Cascades
Featuring the highest elevations in the state, the majestic Oregon Cascades stretch over 250 miles from the Columbia River Gorge in the north to the California border in the south. Mount Hood stands as the tallest point of the range at 11,239 feet. The region offers a wide variety of forested hills and alpine summits but is a region where volcanic peaks are king. The region is also teeming with abundant wildlife, tranquil streams, spectacular waterfalls, and crisp lakes.
The Ariel chairlift of the Mt. Ashland Ski Resort sits idle in the summer breeze as Mount McLaughlin (9495' / 2894m) the tallest peak in Southern Oregon dominates the horizon. Mount Ashland is an amazing place. Somewhat easily accessible by car/foot in the summer, it is only accessible by this chairlift during the winter. Location: Mount Ashland
Mount Thielsen is known as the lightning rod of the Cascades. Elidgely, it receives more annual lightning strikes than any other peak in the Cascades. I cannot confirm this, however, it is an absolutely spectacular and majestic peak. Location: Central Oregon
A National Park Ranger once told me that Crater Lake has two seasons, winter and August. This is one of the truest statements I have ever heard about the park. Summer days in the park are often warm, sometimes downright hot. While the nights can be cool and crisp. Before you can enjoy the night, there are epic sunsets to behold. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
The shores of Agency Lake provided a fantastic viewpoint to watch a fast-moving thunderstorm travel north along the crest of the Southern Oregon Cascades in August 2022. As bats flew overhead feasting on summer insects, lighting illuminated the basin. Location: Chiloquin, Oregon
A single bolt of lighting illuminates the Southern Oregon Cascades as the sky is filled with rain on the right and fire smoke on the left. Location: Chase Mountain, Oregon
In the middle of the 2022 fire season portions of Northern California were burning to the ground. One of these locations was in the view of this fire lookout tower in southern Klamath County. (glow seen in the lower left) . Now occupied by cameras and computers, this tower once housed a couple of full-time scouts that scanned the Southern Oregon Cascades for new and fresh hotspots. Today, the tower automatically scans for new fires but still stands tall 6000 feet over the landscape. On this night, I was just outside of the river of smoke to see witness the lit tower, fire, and Milky Way. Location: Chase Mountain, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, I found myself on the rim of the Crater Lake caldera for a potential night of aurora activity. As I was waiting for the Northern Lights to kick off I set up at Discovery Point to calibrate the camera system. Then all of a sudden, a massive shooting star or possibly even a piece of space junk entered the atmosphere and illuminated the dark sky. I feel fortunate to have been able to witness such a mystical occurrence and just as fortunate to have my camera open and capturing an image as it streaked across the sky. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
One of my all time favorite images and best sellers is "Whitebark and the Wizard." It is an amazing piece but, I never liked how faded the galactic core appeared. For several years, I planned to recreate the image. I patiently waited for the right time of year - to position the Milky Way just right. With just the perfect amount of moonlight to illuminate the foreground, whitebark tree, and Wizard Island. It all came together when a beam of headlights kicked off from Discovery Point to add a little something extra to the capture. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
The stars shine bright over the Southern Oregon Cascades and Upper Klamath Lake as the glow from the lights of Klamath Falls illuminates the clouds. Location: Rocky Point, Oregon
Sunsets in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon rarely dissapoint. On this warm July night, the sky lit up with dramatic pink hues and reflected in the waters of Lava Lake. In the distance South Sister Mountain (on the left) and Broken Top Mountain (on the right) peak above the forest.
This lone doe surprised me on my way back to camp at Lava Lake Resort in July 2022. I had just photographed an amazing sunset over the lake when this young lady popped her head up right in front of me. I had the opportunity to watch her for a moment. She stayed in place just long enough for me to compose this shot and catch her chomping on some fresh dinner greens.
Nestled along the North Umpqua Highway in the Central Oregon Cascades, Whitehorse Falls drops just 14 feet on the Clearwater River. Location: Whitehorse Falls, Oregon
A strong thunderstorm passed over the Southern Oregon Cascade Mountains in the early morning hours of a cool night in June 2015. This storm had 3000+ lightning strikes in the area producing several small wildfires. This strike was captured at about 4:00 AM local time from the west side of the Crater Lake Rim looking toward the Rogue Valley.
