We spied a glimpse of yellow as we drove out of Yosemite Valley and decided to stop and walk down to the river. As we approached the river we realized the small bit of color was a vast grove of Big Leaf Maples that lined the Merced River not far from Valley View. We dropped down the steep rocks and the full scene was revealed. It was hard to know which picture to take as the opposite shore was perfectly in both directions. I took time to just let it all sink in... a fish jumped an it was the only clue the water wasn't a glass mirror. I finally decided to face down stream just above a large boulder. The gold of the maple trees blended with a few black oak trees and the deep green of the pine trees and the cool blue hues of the distant cliffs taking in the last bit of light from the day. We stayed till it became too dark to shoot and walked away in awe of the scenery we had captured. Yosemite never ceases to amaze me.