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William Hartshorn | all galleries >> Galleries >> GREATEST HITS > Bridalveil Falls Rainbow
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Bridalveil Falls Rainbow

Bridalveil Fall with a double rainbow. The indigenous people who lived in this part of Yosemite Valley were the Pohonochees. The Pohonochees were a group of Paiutes who lived on the south side of the River Merced. The Ahwahneechees lived on the north side.
Their name for the fall was Pohono (Po-ho-no) meaning “evil wind” (or sometimes translated as “puffing wind”). The fear of the fall was built on this legend:
On a soft, spring day, the women of the valley were collecting grasses along the creek near the top of the fall, for weaving their baskets. One of the young maidens ventured near the edge of the water to gather some overhanging grasses, Here she stepped on a mossy rock set there by Pohono, the Evil Spirit who inhabits the mist. In the twinkling of an eye, she was snatched into the fall, never to be seen again. Her companions were horrified and, fearing the same fate, ran back to the village to raise the alarm. A band of young braves immediately set out on foot to the fall. Despite all their searches, they could not find the maiden.
Her spirit, like others before, had been imprisoned by Pohono. There her spirit would remain until she succeeded in luring some other unfortunate to their doom. Only then would her spirit be released to return to her spiritual home with the Great Spirit of the West.
The Pohonochees and Ahwahneechees were the indigenous people who lived in Yosemite. They were driven out of their homelands during the Mariposa War of 1850/51, during the California Gold Rush. Their tragic and true story is re-told in the historical fiction, Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya.


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Mark 15-Jan-2015 19:33
Amazing shot, we were able to capture some rainbows on the waves in Hawaii, couldn't get them to come out like this though
now_is_forever19-Oct-2014 01:21
Great shot!
Guest 03-Oct-2012 22:47
Stunning! Wish I had places like that near me to photograph, very jealous!
Martin Wenzel17-Jan-2011 19:33
Nice shot!
Guest 26-Dec-2010 09:52
Very very very nice!!! V
Nasseem 09-Dec-2010 01:46
Dear William,

I am starter but you are a master of composition and colour. Love your work.

Dr Nasseem M Malouf
William Hartshorn05-Nov-2010 05:17
Hello Ian...
I am sure Mother Nature had her hand in this event...
Thanks for the note :-)
Ian B 05-Nov-2010 01:32
I'd say old chap, your tree man is a bit too aggressive pruning those pine trees.
Mike Loring Photography21-Oct-2010 03:12
Fantastic
Fernando Peres Rodrigues10-Sep-2010 05:51
Great photo, as usual...
Petros Labrakos28-Aug-2010 05:42
wonderfully composed!
Adnan Masood21-Aug-2010 19:06
Great shot with colors.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)19-Aug-2010 05:08
Such beauty just makes you gasp!
Milan Vogrin08-Aug-2010 08:49
Great scene!V!
Martin Lamoon12-Jul-2010 08:39
Great shot, amazing colours
Susan Manley 31-May-2010 06:55
Hello William! Composition is excellent with lovely color from the rainbow.
Bartosz Kotulski28-May-2010 11:53
Very nice point of view here and composition with the pine almost in the middle. Like the color of the water from white,blue to orange. looks very beautiful. Big v
Joseph Kurkjian28-May-2010 02:38
Great composition!
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