Postcard: The Fire Fall, Yosemite

"Each night during the summer season, for the pleasure of their guests and all visitors to Yosemite, the management of Camp Curry have established a gorgeous specatacular custom. a huge bonfire is guilt on Glacier Point 3,200 feet directly above the Camp. At the conclusion of the nightly camp fire entertainment the burning embers are pushed from the point above, and this catact of fire and sparks makes a sheer drop of over 2,000 feet before striking any obstacles, a sight long to be remembered."

Yosemite National Park is one of my most favorite places on earth. The beauty is astounding, and especially in the fall, the colors of the landscape are the perfect counterpoint to the gray granite of the mountains. My grandma and her sisters used to come to Yosemite quite a bit during the 1920s through 1930s - right when the park was being developed as a destination. I remember them talking about The Fire Fall and how it was the height of romance and adventure at the time. Although the place to watch The Fire Fall was in Yosemite Valley - preferably at The Ahwahnee Hotel or, if on a budget, Camp Curry - the bonfire was set off from high above at Glacier Point. After a series of calls back and forth from the valley to the peak, the person at the top would "let the fire fall!"...

Ultimately, the Fire Fall ended in 1968 at the order of the National Park Service after enchanting visitors each night for over 88 years. The notion of an unnatural event in such a specatacular natural setting ran contrary to the entire spirit of Yosemite and the National Parks.

One of the best hikes in the valley is from Glacier Point back down to the valley floor - full of views, panoramas, waterfalls, and challenging climbs. It's a timeless trail that takes you back to the days of John Muir. I'm not sure how old this postcard may be - it was never used and I received it in pristeen condition. But, because of its printing style and coloration, I'd estimate it's from the 1940s or early 1950s, maybe even earlier.

Here's a great link for more information on The Fire Fall.