cascade range – Page 2

September 8, 2010January 14, 2013

Mt. Lassen Reflection (Photo of the week)

Mt. Lassen is reflected in Manzanita Lake at sunset, Lassen National Park, California

A couple of weeks ago, I drove up to Lassen National Park for a quick solo overnight backpacking trip. I could tell that wilderness camping in the park was not very common by the raised eyebrows from the ranger when I asked for a permit. “Oh. Did you hear about the weather?” she asked.

Uh oh, I thought. That is never a good sign. She went on to tell me that the temperature was expected to drop by 30 degrees and a thunderstorm was moving in, with rain expected by 11 AM of my first day. I decided to give it a go anyway, and see how bad the weather would get. Before setting up camp at the trail head, I drove north to Manzanita Lake for sunset, where I took this week’s photo.

Luckily, I was blessed with great weather that evening, and had a pleasant hike around the lake capturing different views of the mountain reflected in the deep blue water. Mt. Lassen is probably most photogenic from the north, so this lake is a (very) popular spot for campers. I was happy to see some snow still clinging to the north-facing slopes.

After sunset, I drove south to the trail head, set up camp, and was soon asleep. The rain started at 5 AM and picked up from there. I packed up in the rain, tried to wait out the storm in the car, and finally gave up around 8:30. It turned out to be a good decision, because it rained continuously for the next couple of days. With low, fog-like clouds over much of the landscape, photography was rendered pointless. The handful of photos I took at Manzanita Lake turned out to be the bright spot (literally) of my trip. Overall, the trip was not what I was planning, but it is hard to be disappointed with such a beautiful scene.

August 30, 2010January 14, 2013

Mt. Shasta Sunset (Photo of the week)

Mount Shasta glows in the warm light of sunset, Weed, California

The setting sun casts Mount Shasta in shades of red and purple, Weed, California

This week I chose two photos of Mt. Shasta at sunset on the same day. The first shows more of the landscape surrounding the mountain, while the second just features the peak at the moment of sunset. I usually use the 3:1 aspect ratio when I stitch together multiple shots into a panorama, but sometimes (as is the case here), I crop single shots down to that ratio. In both of these photos, I thought that this aspect ratio created a more pleasing image, rather than showing an uninteresting foreground or a large sky above the mountain.

August 7, 2010January 14, 2013

Sunrise Over Crater Lake (Photo of the week)

The sun peaks over the crater\'s rim, casting Crater Lake in the warm glow of sunrise, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon — The sun peaks over the crater's rim, casting Crater Lake in the warm glow of sunrise, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

On a recent trip to Crater Lake, I lucked out with a morning that wasn’t completely overcast. After shooting sunset the night before, I found myself back at the rim of the crater at 5:15 the next morning, trying to stay warm in sub-freezing temperatures. As soon as the sun’s glow started appearing over the far rim, I knew it would all be worth it.

Although I took many photos that morning, I think the one above is my favorite. The star burst effect on the sun is caused by using a small aperture (f/16 in this case). Below are a few more from that morning.

Light from the rising sun turns a blue sky orange and silhouettes the distant rim, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

August 1, 2010January 14, 2013

Crater Lake National Park

Snow-capped Wizard Island sits in the deep blue waters of Crater Lake

Last month my wife and I got a chance to visit Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. I had been several times before, but never armed with the digital equipment of today. Although I knew there would still be snow in July, I was surprised at how much was still there.

Even in July, snow covers the rim of Crater Lake. Formed in the caldera of an extinct volcano, it is the deepest lake in the United States. This depth accounts for the rich blue color of the water.

Snow was several feet deep in the forest, and drifts up to 10 feet deep still had the eastern rim road closed for the foreseeable future. In fact, it even snowed on us while we were there – something I was certainly not expecting in July. Thankfully I have a sensible wife who had booked us into a cabin – it saved us from camping in the mud between the snow drifts that covered the camp ground! And the snow really does add to the scenery.

The cinder cone of Wizard Island sits just off the rim of Crater Lake.

At night, the temperature dropped below freezing, and the wind picked up. While most sane people were in the lodge enjoying an after dinner drink around the fire, I was standing at the rim freezing while waiting for the sun to set. Luckily I got some nice colors that made the temporary discomfort worthwhile.

The orange hues of sunset light the overcast sky over Wizard Island, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake is most famous for its amazingly deep blue color. This color comes from the clarity of the water (the lake water comes only from rain and snow melt) and depth of the lake (over 1900 feet deep). Blue is the last color of the spectrum to be absorbed as light passes through water. It is this intense blue that is reflected up from the depths of the lake. In fact, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the clearest in the entire world.

Mount Mazama exploded nearly 8,000 years ago, creating an eruption 100 times larger than Mount St. Helens in 1980. The mountain's summit collapsed, forming a caldera 6 miles in diameter. Over time, rain water and snow melt filled the chasm, creating one of the 10 deepest lakes in the world.

It was a great trip, and inspired us to go back for some hiking when there is less snow. It might also be fun to do a multi-day cross-country ski trip around the rim. In spite of the weather (or maybe because of it), it was a pleasure to see Oregon’s only National Park. See the entire Crater Lake National Park gallery.