Journeys›Photograph

Late May Stillness at Donner Lake

·Truckee, California·#spring#sierra nevada#reflections#cabin#alpine-lake
Snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees reflect perfectly in a calm lake under a clear blue sky.

Walked down to Donner Lake this morning and found it flat, no wind at all, the whole surface holding the snow line upside down. Late May and the peaks above the west end are still white most of the way down, though the shore itself was warm enough for shirtsleeves.

Two paddleboarders were out near the west shore, barely making a wake. Otherwise nothing moving on almost three square miles of water. Standing on the public beach you could see straight to the bottom for a long way out — rocks scattered on the lakebed, then the blue going darker where it drops off toward the middle.

On the way back up, one of the cabins above the shore had its yellow deck umbrella open, first one I've noticed this season.

Calm lake reflecting snow-capped mountains and green trees under a blue sky, with two people paddleboarding.Calm lake with a visible bottom reflecting snow-capped mountains and pine forests under a clear blue sky.Snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees reflect in a still blue lake under a clear sky, with the lakebed visible below.A calm lake reflects snow-capped mountains covered in evergreen trees under a clear blue sky.Still lake reflects a dense pine forest under a clear blue sky, with rocks visible on the lake bottom.Clear lake reflecting snow-capped mountains and evergreen forest, with visible rocks and pebbles on the lakebed.A red house with a green roof and an orange umbrella is surrounded by pine trees and power lines under a blue sky.A brown cabin-style house with a green roof, a deck, and an orange umbrella, surrounded by green trees.

More Entries