The Firefall that almost wasn't.⁠⁠⁠
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Firefall is the amazing phenomenon that only takes place over a brief window of time during February in Yosemite National Park where the sun hits Horsetail Falls at the perfect angle in order to light up the water and cause the waterfall to look as though fire were pouring off the side of El Capitan. So many things have to occur near perfectly in order to see this event:⁠⁠⁠
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1) You have to have clear western skies with no clouds to block out the sun right at sunset.⁠⁠⁠
⁠2) The winter had to provide enough snow in order to supply the seasonal Horsetail Falls⁠⁠⁠
⁠3) The winter snowfall has to begin to melt enough in order for the waterfall to flow with water.⁠⁠⁠
⁠4) The winds high on El Capitan have to be calm enough so as to not blow the small waterfall away and keep it from having a straight streak of water.⁠⁠⁠
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After getting to the locations hours in advance to investigate which angle I wanted, I set up and began the waiting game as I watched all of the elements to see if I would have luck. There were some initial concerns as we watched, but in the final 20-30 minutes before sunset, things began to look promising!⁠⁠⁠
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While myself and hundreds of others waited for just the right moment when the sun would meet the water in its most intense colors, we all were hopeful that this was going to be our lucky evening. However, 8 minutes before the moment of sunset a cloud rolled in front of the sun, removing every drop of color from the waterfall.⁠⁠⁠
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It was devastating. Minutes go by with no sign of the cloud shifting, though they felt like hours of defeated hope. Many photographers and observers start packing up to leave as we all sat in our collective disappointment. I held out the tiniest hope while also preparing to be disappointed.⁠⁠⁠
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In literally the final moments of possible light before the sky grew dark, the cloud left as quickly as it came and suddenly the waterfall began to glow and shine in a glorious display.⁠⁠⁠
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Despite the cloud showing no signs of shifting, it was worth it to hold out hope. Hope that light could still shine and give us the show of a lifetime.