Nature

Backyard Byway: LAPC

On my backyard byway,

I paddle past active volcanoes

South Sister from Hosmer Lake

Reflected in alpine lakes

Mt. Bachelor from Little Lava Lake

I stomp along trails with my snowshoes

Swampy Lakes Sno-Park

and watch skiers carve their signatures across hillsides

Mt. Bachelor

I drive past ridges reaching for roads

Todd Ridge

and hike to places of reflection

Blow Lake, Oregon

I see water levels fluctuate in reservoirs

Wickiup Reservoir

and the rebirth of forests after fire

Cedar Creek Fire

On my backyard byway,

I watch foliage explode with color

Fall foliage

and wild ones along the byway watching me

Great blue heron

I took the photos on this post on the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway in Central Oregon. This 66-mile long road snakes its way past majestic volcanic peaks and numerous alpine lakes.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Your Journey

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SoyBend

Centered in Bend, Oregon, my blog branches out into nature, history, and art-related topics.

View Comments

  • We've done the drive with some friends who lived in Oregon for several years. It's astoundingly beautiful out there - lucky you!! Your images tell a wonderful story.

  • A story well told in both words and photos! I'd love to travel that road - so many lovely photo ops and a tranquility to savour! Thank you for taking us along!

    • Thanks, Ann-Christine! It's a lovely drive. Sorry I didn't post your comment sooner. My dog had major surgery yesterday and I'm distracted. It went well and we will bring her home today.

  • Superb photos. I'm pretty certain your backyard is the envy of the world. And that includes me.

  • Wonderful place and thank you so much for the map - I love that kind of thing - and it really helped with a sense of scale.

  • What a grand place to travel to, loved the snow covered mountains. for unknown reason my favorite image was Blow Lake, Oregon

  • Siobhan, I'm going to have to add that byway to my list. We traveled the North Cascades Scenic Byway in Washington state. I understand these are two different views of the Cascade Range. Thanks for the enlightenment.

    • Thanks, John! I used to drive the North Cascades Highway every September on the way to our camping spot. Both highways are beautiful and fun to drive. 😁

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