Vancouver to Los Angeles

The eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, rising from the deserts of Nevada.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains from the air.

From left to right, you can see the bright green Central Valley of California, to the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains at sunset.

Typical pine forest in the Sierra Nevada near Mono Hot Springs.

The Sierra Nevada, the lower half of the line of snow-capped mountains, in relation to the rest of the US west coast.

The Sierra Nevada mountains in blue, in context of the rest of California.

The typical light grey granite rock of the Sierra Nevada, surrounding Tenaya Lake.

Ruby Lake, surrounded by the light grey granite and pines that are typical of the Sierra Nevada.

A typical view in the Sierra Nevada: pine trees surrounded by steep granite walls.

Mount Whitney in the winter, one of the Sierra Nevada's most striking mountains.

East of the Sierra Nevada, a fierce dust storm whips across Nevada.

A misty sequoia forest in the Sierra Nevada, another of the mountain range's famous natural features.

1861 - 1875 - The Three Brothers, as seen from Yosemite Valley, climbing to 1,365m above sea leve.

Sunset over Half Dome, seen from near the Yosemite Lodge in the valley.

Vernal Falls, one of the many waterfalls that flow into the Yosemite Valley.

Hikers climb to the top of Half Dome single file: the layers of rock pealing away from the surface is typical of Yosemite's geology.

1861-1869 - Central Pacific Railroad Train and coaches in Yosemite Valley, bringing tourists, scientists, business and artists.

Each different colour on this map represents a different type of rock across Yosemite National Park.

Half Dome (right side of the valley) is the tallest peak in this image, hanging over the Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Valley from Taft Point: notice the people in the top left, giving the image perspective.

The imposing face of El Capitan from the valley floor: the peak is famous with climbers as one of the world's most popular 'big walls'.

A climber, dwarfed by the face of El Capitan: the climber is just visible in the centre of the bottom right quarter of this image.

The glowing Horsetail Falls: for a few weeks each year in February, the setting sun is refracted by the water, causing it to glow a fiery orange.

Vernal Falls (top) flows into Nevada Falls (below), and then into the main Yosemite Valley.

Upper Yosemite Falls, cascading down a granite cliff face and blown to the left by a strong wind.

1878 - 1881 - A view of Half Dome from Glacier Point before the valley was widely travelled.

Yosemite Falls, one of many famous and beautiful waterfalls that flank Yosemite Valley.

1865 - 1867 - Albert Bierstadt's painting entitled "Looking up Yosemite Valley": Bierstadt is famous for his romanticised images of the American wilderness.

The Merced River, flowing through the Yosemite Valley and Sierra Nevada into the flat Californian Central Valley.

En-route to work, a scientist hangs from a rope on the rock face of El Capitan.

A terrestrial laser scanner set up beneath El Capitan to map the surface of the granite monolith.

Two National Park Geologists record date from an experiment on the rock face in Yosemite National Park.

1861-1875 - An early log cabin is dwarfed by a sequoia in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite Valley.

The 'walk-in' campsite of Yosemite Valley, hidden amongst the pines of the valley floor.

A scientist clings to the rock face of El Capitan conducting an experiment on the granite surface.

1906 - US President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir on Glacier Point.

1858-59 - Galen Clark with a shotgun in front of a sequoia tree, a pivotal figure in securing legal protection over Yosemite National Park.

1907 - The Scottish born preservationist John Muir, sitting with his walking stick in Yosemite. Taken by Professor Francis M. Fritz in 1907.

1872 - An Ahwahnechee camp in Yosemite Valley by the famous Albert Bierstadt.

1858-1859 - Galen Clark, a pivotal figure in securing legal protection over Yosemite National Park.

1935 - Camping in Yosemite in the early 20th century: today the camps are much larger and managed to a greater extent.

1917 - A tourist stand on a precipitous cliff, overlooking the valley with Yosemite Falls in the background.

Terrestrial laser scan of El Capitan: the numerous scars and gaps in the face are due to rockfalls from the granite surface.