Chasing the Yosemite Firefall in October

Once upon a time, the ephemeral Horsetail Fall in Yosemite Nation Park was little known and dismissed by most people. Originated from El Capitan and only fed by snowmelt, the Horsetail Fall never reaches the prominence of other high-profile waterfalls in the area. However, this very waterfall has been causing the two-week “photo orgy” in Yosemite Valley every year, all because of a natural phenomenon called the “Firefall”.

The lava of the Sierra

Generally, the setting sun positions at different directions every day. In mid-February and late October, the sun sets to the southwest, which conveniently lines up with El Capitan and Horsetail Fall in Yosemite. In a year with decent amount of precipitation, the often-ignored Horsetail Fall will be lit up by the setting sun and appear like glowing lava.

The October Fire

With the summer crowd gone, October is often regarded as a quiet season for Yosemite. But when the temperature starts to drop, the oak and maple trees showcase the autumn magic and paint the valley in a vivid display of colors.

Despite the direction of sunset in October and February is identical, few people know the firefall in October. This is largely attributed to California’s unique Mediterranean climate, where dry sesasons coincide with the warm summer and autumn. As a result, the seasonal Horsetail Fall is almost guaranteed to be completely dry by October. Scarce summer storm might happen in the Sierras, but it rarely produces enough supply for the Firefall.

It was October, 2021. Only eight months after I witnessed and captured my first ever Firefall, California was hit by a wave of ferocious storms in October. The atmospheric river dumped a record amount of rainfall in Coastal California and the Sierra Nevada and revived many waterfalls in Yosemite.

I quickly realized that this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to capture the firefall in October, with the peaking autumn foliage! On the day when the storm cleared, I arrived at the valley hours before sunset and went to my favorite spot on the south bank of Merced river which is usually unavailable in February due to crowd control. Not surprisingly, only a few fellow photographers were waiting for the Firefall by the river. Having visually verified the flowing Horsetail Fall, I set up my gears and started the countdown to the show.

As the sun sank lower, the magic started to happen. I could feel the excitement building within me as the revived Horsetail fall once again turned into molten lava after eight months of abeyance. No crowds, no tripod wars, just me surrounded by the sound of roaring Merced river and embracing the wonder of nature.

Hoping to get another composition on the next day, I spent the night in the park and planned the next day. I found this beautiful oak tree in the El Capitan area to frame the glowing Horsetail Fall.

This trip was extremely special and fulfilling to me. Not just because I walked away with some of my favorite photos I’ve ever captured, but I was able to create something personal and distinct out of a proliferated scene.

October once more

A minor October storm hit the Sierra once again in 2022. It was of course not enough to produce a Firefall, but I did manage to go home with one of the most dramatic sunset at Tunnel View.

Apparently I did not capture the Firefall this time, but the result is never the only purpose of those adventures. The beauty of adventure lies in the excitement and uncertainty of exploring new places, trying new things, and facing new challenges. It inspires and transforms us in ways that we may never have imagined possible. No matter what photographs I may or may not capture at the end of the day, there are always some exciting stories to tell.