Sunday, September 25, 2011

Photo of the Week #21 – The Naked Pine, Lake Tahoe, California


The Naked Pine as I’ve dubbed this photo is centered on a single branchless, needle-less pine overlooking the mouth of Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe. This photo dates back to June of 2006 when a group of my former in-laws (I call them my out-laws) and friends all met at Lake Tahoe to celebrate the 80th birthday of the matriarch of the clan, known by most as BJ. BJ is my former mother-in-law and one of my longest standing, best friends.

The photo was obviously taken from an elevated vantage point with the lake several hundred feet below us. This was my first (and to date, my only) visit to Lake Tahoe with the snow capped mountains around it and beautiful forests, waterfalls and natural beauty in every direction. I was very impressed by how large the lake is. For some reason, I wasn’t expecting it to be as large as it is at 6,225 feet above sea level and covering 191 square miles, surrounded by several mountains that exceed 10,000 feet above sea level. The lake’s basin was formed by a series of faults well over a million years ago and was shaped during the Ice Age at least a million years ago. It is the second deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,645 feet next to Crater Lake in Oregon. It’s also the 16th deepest lake in the world. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect, but as usual, Mother Nature knocked my socks off. Bottom line, I enjoyed the experience – family, friends and the natural wonders of nature. As one Arnold Schwarzeneggar said in The Terminator, “I’ll be back!”

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