Mountain Reflections
by Robert Bales
Title
Mountain Reflections
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
We had a family camp out near Anthony Lake which is above 7000 feet and this beautiful alpine lake was only a very short hike form our camp site. This was taken in the early morning light on our first day at the lake.
Just as beautiful, but more accessible than the more famous Wallowa Mountains nearby, the Elkhorn Range boasts craggy granite peaks and high alpine lakes surrounded by wildflowers. A paved road climbs to a lovely campground and picnic area beside 7,140-foot-high Anthony Lake. From here hikers can stroll around the lake in half an hour or tackle a more demanding 8.2-mile loop around Gunsight Mountain.
A little history on how it was formed. The Blue Mountain range began as a volcanic island archipelago in the Pacific Ocean 210 to 270 million years ago. The Earth's crustal movement "rafted" this volcanic and sedimentary debris onto the advancing North American continent about 200 million years ago. Later bubbles of relatively light granite rose through the sediment to form the core of the range. This granite has since been exposed by erosion.
A glacier scoured out Anthony Lake's granite basin from the crest of the Elkhorn Range relatively recently, during the Ice Age 6,000-20,000 years ago. Today there are no glaciers in Eastern Oregon. Instead, subalpine firs and wildflower meadows ring the lake. Still, exposed patches of granite often exhibit "glacial polish," shiny surfaces where the weight of grinding ice has polished the rock as smoothly as a granite tombstone.
Gunsight Mountain lies in the northern Elkhorn Mountains of Oregon, and is one of the more easily accessible peaks in this range. Gunsight Mountain has two summits, the eastern one being the highest at 8342 feet. Gunsight Mountain is accessed most easily from Anthony Lake. An ascent via the west ridge is a steep, but fun class 3 scramble. The south ridge is a class 2 scramble, and is not as steep. Round trip distance up the west ridge and down the south ridge is about 3 miles, and takes three to four hours. The views of the surrounding lakes and peaks of the Northern Elkhorns are excellent, and on a clear day can range from the Wallowas in the east to the Ochocos in the west.
Gunsight Mountain is part of the backdrop for the Anthony Lakes ski area, which is known for having the highest base elevation in Oregon, and excellent powder skiing with minimal crowds.
Uploaded
October 12th, 2013
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Comments (32)
Marvin Blaine
Powerful reflections on the mountains and trees off the lake Robert! Exceptional Capture! L/F!
Sarah Ainsworth
Wonderful image, Robert! Found from the Shadows, Silhouettes, and Reflections Group. L
Jan Mulherin
Congratulations!! This beautiful image has been selected to be featured for the week in the “Shadow Silhouettes and Reflections Outdoors” Group Home Page. You are welcome to add a preview of this featured image to the group’s discussion post titled “2019 April: Stunning Group Featured Images and Thank-you’s” for a permanent display within the group, to share this achievement with others. You are also welcome to share your featured image on our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247552766180931/ Thank you for your participation in the group! (April 26, 2019)
Angela Stanton
Gorgeous! Looks very similar to the lakes and mountains I found in Edmonton on my recent trip. Gorgeous reflection. v/f
Penny Meyers
Wow, absolutely stunning, Robert!!! Perfectly composed, with wonderful light and reflection!! f/v
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks Penny for the great comments and the v/f!!
Joyce Dickens
Impeccable photography Robert; I love this lovely scene - well done - promoted on Twitter :-)
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks Joyce for the nice comments and the promotion!!
Melanie Lankford Photography
This is so spectacular, Robert! v/f/t/g+/pinned
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks Melanie for the review and the v/f/tp!!
Nadine and Bob Johnston
Thank You for Submitting your Artwork.... Liked the subject, description, technique, composition, and color... So this week it was Published in the Internet publication ARTISTS NEWS.... YOU or Friends Can use Ctl-C to copy the link: http://paper.li/f-1343723559 and Ctl-V to put it into your the Browser Address bar, to view the publication. Then, Tweet, FB, and email, etc a copy of the publication, to just anyone you feel would be interested. Happy Promoting! :-)
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks for the great promotion tool!!
Sharon Cummings
Perfect reflection work!
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks Sharon for the comments!!
Ellen Lacey
What a lovely capture!
Robert Bales replied:
Finally at our winter home in Yuma and back on- line. Thanks so much Ellen for the nice comments!!
Sandi OReilly
Robert, this is really stunning!! Fantastic mirror reflection and excellent comp, well done, f/v/P
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Sandi for the great review on the reflection and the f/v/p!! Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.
Amber Stanford
amazing! v
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks for the vote Amber!! Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.
Anne Barberi
The reflections here are awesome!! Voted
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks for the vote Anne!1 Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.
Kandy Hurley
Fantastic image!..v/f
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Kandy for the f/v!! Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.
Deborah Benoit
Gorgeous image and reflections!! v
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Deborah for the nice comments on the reflections and the vote!! Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.
Olahs Photography
Gorgeous place and captured so beautifully Robert!! F/V
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Olah for the f/v and the wonderful comments!! Off line for several days as we go to AZ. house for the winter.