Sparks Lake Black & White
Sparks Lake, Oregon – August 2010

This idea of actually taking the time to tour the beautiful places we could visit anytime we wanted (but never did) became the theme of a weeklong vacation that took us through the Cascades and up the Oregon coast. And, yes, I had to go on vacation to finally get myself out to this viewpoint, our first stop, 32 miles from my front door.

First Light at Sparks Lake
Sparks Lake, Oregon – August 2010

This is the classic view of Sparks Lake famously documented by Oregon’s late photographer laureate, Ray Atkeson. The trail that leads here now bears his name. At such a commonly photographed site, it takes something really special to set your photograph apart from the hundreds of similar shots on Flickr. I was hoping for a dramatic cloud formation to catch the pastel colors of the rising sun. No such luck. Just another clear blue sky that is typical of Central Oregon’s summers.

Pink Light of Dawn
Sparks Lake, Oregon – August 2010

As I stood watching the southeast face of South Sister turn pink, the distinctive scream of two bald eagles pierced what had been complete silence. Seconds later they came into view. They were looking for breakfast and the shallow waters of Sparks Lake would serve as the buffet line. After five or six splash downs, they each flew away with a fish. I wish Lewis had been there to enjoy the spectacle. He and his mom were back in the camper sleeping.

Early Morning Light
Sparks Lake, Oregon – August 2010

By the time Sparks Lake itself was illuminated, I was no longer alone on the trail. Other campers were starting to get up to enjoy the morning. A deer wandered out into the grass in the middle of the lake to munch on the tiny yellow flowers. Several broods of ducklings were out with their moms for a morning swim.

Darla and Lewis above Sparks Lake
Sparks Lake, Oregon – August 2010

After two and a half hours, I returned to the camper to find Darla and Lewis up and freshly dressed. We took a quick walk back to the viewpoint before heading off to Todd Lake.

next image set: Todd Lake