Pinnacles

Today's blip is a dramatic departure from anything I have done thus far. This is due, in part, to the conditions taking this photography, and my quest to do something different. I'm not sure that I accomplished my goal.

This morning started out with moderate temperatures, perfectly blue skies without a cloud in sight. I quickly got up, loaded up my camera and monopod and headed up into the mountains.

About an hour away is a beautiful little area called the Gold Lakes District. Not a lot of people know about it, but it is beautiful. There are a number of lakes in the area, a waterfall and some spectacular geologic features. I was hoping to photograph some lovely reflections in the lakes.

I first headed for Frasier Falls. After a very nice short hike to the falls, I was a little disappointed because of the limited water in the falls. It was also in the shadows. I next headed for the Gold Lakes Basin area a few miles up the road. The first lake I stopped at was Gold Lake. It was becoming increasingly cloudy and getting colder. And the high winds made taking photographs nearly impossible. After trying both sides of the lake, I headed down the road to Salmon Lake. It was less windy, but swarming with people, boats and biting flies. I did get a few nice shots, but I still wasn't satisfied.

I continued my drive towards Sierra Buttes, an beautiful series of pinnacles carved by glaciers. But as I drove, the high winds returned. After finding a good place to park the car, I suited up with parka, gloves and hat, loaded up my equipment and started hiking. After about 20 minutes, I realized that the I couldn't battle the wind anymore. Every shot showed vibration and blur. I gave up, went back to the car, and headed down the road, feeling like I had wasted the day. As I drove around a corner, I was surprised with a stunning vista of the Buttes from another angle. And there was a "scenic vista" parking lot as well. Even though it still was windy and cold, I got my equipment out, braced myself and the monopod against the car and started shooting. (Just a side note - yes, I finally ordered a tripod. It should be here next week).

All of a sudden, I heard a screech and crash to my right. A man on a motorcycle had tried to take the curve too quickly, skidded on the gravel and crashed within 10 feet of me! I quickly put the camera in the car, rushed over to him to see if he was hurt. He was already up and trying to pull his motorcycle up. He said he was fine and seemed more concerned about his bike. I helped him get his bike up (a brand new Ducati), and handed him my extra bottle of water. I then noticed blood trickling down his arm. While he was wearing padded motorcycle leathers, he had ripped one sleeve. When he took the jacket off, we could see that he had several superficial abrasions, but no apparent broken bones. I offered to take him down the hill to the hospital, but he said he didn't want to leave his bike. Thankfully, not to long after this happened, a man and woman in a pickup truck stopped. The man happened to be a paramedic. He looked at the injury and also offered to take him to the hospital. So, the four of us hefted his motorcycle into the back of the pickup truck, then the three of them headed down the hill to the hospital. I left as well.

Even though it wasn't a very successful day at photography, I enjoyed a quiet dinner at a good restaurant in Truckee, then drove home.

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend.

Thank you all so much for your wonderfully encouraging comments, stars and hearts for yesterday's sunset!