The mystery of the Horsetail Fall

    The waterfall Horsetail Fall (Ponytail) is a seasonal waterfall that flows in winter and early spring. Its waters flow on the eastern side of the rock El Capitan. 

    Each mid-February, the sun and earth align to create a fleeting phenomenon. This marvel of celestial

configuration happens in a flash at sunset if the winter weather cooperates. On those days the setting sun illuminates one of the park's lesser-known waterfalls so precisely that it resembles molten lava as it flows over the sheer granite face of the imposing El Capitan. Every year growing numbers of photographers converge on the park, their necks craned toward the ephemeral Horsetail Fall, hoping the sky will be clear so they can duplicate the spectacle first recorded in color in 1973 by the late renowned outdoors photographer Galen Rowell. The magic instant lasts only two minutes or less during two weeks. Located in Yosemite National Park in California, The Horsetail Fall, descends in two streams side by side, the eastern one drops 470 m (1,540 ft) and the western one 480 m (1,570 ft). The waters then gather and descend another 150 m (490 ft) on steep slabs, so the total height of these waterfalls is 620 m (2,030 ft) to 630 m (2,070 ft). Located at the heart of the Sierra Nevada, California, United States, Yosemite National Park has a total area of 3079 km ² and attracts over 3.5 million tourists each year. Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1984. The park's main attraction is Yosemite Valley, a deep canyon carved by retreating glaciers from the last ice age. Yosemite Falls is actually three separate falls, Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 ft.), Middle Cascades (675 ft.) and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 ft.). The total 2,425 foot drop makes Yosemite Falls the highest in North American and fifth tallest waterfall in the world.