Even though the lakes in the top half of the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
were still buried in snow, we decided to drive the west part of the loop on our way south from Bend. There was still
four or five feet of snow around Mt. Bachelor and covering Sparks Lake. That took care of any hope of reflections.
We finally found open water when we reached Elk Lake. It was a gorgeous day, and there was almost no wind.
We checked out the Elk Lake Resort as a possible place
to get the family together. It looks like they have 4 new A-frame cabins overlooking the lake. They look very nice and this is a beautiful area.
We discovered one of the best dispersed camping sites I have ever seen. As we passed Lava Lake, I looked over and
saw a fifth-wheel trailer on a peninsula separating two lakes. We turned on
to an unmarked road and drove in to check it out. These campers
had the whole area to themselves with a lake on each side
of the trailer. They had a perfect view of sunrise and sunset
reflections. It couldn't have been any better.
Our next stop was Watson Falls along the Umpqua
River. We arrived in the late afternoon, so
the sun was working it's way around the sky
to light the falls and the stream below it.
Watson Falls drops 238 feet over a basaltic
cliff, but it was the stream pouring over
the moss-covered rocks that drew our attention.
The slow shutter speeds and the bright green
moss were a great contrast.
From Watson Falls, we were off to Toketee Falls. The hike to Toketee Falls is only a half mile up and over a ridge to the viewing platform.
This is a waterfall best shot in the fog. We had strong afternoon light on half the scene and deep shade on the other.
That changed the composition of the image and pushed the waterfall to one side. We're going to try to shoot here again at the end of the trip
and see if we can get more even light.
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| Cascade Below Watson Falls | Toketee Falls |
We managed to get back to the motorhome just before dark. We even got the Explorer unloaded in preparation for the back window hinges being replaced tomorrow morning. After 12 years, my Explorer is beginning to show its age. I've already replaced three electric door locks, and now I have to replace the back window hinges.
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