Paul Orzel photography

From our afternoon visit to the Ruby Mountains of Nevada we journeyed to the small town of Winnemucca. Here a deep history involving Spanish sheep herders going back to the mid 19^th century can be found. After checking into a modest motel, our tastebuds and bellies were overjoyed with the family style Basque dinner at The Martin Hotel that evening. Corn chowder began this incredible meal, followed by salad, hominy, lamb chops, and more. Burgundy wine flowed, as did smiles and laughter. What an amazing treat following a magical day. 

After leaving Winnemucca we were bound for the southern part of the Cascades in California. Camping at the North Shore Campground was a treat. This beautiful place on a lake has a timeless feel. It was clean, quaint, and oh so perfect. We found our site, grilled some brats, met our neighbors, and walked by the lake that evening. The next morning would be our first ever visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

At Lassen we were surprised to find the amount of snow and ice in Lassen that was on the ground. Closed trails and high walls of snow in some areas seemed out of place in July. We hiked, drove, hiked some more, and learned much at the visitor center. Where we found water, it flowed fast, hard, and beautifully due to the crazy amount of snow melt feeding the creeks and rivers. It was a fantastic day. In particular our hike at Kings Creek Falls was a highlight and something I recommend to anyone visiting this National Park.

On our return trip to the campground (remember, we were driving through the Cascade Range) I watched the setting sun and rapidly changing light. My eyes scanned for possible photographs and once the sun dropped just below the horizon I found what I sought. A quick turn onto a small gravel area off the main road and few furious moments found me with the Actus up and ready.

Each moment I worked the sky became deeper blue accented with a beautiful pink band near the horizon. The far-off mountain tops took on the blue tone of the sky as well. Tall grasses in front of me held a wee bit of light at this late hour. I chose an exposure which would render the trees as silhouettes and bring out the depth of color and beauty in the sky behind them. A bit of forward tilt on the camera helped get my focus plane aligned the way I wanted it. an ND grad. filter balanced my overall dynamic range. My Mamiya 645 35mm f2.8 lens provided the angle of view I found most pleasing.

We always seem to pull into our campground well after dark when we travel like this. While our camping neighbors appear to have been busy making dinner and starting their campfires from much earlier, we were eking every moment out of the day, even past sunset. Sometimes this is bittersweet because we also love spending family time around a fire. But heck, we can do that anyplace, including our own backyard. These were the mighty Cascades! Enough said.