Photographic meanderings

If you’ve ordered pancakes, french toast or waffles at the Yosemite Lodge Food Court, there’s a good chance it was made by Shane. Shane is our resident river rat and is probably the best-dressed pirate anywhere along the Merced River. Shane has a green approach toward life in Yosemite, charging his troller battery using a solar panel he bought at an auto parts store for $60. I consider him one of my favorite neighbors and enjoy hearing of his close calls with NPS rangers on matters of rafting on the Merced in Yosemite National Park. Trust Shane to be more aware of the regulations in place than some of the rangers, though; He remains at large and hasn’t spent a night at the John Muir Hotel for rafting on a closed river yet! He cuts a fetching figure in a camo-kilt, too!

As a resident of Yosemite, I am fortunate to meet extraordinary people who also have a deep connection with this place. This ongoing series is meant to spotlight remarkable people who’ve had a positive impact on my life in this glorious park.

David is a videographer and photographer specializing in filming and photographing the wildlife of Yosemite, with a special emphasis on birds of prey.

His blog is updated almost daily with images, and it’s an adventure trying to figure out his place names! David carries more gear with him than anybody I know. I will also always remember our trip to Death Valley on a whim last October, and his prosaic posture at Zabriskie Point, and his exuberance at seeing a coyote.

Follow David as he chases Coop and Cedar on the valley floor at Tree In The Door Flora and Fauna blog

In closing, here’s a shot of a little bird I saw recently on the Old Big Oak Flat road, just for David!

As a resident of Yosemite, I am fortunate to meet extraordinary people who also have a deep connection with this place. This ongoing series is meant to spotlight remarkable people who’ve had a positive impact on my life in this glorious park.

Twitter has introduced me to all sorts of folks here in Yosemite. One such person is Jeffrey Trust, a ranger here in Yosemite who usually is up late at night, chasing bears out of Housekeeping Camp. For a brief time this year, though, he was the stand-in supervisor for the Interpretive program, and I had a chance to meet up with him when another Twitter friend showed up to visit for a day.

Jeffrey writes a fascinating blog, but updates it far too seldom. He’s also addicted to chocolate.

As a resident of Yosemite, I am fortunate to meet extraordinary people who also have a deep connection with this place. This ongoing series is meant to spotlight remarkable people who’ve had a positive impact on my life in this glorious park.

I once was up at Tunnel View and saw a young man with a video camera on his shoulder. “You wouldn’t happen to be YosemiteSteve, would you?” I called out.

“I am–are you Ambitious Wench?” We laughed, chatted a bit. This brief encounter was the result of having “met” Steve via Twitter, the first place I had encountered his work.

Steve works for NPS, and produces thoughtful, informative and beautiful videos for Yosemite Nature Notes. You can follow YNN updates on Twitter

Give Steve a shout out next time you see one of his videos!