After the hike at Chaos Crags, I wanted to catch the sunset at Manzanita Lake. And boy, what a treat. This is the view I had while eating my dinner.
There’s an ethereal beauty attached to long summer days, and it’s a nice sigh of relief to watch the sun go down. And even after the sun set, the beauty continued through the evening. The birds were flying out there to catch their food, while amphibians were croaking. The trees were gently swaying as the wind brushed through. The calm and rhythmic undulating waves lapped at the shore as they all gently bid goodbye to the setting sun and welcomed the coolness of the night.
The walk around the perimeter of the lake is a mostly flat stroll (unpaved) and works well for people of all ages. On my walk, I saw many older couples taking their post-dinner evening stroll while others brought out their camera to capture some of the fantastic views.
Below is a photo from the opposite end of where I started. Lassen Peak is the tallest peak on the right and Chaos Crags is the series of peaks on the left. Though I was hoping for some alpenglow delight, this gentle and delicate purple hue stole the show, as I watched the sky change colors, as if watching a dab of paint move across a watercolor painting.
I can’t say that daytime views are just as rewarding, but maybe in different weather, I’ll see something different. The amazing thing that simply astounded me was that this happens every. single. day, and the colors are never exactly the same.
Manzanita Lake
Length: 1.5 miles RT
Danger: some high winds (rare) and some muddy spots
Happy travels!
Cat
