Today was a hard day for me. I made a choice to pursue something this year that unfortunately meant I had to leave the park, but will hopefully allow me to spend many more summers in Yosemite and other places I love. That choice wasn’t easy and many days are difficult now, but I’m trying to keep my eye on the end prize.

All that to say that what I DO have is many fond memories of my time in the park, and today is a very special day in particular. It’s my FRAZILVERSARY! I’m sharing some photos and videos from an incredible phenomenon I was so very lucky to experience one year ago today – frazil ice! Make sure to click on each video to relive this day along with me!

Frazil ice is formed when mist from, in this case, upper and lower Yosemite Falls freezes and becomes suspended in water. It looks sort of like slush and behaves like lava. It is most often seen in April when water levels are high and overnight temperatures are below freezing. I had a hunch there would be some nice frazil that morning, but no idea what I’d actually experience!!

As the ice flows, it stacks up and stops, creating levees and diverting water flow. Trails to Lower Fall were overrun with water and one side even became impassable, flooded with ice and water. It’s an awe-inspiring event and I’m so lucky to have watched it in person! I’ve heard about frazil a lot and seen it stationary, but to watch it flow like this was a unique and unforgettable experience.

Wow.

And I’m so excited to share it again with you here.

And a bonus shot of the rainbow in Lower Fall that day because EVERYTHING WAS SPECTACULAR.

Have you ever seen frazil ice?!