Cool
First Snow
Pulled into the parking lot just below the dam. This is the first time I’ve ever stopped on that side of Caples Lake. You can see how high the water line is on the rocks across the lake. Hopefully the first snow of the season will bring more for the coming winter. Until then, the snow provided an additional element to this cold & misty fall afternoon.
Mist Rising on Caples Lake
Rainy weather in Tahoe, changed up the plans for the past weekend. Instead of staying in Tahoe and being cooped up in the house while it rained, we packed up and headed home. I typically drive along HWY 88 back to the Bay Area. Just as I came across Caples Lake I noticed the mist rising on the lake. I had to stop and take a few photos.
Granite Pegmatites
Walked across this ridge and it was loaded with quartz crystals. You can see the faint veins of white running through the granite. When I got back, I searched the web for “red granite with crystals” and this is what I learned.
What is Pegmatite?
Pegmatites are extreme igneous rocks that form during the final stage of a magma’s crystallization. They are extreme because they contain exceptionally large crystals and they sometimes contain minerals that are rarely found in other types of rocks.
To be called a “pegmatite,” a rock should be composed almost entirely of crystals that are at least one centimeter in diameter. The name “pegmatite” has nothing to do with the mineral composition of the rock.
Most pegmatites have a composition that is similar to granite with abundant quartz, feldspar and mica. These are sometimes called “granite pegmatites” to indicate their mineralogical composition.
Odd Trees by the Lake
If you’ve visited this blog a few times, you’ll see that I have a fondness for trees and lakes. I have even more fondness for odd trees by a lake shore 😉
What Happened Here?
On the west shore of Scotts Lake there were these tree stumps. Only a few of the trees are cut but the rest of them look as if they were broken off. The lines on the trunks are watermarks from the lake. What happened here?!?
Stump
I thought this old stump was really cool. It looks as if it wants to say something… or tell a story
Trees at Scotts Lake
I’m not sure of the history at Scotts Lake but there were several downed trees all along the shoreline. In a normal water year, I suspect that the tree stumps are submerged and provide the fish and other wildlife in the lake some shelter.
Spring Runoff
We walked around Crater Lake and found this waterfall of Spring runoff.
Storm and Light
Taken from the top of Tallac a morning storm front moved in over Fallen Leaf Lake. It was fun watching the storm and the light play out over South Lake Tahoe.
Good Morning Lake Tahoe
This photo was taken around 6:09 AM, we reached the summit and the view was stunning of Lake Tahoe.
Snapshots by Kats 