Beyond its obvious merits as a film, "The Caine Mutiny" is also notable because it contains the only surviving footage of the Yosemite Firefall (at least that I know of - there may well be amateur footage of it in private collections that has never been published). The Firefall was first done in 1872 (though there is some argument about the actual beginning). It continued, with some periods when it was not done, until 1968. For decades it was done every summer night at 9:00 p.m. The embers were slowly pushed over the edge of the cliff from Glacier Point and could be seen in many locations but were most easily seen at Camp Curry (now called Curry Village). The final Firefall was on January 25, 1968. There is a whole web site just about it, with lots of interesting details, memories of it and some good still photos. It includes a description of the ritual of calls between Glacier Point and Camp Curry including "Let the Fire Fall!"
http://firefall.info/
Also, Huell Howser did an episode of his "California's Gold" program on the Yosemite Firefall, and visited the spot where the embers were pushed off, and interviewed several people who were involved with it.
There is also a natural phenomenon that happens in the last 2 weeks of February each year. The conditions must be exactly right for it to happen. Where it happens is at Horsetail Falls, on the east side of El Capitan, also in Yosemite Valley but on the north side of the valley (Glacier Point is on the south side). Horsetail Falls is a seasonal waterfall, like many of Yosemite's falls, but the area that supplies the water for Horsetail Falls is small (about 30 acres at the top of El Capitan). That area must have received a good supply of snow, and it must have started melting in mid-to-late February, creating the falls. At sunset during the last 2 weeks of February, the sun hits Horsetail Falls for a few minutes and lights it up so that it looks like a firefall. But it's just the sunlight hitting the waterfall. Of course the sun has to be shining, it won't work if the sky is clouded over. All these conditions must come together at the right time, making this a rare phenomenon. It was first popularized by the late photographer Galen Rowell. There is more information and a couple of photos at this page:
http://www.shutterbug.net/techniques/outdoor_travel/1206locations/
There was yet another firefall, with real fire, but a natural occurrence, that happened on May 7, 2008. There was a fire on the north rim of Yosemite Valley, between Royal Arches and North Dome. At one point embers from the fire tumbled down the cliff, creating a firefall oddly similar to the old man-made firefalls of Glacier Point - but on the north side of the valley, almost directly opposite Glacier Point. You can see photos someone took of this event at this page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/72157604946075767/
If you visit Yosemite National Park, you will not see any of these happen in person (unless you visit in late February and get very lucky to see the sun on Horsetail Falls). But everyone should visit Yosemite anyway, at least once in their life - it is truly the most beautiful place on the planet.
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