Horsetail Fall Firefall


Photo by J. Rigler, Feb00

Once in a blue moon . . .

Natural Firefall of Yosemite Valley

The conditions are right this year to see the natural firefall created by the angle of the sun's alignment with Horsetail Fall. It only happens on one day in the late afternoon within a few days on either side of February 14th. No one calls "let the fire fall", there is only the sun slowly setting and then setting the falls on fire. Horsetail Fall is located on the eastern edge of El Capitan

Photo by Richard Marklin

Taken on May 18, 1963 of the famous firefall of Camp Curry.

"At 9:00 each evening in Camp Curry, the crowd which had gathered for the nightly campfire program, would fall silent. A man would call out to the top of Glacier Point "Let the Fire Fall!", and a faint reply could be heard from the top of the mountain. Then a great bonfire of red fir bark would be pushed evenly over the edge of the cliff, appearing to the onlookers below as a glowing waterfall of sparks and fire." from http://yosemitefirefall.org/