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.
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Wow! What a beautiful gallery. This is a great place to see and experience.
Thanks, Egidio! I'm lucky it's close to where I live.
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.
Thanks, Tina! I'm glad you enjoyed the scenic drive here. 🙂
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.
This is so amazingly beautiful 🙂
Thanks, Hammad! 😁
Superb photos. I'm pretty certain your backyard is the envy of the world. And that includes me.
Thanks! We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place. 😄
We've never taken that drive, but have enjoyed much of scenic Oregon. Just beautiful.
I hope you get a chance to see it someday, Anne!
What a beautiful area. Your photos really sell it.
Thanks, Rebecca! It's a special place. 🙂
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.
Thanks, Sofia! I'm glad you liked how I included a map.
What a grand place to travel to, loved the snow covered mountains. for unknown reason my favorite image was Blow Lake, Oregon
Thanks, Ritva! Blow Lake is off the beaten path and it's a peaceful place to hike to.
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. 😁