Categories: CalifornialandscapenatureNevadaNorthern CaliforniaTopaz LakeUSA

Topaz Lake Sunrise

Spinning Top, originally uploaded by Jeff Sullivan (actually indoors for a couple of da.

Topaz Lake is one of those places that I rarely plan on being at when the light is best, but I often find myself there anyway as I make my way between Tahoe, Mono Lake, and Monitor and Ebbetts passes.

On this morning I was there in time to watch a nicely shaped Sierra Wave lenticular cloud gradually light up from orange to pink to white, and I stayed long enough to watch the warm morning sunlight slide down the foothills to the lake.

The only thing I regretted was not carrying my fishing rods down to the lake, as there were large trout feeding, taunting me just within casting distance. The lake straddles the California Nevada border, and although I was standing in Nevada facing California, I later determined that my California fishing license would have enabled me to take a few casts. Oh well, the fish will only be bigger when I return!

Jeff Sullivan

Jeff Sullivan leads landscape photography workshops in national parks and public lands throughout California and the American West.

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View Comments

G Dan Mitchell says:

June 9, 2010 at 8:53 pm

Wow! What a great stack of lenticular clouds - and a wonderful photograph of the phenomenon.
Jeff says:

June 9, 2010 at 9:18 pm

Thanks Dan, As I was deciding whether or not to go shoot, I was afraid that the generally clear and "boring" blue sky would challenge me to produce anything really interesting, but it's a good thing I kept an open mind and got up to shoot anyway!