Raven Wing Tips

Winter raven magic in Yosemite

A quintessential Yosemite image for me is that of the tips of raven wings in the snow. The first time I saw this was on an over-night trip to the top of El Capitan (Too-Tak-ah-noo-lah). A storm that dropped almost a foot of snow had just cleared and I tromped out to the edge of El Capitan to get a look over Yosemite Valley. On what felt like a high-point on the stone was an image in un-touched snow. It stopped me in my tracks as I tried to make it out….and when I realized I was looking at a raven’s wings, taking off in un-touched blanketed snow, I was mesmerized. Incredible, I thought. And so beautiful. Ravens, a hardy bunch are some of the first willing to explore after a storm. I imagined the bird spreading its wings and taking off in flight over the valley surrounded by post-storm clearness and beauty. This is why I chose this image for the logo of Yosemite Healing Arts. It is Yosemite. It is magical and beautiful. And it invokes the spirit of healing: being able to take flight after the storm has passed.