Journeys›Photograph

A Weekend of Sun and Fog at Donner Lake

·Truckee, California, United States·#sierra nevada#autumn#truckee#fog#donner lake
Tall pine trees frame a lake with distant mountains, a red car, and a winding road in the bright sun.

This was a quiet weekend at home in Truckee back in mid-November 2016. Saturday was a pretty classic, clear autumn day around Donner Lake, which ended with a nice, warm-colored sunset over the ridge.

The next morning was a complete surprise. I woke up to the whole area socked in with thick valley fog. Down at the shore, the sun was just a pale glow trying to break through the mist that was sitting right on top of the water.

I went for a walk through the trees as the sun got higher. For about an hour, the light was incredible, with these sharp rays cutting through the fog between the tall pines. Everything was still and cold.

By mid-morning, the sun won out and burned off all the fog. It cleared out completely, leaving behind a perfectly calm lake under a clear blue sky. A few clouds lingered on the mountains in the distance, but it turned into a beautiful, crisp day.

Silhouetted pine trees frame a sunset over a dark mountain and lake, with orange, pink, and blue clouds.A bright sun is visible through dense fog, silhouetting a line of trees above dark ground.Foggy forest with tall dark trees silhouetted against a bright sky, sunlight beaming through the mist.Sunbeams pierce through a dense, misty pine forest, highlighting a winding dirt path.Dense pine forest with bright sunbeams cutting through mist, illuminating trees against a clear blue sky.A wide lake with a rocky shore, evergreen mountains, and distant snow-capped peaks with low fog under a clear blue sky.A calm lake reflects blue sky, surrounded by tree-covered mountains, some with snow and low-lying fog.Panoramic view of a lake with sun reflection, forested mountains, distant fog over water, and a rocky shore.

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