Photograph of Clouds Rest and Half Dome taken at sunset from Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park
Tag: Half Dome
Half Dome is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Yosemite National Park, rising 4737 feet (1444 m) above the valley floor. It looks like a large, dome-shaped rock that has been sliced in half – hence its name. It is almost rounded on three sides with a sheer vertical cliff on the fourth.
The indigenous name for this landmark was Tissa’ack (Tis-sa’ack). This is a legendary name of an American Indian woman. Tissa’ack and her husband, Nangas, had a violent argument, disturbing the peace of Yosemite (Ahwahnee). As a result, the Great Spirit turned them into stone. Tissa’ack became Half Dome, as it is called today. It is the face of the young woman stained with tears. These tears are the dark lichen streaks that can be seen on the cliff face. The full story can be found in my photographs in the Yosemite Gallery.
This photograph was taken at sunset from Sentinel Bridge, Yosemite Valley. It appears in the Native American Historical Fiction, Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya,
A sunset photograph of Half Dome, taken from Olmsted Point in Yosemite National Park. A photographs included in the Native American Historical Novel Great Spirit of Yosemite