Journeys›Photograph

Watching the Snow Arrive at Donner Lake

·California, United States·#winter#tahoe#snow#landscape#home
A wide lake with rippled water stretches to snow-capped mountains and evergreen forests under a bright blue sky.

Clear morning over Donner Lake, water flat, snow only up on the granite toward the pass. We drove down to Tahoe's west shore for a walk on the cobble beach past the pier — clouds already stacking up over the basin, sun low behind the trees. Tahoe never closes for winter the way the small lakes do; twenty-two miles of it, and even in December the water off the rocks was that deep blue it's famous for.

Then the snow came, the first real dump of the season for us. By the time it eased off, the deck rail carried a clean unbroken ridge of it and the table on the patio had disappeared entirely. Mist lifted off the lake in long sheets against the far shore, and somebody had built a snowman out at the end of a dock, twig arms and all. Season runs December into April up here, so this is just the opening act. At dusk the sky went pink and orange over the ridge, and a car with a roof box picked its way down the slushy lake road below the house.

Bright sun reflects on a lake with distant mountains, a forested shore, a long pier, and a rocky beach.Heavy snow blankets pine trees, a wooden railing, a lake, and distant mountains under a blue, cloudy sky.A snowy deck with a railing overlooks a lake and snow-covered mountains at sunset, framed by pine trees.Snow-covered trees and a wooden deck overlook a lake and mountains, with sunlight peeking through the trees.A snow-covered dock with a snowman faces a misty lake backed by a snowy forest and mountains.Snow-covered pine trees frame a lake reflecting a colorful sunset, with a road and car visible.Snow-covered pine trees frame a lake and mountains under a vibrant pink and orange sunrise sky.Snowy evergreen trees line a calm, reflective lake under a bright blue sky with subtle clouds.

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