Three of the past four Mondays have had storms. Snow fell on Yosemite Valley's floor again last night, adding frosting to the dogwoods. Considerable frazil ice flows clogged Yosemite Creek, Sentinel Creek and Ribbon Creek, with the latter carrying the slurry deposits all the way to the Merced. If you still haven't seen Steve's terrific frazil footage, find it here. I watched a coyote flounder across the loose ice and balance on a log to cross part of Yosemite Creek, while a female mallard watched calmly from her safe platform on a fresh floe. The spot where the John Muir plaque and Galen Clark bench are located was awash in ice and water this morning. After ten, there was no more new ice coming from the falls, but the lower creek ran mud brown with newly displaced sediment as it left its channels and ran in novel directions through the forest.
The part of Indian Creek that flows under the Yosemite Art and Education Center was backing up over the bike path that runs by there.
Cassin's vireo and Bullock's oriole did some singing this morning, encouraged a bit by the bright sun and the melting snow. Tough weather for some insectivores.
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