lower Merced River canyon and Yosemite Valley

[SSSdave]

Was along SR49 on May 15 and into Yosemite on SR140 May 16, 2023. Generally, SR140 areas between Mariposa and El Portal are well past spring bloom peak with south facing canyon slopes north of the Merced River very dry. Areas that normally peak mid March to early April. Outside of splashes of various pink clarkias, just dry Bentham lupine, foothill poppies, and madia remaining down inside tall dry grasses.

North facing slopes along highway 140 are still moderately green with many late season wildflowers still blooming amidst drying grasses. East of Indian Flat, north facing slopes become increasingly green. Above El Portal at 1919 feet are increasing wildflowers but almost none above 3.5k including Yosemite Valley at 4k where there are many green herbs just recently rising. Just silver bush lupine and Indian paintbrush roadside along SR120 that is closed at the Big Oak Flat park entrance. For instance, El Capitan Meadow has no blooming iris and gray lupines have not risen along roads in dry forest areas. No flowers at all about Forester. Looks like mid March. Most dogwood at west end of the park are at peak bloom. Suspect as areas above 4k move through their bud, bloom, seed cycles that some species given the earlier cold temperatures never came out of dormancy and now temperatures are too warm with dry surface temperatures to do so. Although it was just one day, noticed a very strong sunrise sumping wind flow down the canyon obviously due to cold canyon snow fields at higher elevations.

River is flooding all over, almost up to the parking level at Valley View. An optimum chance during our generation to capture videos of miles of the raging whitewater above El Portal and waterfalls except that numbers of meadow areas are blocked off now for vegetation restoration. Also reflections of YV canyon subjects. Numbers of advanced level river rafters and kayaks floating downstream.

A couple of us stayed Monday at one of the four $10/night riverside BLM campgrounds west of Briceberg along the dusty dirt road. Noticed many more cars driving through looking for open camp spots since so many of the YV campgrounds are now closed due to flooding. Warm day into lower 90Fs but we had a fine canyon live oak shaded site just 20 feet from the raging river with water temps maybe 45F. And yeah I fully immersed ( 2 seconds haha) in the late afternoon after which not a few others noticing I didn't die floating off down the rapids and seemed to enjoy it, also did so.