Fallen Leaf Lake

Fallen Leaf Lake in El Dorado County. Neighbor to the more well known - Lake Tahoe, as seen in the distance. A sunrise I would have to wake up at 3:30am to see.

I first discovered this spot from a market coordinator that I work with. He was kind enough to show me photos and tell me exactly how to get there. It faces east, so it would be a sunrise shot, and for those, I normally like to scope it out in the daytime before I try to take the photo. Map out exactly how long I would have to hike for, and where I would want to shoot it from. I want to know precisely what time to wake up, and where I am going to shoot it from to make sure I'm not fumbling around in the dark trying to find the best viewpoint. So a couple weeks before, I made the trek out there to see what kind of a hike it would be. It was about a mile from the parking area, so not too bad at all, and the view was amazing. I couldn't believe it took me this long to come here.

For the next several weeks, I was constantly checking the forecast and cloud conditions in the area to see when I could make my first attempt. Once the heavy snow started to come, I wouldn't be able to make the drive up there, so if I didn't get it soon, I would have to wait till spring. 

The day had come, clouds were in the forecast and they were expected to light up. I woke up at 3:30, made my coffee, and hit the road hoping to get the shot before the storms came. Those early morning drives up the mountains in the dark are some of my favorite. Hardly anyone is on the road, and the drive is so calm and peaceful. I got there about an hour before sunrise, put my headlamp on, grabbed my gear and began my hike in the dark. I reached the viewpoint without any trouble, setup my tripod up and waited for the sun to rise. I could already see some pink to my right, so I knew my chances were good. As the sun continued to rise, the sky became filled with more and more color, and to my relief, I had my shot. Yellows and oranges, a little light coming through on the mountains, it was beautiful. I could leave with a little less stress knowing that this one was done before winter.