"I was having a tough time this past Xmas as my daughter and son-in-law had recently been recommishioned to Japan. Alone at the holidays, I headed to Yosemite on a last minute whim. With no available accommodations, I decided a tent would be ok, and got everything set-up in camp just as a strong storm rolled in. Over a foot of fresh snow fell that cold Xmas eve. I woke before dawn, still fully dressed and very cold. It was still dark out, but I could see the stars and the gleam of new snow. I headed a short distance down the road and pulled off at the bend in the Merced. Setting-up my tripod just as the first signs of light began to fill the valley, this was my Christmas morning scene. For me, this is more than just a captured moment, it is the moment my heart felt healed and full."
Picture information:
Christmas morning on the Merced, Yosemite National Park. © Leah Horstman
"I was having a tough time this past Xmas as my daughter and son-in-law had recently been recommishioned to Japan. Alone at the holidays, I headed to Yosemite on a last minute whim. With no available accommodations, I decided a tent would be ok, and got everything set-up in camp just as a strong storm rolled in. Over a foot of fresh snow fell that cold Xmas eve. I woke before dawn, still fully dressed and very cold. It was still dark out, but I could see the stars and the gleam of new snow. I headed a short distance down the road and pulled off at the bend in the Merced. Setting-up my tripod just as the first signs of light began to fill the valley, this was my Christmas morning scene. For me, this is more than just a captured moment, it is the moment my heart felt healed and full."