For years they poured burning coals over the top of the cliff at Glacier Point. It was eventually decided that it wasn’t a natural event and should be discontinued. A few years later a photographer discovered that the valley had being pulling off a natural event that had gone unnoticed every February on the opposite side of the Valley. The shadow from El Capitan would line up just perfectly so that the rocks were in the shadows and only the water was illuminated. This stunning spectacle only works if there is sufficient snow melting atop the falls, the skies to the west are clear so the light can slip under any clouds and make the water glow like fire. It’s is a spectacular event and at the end of a really good show you can hear the entire valley applaud and cheer for the great showing. The event has become a spectacle as a mass of photographer descend on the valley jockeying throughout the day looking for the coveted parking spot. Then comes the clamor to get out of the park once the show is over and can take hours sitting in traffic. So if you go, do what you can to carpool with other photographers.