Hundreds of photographers have swarmed to Yosemite national park to catch a rare glimpse of a “firefall” – a phenomenon that makes it appear as if water has turned into lava, flowing from a volcano.
For about 10 days each February, sunlight illuminates Horsetail Fall in a way that looks like lava is tumbling down the rock face. The light show can prove elusive – local photographers said this is the first February in four years in which conditions have been ideal to capture the firefall.
“The Horsetail Fall phenomenon appears when the angle of the setting sun sets the waterfall ablaze with reds and oranges, like a fire was falling down the cliffs on the shoulder of El Capitan,” reads the Yosemite national park website.
The site advises visitors to stand at a location where the falls will be backlit by the setting sun in order to capture the best shot.
Photographer Sangeeta Dey said she waited for three hours in her chosen spot to shoot the firefall. The wait paid off – a combination of prior snowfall, resulting in a strong flow of water down the falls, and a lack of cloud meant the crowd got decent pictures.
“When the fall started glowing, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Dey said. “For 10 minutes, all of us sat there mesmerized by this spectacle.
“When it ended, a few of us had tears in our eyes. Some people were clapping. And others were just ecstatic to finally get a chance to see it after trying for years.”
Those still wanting to see the firefall had better hurry up. The last appearance of the incandescent water this year is expected to be on Monday.
