome - challenge to the adventurous climbers 

At sunset the Peak assumes a delightful scene. Thanks to our son - Sherpa Ritwik Kumar—who was at Stanford University those days on his Internship—we were able to visit Yosemite in July 2007, the last time we went there, for four days. Sherpa’s friend Cory had brought along his car and did all the driving; driving all the way from Palo Alto and back. One of the many highlights of the trip was viewing the Half-dome at sunset. The Peak sported many colours of sunset, each more mesmerising than the other. Then there was the Afterglow that lasted for another half an hour. Truly magnificent. Truly magical!