You really got the prize, being in Yosemite Valley early morning with fresh snowfall...and you took good advantage of that wonderful experience. One of my first long outings with my LX3 was on a fresh snowy February morning in the valley, I just kept rubbing my eyes being afraid I was going to wake up, it was so unbelievable.
I like the photos of the Royal Arches flanked by the snowy trees, and also the river and pines. Catching the arches or the trees with the snow on them like that is something that disappears quickly with the warmth of the day, so getting out early is really rewarding.
Regarding your moon rising shot though, a long exposure would have just made the moon look like the sun, and the valley more like in daylight. I've taken a lot of long-exposure night shots from Cook's meadow area on a full moon, and the valley looks like in daylight with a glaring sun (really the moon) overhead.
If you want to get the moon rising with detail in the moon, and the valley and mountains visible more than silhouettes, it's best to try to get there 2-4 days before the full moon. When it rises, there will still be some daylight left, and you can get both the bright moon and the ground illuminated with normal exposures. Long exposures will blow out the moon, no way around it except combining multiple photos. Still, being at Valley View and getting the moon rising down the valley doesn't happen every day, and I think you made the best of it.
It's amazing how quickly it changes. I was there just exactly a month ago, and the fall colors were barely showing...now it looks like full-blown winter.
--
Gary
Photo albums:
http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse 
