Yosemite's waterfalls roaring again

The record toppling Sierra snowfall this winter has resulted in swelling Yosemite National Park’s rivers and streams as the snow melts, raising the water flow in Yosemite's iconic waterfalls to their most spectacular levels in years.

Vernal Falls (photo), one of the wettest waterfall hikes you can take, is a deafening roar that spills over a ledge just scant yards from the hiking trail that winds up along its right side to an overlook at the top.

Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet the nation’s tallest, is flowing with enough water to fill a tanker truck every two seconds. Bridalveil Falls across the valley sends out a mist that covers the meadow below.

These falls, which will peak by mid-June, are prompting more superlatives than even the most lavish travel brochures. The Merced River, roaring by at about 10 mph, bellows with a sound that overpowers all other background noise in the valley.

Even minor creeks and streams are racing through the valley, prompting closure of a few campsites.

Yosemite Valley was carved eons ago by the ebb and flow of glaciers over many ice ages. The sheer 3,000-foot granite cliffs drain multiple watersheds, each sending a cascade of water into Yosemite Valley. Some flow for only a few weeks — or in dry years not at all - but this year looks like they will last much longer.