I visited Yosemite today and was struck by the beauty of the environment and the awesome size of the natural wonders.  Still, it could not compare with the beauty of the spring landscape on the drive back to Stanford.

With just a couple of hours until sunset and some thin clouds covering the sky, the world was bathed in a surreal glow.  All of the greenery seemed somehow more vibrant.  All of the roads seemed more perfectly in harmony with the terrain they traversed.  The trees fit with the fields, placed where they belonged, still in the calm air.

The drive from about Big Oak Flat, CA to Knights Ferry, CA was one of, if not the most, beautiful I have ever experienced.  I was taken by what met my eyes.  I felt an immense peace with the world.

I was torn between stopping and photographing it or continuing on, but I finally decided that I had better take some shots.  I felt that what I was seeing was one of those special moments, when everything aligns in a way that might happen once a lifetime, and I knew I would never again have that opportunity.

With the window closing, I focused on a single tree in the distance.  I took some photos and continued on.  A few minutes later, the sun broke through the clouds, sank lower in the sky, and the moment was lost but to my memory and my camera.

Well, lost but to me and the handful of other people that I saw hastily parked on the side of the road, cameras in hand, snapping photos.

Tomorrow: I begin my drive to the Grand Canyon for several days of backpacking.