1. YOSEMITE VALLEY

2. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS Yosemite means ‘grizzly bear’ 7 miles in length 1-2 miles in width Elevation almost exactly 4,000’

3. 5-10 million yrs ago - a broad valley Merced river meanders along

4. The land rises- the valley becomes a canyon 5 million years ago, tilting of Sierras

5. The Ice Age begins, glaciers carve the valley El Portal glacial stage: 1 mya 40-60 miles in length

6. The last glacier retreats- 30,000 yrs ago

7. The ice age ends: Lake Yosemite

8. Yosemite today

9. Mt Watkins Mirror Lake

10. NEVADA FALLS

11. YOSEMITE FALLS

12. HALFDOME IS A NUNATAK

13. EL CAPITAN CLIMBING ROUTES Best climbing rock in the world?

14. YOSEMITE FALLS: WINTER

15. SUMMARY Broad-valley stage (5-10 mya) Canyon stage (5 mya) Pleistocene glaciation begins (2 mya) Last glacial stage (Wisconsin) Lake Yosemite: formed by terminal moraine El Capitan and Half Dome nunataks