Glacier Point Lenticular Clouds: Yosemite, CA

On the final day before the winter closure of the Glacier Point Road, we attempted to capture late afternoon images of what promised to be a gigantic moonrise over Half Dome. The moon never rose, but the appearance of a huge band of lenticular clouds created more drama than we ever anticipated.
Formed by the condensation of airborne moisture in standing waves of air on the downwind side of a mountain, these lens shaped clouds have frequently been mistaken for UFO's. Power aircraft avoid lenticular clouds due to the severe rotor turbulence that they generate, but glider planes seek out the "wavelift" created by these clouds. The rising air mass adjacent to these clouds enables gliders to soar to extremely high altitudes.