The deep blue…

The deep blue…

by | Mar 3, 2013 | Lakes, Legends and Folklore, Locations, Mountains, National Parks, Photography

crater lake, wizard island, oregon, national park, sunset, cloud, reflection

Sunset on Wizard Island, Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake is an amazing and beautiful place. I have visited the lake many times and even camped there a few times. But, I had never been in winter, until the other day. Wow! I was aware that the road is usually plowed and that the park is open year-round, but had never made the trek up there in the snow. And, speaking of snow, there is a lot of it! The walls on the side of the road left by the plows were an average of six to eight feet high. In some places, well over ten feet. I never imagined it would be so deep. What a monumental task it must be just to keep the access road open. And I’m so glad they do. There are a limited number of places on the rim to view the lake when the snow is so deep, but the visitor center offers snowshoe rentals for those who are more adventurous.

If you have never visited Crater Lake, I highly recommend it. Formed in the crater left by the explosion of an ancient volcano, the lake is renowned for the deep blue color of the water. With an average depth of over 1000 feet and a maximum depth of nearly 2000 feet, it is one of the deepest lakes in the western hemisphere. It is a place of beauty and mystery, with many stories and legends, such as this one. It is ironic that Crater Lake was discovered accidentally by those searching for treasure, since it is a treasure unto itself.

crater lake, oregon, panorama, national park, winter, reflection

Deep Blue Crater

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Evening Peace at Crater Lake

It was a great day and well worth the drive. I think I found Zen, again.

 

Mother Nature is more creative than I am

Mother Nature is more creative than I am

by | Nov 30, 2012 | Locations, Mountains, Photography, Siskiyou County

shasta, clouds, lenticular, pink, sunset, mountain, california

Beautiful Turbulence

Often times, I find that my best images come out of an intention to shoot something else entirely. Tuesday was one of those days. For nearly a year now, I have envisioned a shot of Mount Shasta at sunset, reflected in Lake Siskiyou, with the full moon rising over the mountain. I have decided on the location, but the shot I envision requires all the elements to come together at the right time and place. There is only one day each month when the moonrise coincides with the sunset. On top of that, there are only two or three months out of the year when the position of the rising moon makes it possible to capture it in the same frame with the mountain and the lake. What that amounts to, is only 2 or 3 days per year when the shot I envision is possible. Add to that, the uncertainty of the weather in this area and it may be a long time before I actually get that shot I dream about.

This past Tuesday, all the elements were in place, so I tried again. But, there was a big storm heading in from the Pacific and the moon was not to be seen for the clouds. Then again, maybe Mother Nature knows better than I do what makes a beautiful image. So I let go of my intentions and instead, gratefully accepted what I was offered. And now I am not even a little bit disappointed that the moon did not make an appearance. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying for the shot I dream about, though…..

shasta, clouds, lenticular, pink, sunset, mountain, california, storm

…Before the Storm

Mountain, shasta, sun, sunset, lenticular, clouds, california

Fire on the Mountain

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