While in Yosemite this last October, I was able to take some beautiful photos of the fall foliage and other great views in the park.

As I headed down the Big Oak Flat Road, which leads into Yosemite Valley, I stopped at a couple of turnouts along the way. The photo opportunities were great and I took advantage of them. Below are five of the photos I took. However, if you look closely, some of the trees may look colorful, but they are actually dying! This is because of the destructive power of the Pine Bark Beetle. Every tree in the photos below that are brown or red in color are either dead or in the process of dying since these insects have started to ravage the forests in the Sierra Nevada.

The years of drought in California have certainly helped the bark beetles continue to attack and destroy thousands of trees in mountainous regions. However, this year we’ve already seen more rain than in previous years, so I’m keeping a lot of hope that the bark beetle infestation may take a turn and the trees in the forests will be able to bounce back with some time. Of course the rain will need to continue for quite a while to make a huge difference, but after seeing some of the latest weather forecasts for the next week, maybe we’re finally seeing somewhat of a shift in weather conditions for California that will continue to make that much needed change.

Oh, and to let you know how much rain Yosemite is getting this week, all roads leading to Yosemite Valley are closed due to large amounts of rain!!! Take a look at the current conditions page for Yosemite by clicking on the following link and you’ll see what I mean:

Current Conditions in Yosemite National Park

I’ve also found an interesting article posted by Professor Richard Frank who was in Yosemite at the 25th annual Environmental Law Conference this last October. The article touches on the bark beetle infestation. Click on the following link to see the article:

The Steadily Dying Sierra Nevadas

Have a great week everyone!