Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Granodiorite

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Tunneling Back to Jurassic Times

A Mystery Tunnel to where?

When I was a child, learning of a secret was always very exciting and I have never outgrown that thrill. One of the things I love most when I am out photo-exploring is being drawn to look beyond what I might be focusing on. I believe at times like this a secret is about to be revealed, if I stop and take notice. This was certainly the experience on a mild winter day in February when I was venturing toward the Singatse Ridge, west of Yerington, Nevada.

I had stopped to photograph an unusual outcropping of rocks that reminded me of a Dimetrodon, the dinosaur with the large sail and elongated spines on its back.

Just as I was returning to my car, in the distance I saw what appeared to be the opening to a large cave.

However, when I walked closer to the opening, I realized it was a not a cave but a tunnel cut through the base of the mountain.

Entering the opening, I reflected on what it must have taken to tunnel out this 40 foot long, 10 foot diameter space through the massive rocks. There was no evidence of signs or markings about this tunnel, just present day graffiti. The tunnel was wide enough for a car or small truck but I saw no evidence of any road.

Since the settlers moved in, this area known as the Yerington district has been a rich source of copper mining and I began to think that the tunnel had been constructed for usage with the mining or some type of flood control.

An interesting granodiorite boulder, an intrusive igneous rock produced from lava flows lies toward the south entrance of the tunnel.

Walking through the north end of the tunnel, what came to view was an intriguing outcropping of tan colored rocks. These artistic creations of nature must have been emplaced from the Jurassic era and were just amazing. A feeling of antiquity came over me as my eyes gazed at the lines and cracks etched by nature over eons of time.

A family of raptors have been taking advantage of the overhangs and depressions in the rocks as was visible by their numerous white droppings.

The white paste that oozed out from the rock's edges took on interesting artistic shapes and designs.

Lichens on a granodiorite bolder facing north create an array of abstract designs with the colors of the rock.

As I turned to go back through the tunnel, I noticed a sediment line in the bank rising up to the east. Could this layer have been deposited from ancient Lake Lahontan during the Pleistocene epoch?

To some, the desert may seem harsh and inhabitable, but the feeling of mystery is what draws me and when I walk quietly, the desert's secrets are often revealed. Standing and quietly watching, I began to see shapes in the rocks and then the slightest breeze lingers on my face as if the ancients are letting me know they are welcoming me to this mysterious area.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Weather Tales of an Alpine Lake

THE FACES OF LAKE TAHOE

A photography venture along the 72-mile rim of Lake Tahoe reveals a lake with many faces and varying moods, transitioning from a calm spring morning to the tumultuous fury of a sudden storm and then back to a serene stillness as dusk descends.

On a sunny, placid April morning, the photo shoot begins at the Vista Point on the West Summit of Mt Rose. Standing at 8,900 feet, the high panoramic view showcases Lake Tahoe with the Carson Range to the east and the Sierra Nevada Range on the west.

Vista Point View

To catch the early morning reflections, the next stop is Sand Harbor, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, off Highway 28. An intimate cove gives a quiet retreat with subtle pastel colors, inviting one to stay a while and commune with nature. Along the beach, the fine sand is composed of feldspar and quartz particles which was created by wave and weathering action against the granodiorite boulders.

Sand Harbor

Looking to the north, quiescence lies over the Lake allowing reflections of the snow capped Sierras to mimic a mirror image in the crystalline waters.

Sand Harbor Reflections

At mid-morning the drive takes me south along Highway 28 to the glacier carved turquoise Emerald Bay. Granite peaks, accented with tall pines and spruce, tell of a by-gone era when the landscape was sculpted by ice reaching the shoreline. Within Emerald Bay, Fannett Island stands 150 feet above the water and is a remnant of the glacier action that created the bay.

Emerald Bay

Across the highway from Emerald Bay a trail ascends one third mile along snow covered banks to the cascading stream at Eagle Falls which flows sixty feet down, emptying into the lower falls.

Eagle Falls

During a break for lunch the winds increase from the south with storm clouds riding their cusp. The Lake’s gentle face has turned malevolent from the storm’s fury. Staying ahead of the storm, I travel to the North Shore where the wind driven waves crest toward the rocky shoreline at King’s Beach State Recreation Area.

Kings Beach

At a higher elevation past Tahoe City the temperature continues to drop turning rain into snow and creating a winter wonderland with the landscape at Sugar Pine State Park.

Sugar Pine

By late afternoon as I return to the Nevada side of the loop, the storm has traversed the Lake, draping the rain-laden sky on the North Shore with battle gray clouds just as a golden ray of sun breaks through, illuminating the lake below.

Lake Tahoe

As evening descends, calmness is restored, bringing me to my final destination, a return to Vista Point. The sun’s final curtain warms the horizon as the stillness of day’s finale settles over the Lake.

Vista Point Sunset