Tequila Sunset on Eagle Lake
by Mike Lee
Title
Tequila Sunset on Eagle Lake
Artist
Mike Lee
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photography
Description
I captured the frames for this large 4 to 1 panoramic image of Eagle Lake from about the 7000 foot elevation on Fredonyer Peak in Lassen County, California, USA. At this level I was about 1000 vertical feet below the lookout that sits atop the peak and looks out over this, the northern end of the lake. It was about 15 minutes before the official sunset time and just a couple minutes before the sun became fully obscured by the layer of low smoke from the Dixie Fire burning in the distance. Smoke in the air has become a bit of our own “new normal” in the wooded parts of California the last few years and, while I could certainly do without the destruction the fires cause, the smoke can have some striking effects on light and in the layers it can create in a landscape. Indeed the tones on this late afternoon reminded me of that classic cocktail, the Tequila Sunrise, hence the image title.
Eagle Lake sits at a surface elevation of just over 5,000 feet above sea level. It is among the largest natural lakes in California with a catchment area of some 21,500 acres. It is home to a trophy strain of rainbow trout that anglers often travel great distances to catch. It also supports many species of water fowl as well as raptors including bald eagles and osprey. I consider it my “home” lake as I’ve spent a great deal of time there and made many wonderful memories from fishing with my son or friends to just getting in a few hours of solitude. While the water levels have certainly dropped a great deal in the recent years of drought, it is still quite a large body of water as I hope this image conveys.
Uploaded
September 13th, 2021
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