Half Dome tops the eastern edge of Yosemite Valley, and is one of the most recognizable features of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Just to the northeast (left) is Cloud's Rest, the highest point of this section of the Yosemite peaks, at 9,926 feet. Half Dome may be the youngest geological formation in the park, made up of granodiorite, an abundant igneous rock.
     This stately view is from the Sentinel Dome area, found along the trail to Glacier Point and the Royal Arches. The unusual use of black and white photography evokes an impression of yesteryear, when John Muir and Ansel Adams first laid eyes on Yosemite and walked these same mountain peaks. Muir's spirited campaign for wilderness protection led to the establishment of Yosemite Park in 1890.