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Archive 2021 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

agvogel
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

Weekend backpacking trip near Mammoth Lakes. Entered Deer Lakes TH, over Duck Pass to Duck Lake, and then out the Duck Pass TH.

I got a couple keepers of the lake near sunset and right after sunrise the next morning, but my main reason to carry my setup was for engagement photos (see photo #3). Why pay someone else?

Saturday PM

Sunday AM

The question!

Aug 02, 2021 at 12:35 PM

dakel
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

Well done mate. The photos look great. And congratulations!

Aug 02, 2021 at 01:14 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

Duck Lake is a lovely little place, and the views down toward Mammoth from the pass can be spectacular.

I have a long story about that place involving leaving my party a few days into a 14-day backpack trip due to illness, a thunderstorm, a very special photograph... and a lot more too lengthy to share here. :-)

Aug 02, 2021 at 01:44 PM

junglialoh
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

beautiful scenic image collection

Aug 02, 2021 at 01:49 PM

agvogel
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

gdanmitchell wrote:
Duck Lake is a lovely little place, and the views down toward Mammoth from the pass can be spectacular.

I have a long story about that place involving leaving my party a few days into a 14-day backpack trip due to illness, a thunderstorm, a very special photograph... and a lot more too lengthy to share here. :-)

Totally agree. One thing that was strange to me is that it appears the bank of the lake along the northwest edge is artificial - lined with pretty uniform rocks and boulders. Wonder if the Forest Service decided to shore up the bank against flooding or what, but haven't been able to find any information about it.

Aug 02, 2021 at 03:38 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

agvogel wrote:
One thing that was strange to me is that it appears the bank of the lake along the northwest edge is artificial - lined with pretty uniform rocks and boulders. Wonder if the Forest Service decided to shore up the bank against flooding or what, but haven't been able to find any information about it.

I don't remember that. (Probably because I was too busy putting on rain gear and a pack cover... and worrying about lightning strikes!)

Do you have a photo?

Sometimes the winter freezing of these lakes can create something like what I think you are describing. It seems unlikely that the forest service would have built up the edge of that particular lake. Quite a few Sierra Lakes have been modified, for example with small dams that may raise the water lever, but more likely on the east side where the lakes are part of the water system. (See lakes east of the crest along Tioga Road, for example.)

Dan

Aug 03, 2021 at 06:19 PM

agvogel
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

gdanmitchell wrote:
I don't remember that. (Probably because I was too busy putting on rain gear and a pack cover... and worrying about lightning strikes!)

Do you have a photo?

Sometimes the winter freezing of these lakes can create something like what I think you are describing. It seems unlikely that the forest service would have built up the edge of that particular lake. Quite a few Sierra Lakes have been modified, for example with small dams that may raise the water lever, but more likely on the east side where the lakes are part of the water system. (See lakes east of the...Show more →

This is the best I could find in my catalog that shows the shoreline. You can see the line of rocks extending into the background. Compared to all the other lakes in the area (Deer Lakes, Barney, Skelton, etc) just struck me as strange!

Austin

Aug 03, 2021 at 06:28 PM

DanielJStein
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

So cute, congrats to all and this shoot looked like a blast! It is hard to beat the backdrop of the Sierra, especially when you have an Aussie!

Aug 04, 2021 at 07:32 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

agvogel wrote:
This is the best I could find in my catalog that shows the shoreline. You can see the line of rocks extending into the background. Compared to all the other lakes in the area (Deer Lakes, Barney, Skelton, etc) just struck me as strange!

I'm virtually certain — as certain as I can be — that this is a natural feature. My guess as a non-geologist but lifelong Sierra person is that the underlying material is something like a glacial moraine, and that it has been covered by soil away from the lake and exposed at its edge.

There are quite a few Sierra lakes with such rocks at their shorelines. (They make fine spots to sit and eat lunch... :-) )

(Plus, moving those boulders into place would be a pretty tough task without heavy equipment!)

Dan

Aug 04, 2021 at 09:53 AM

agvogel
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

gdanmitchell wrote:
I'm virtually certain — as certain as I can be — that this is a natural feature. My guess as a non-geologist but lifelong Sierra person is that the underlying material is something like a glacial moraine, and that it has been covered by soil away from the lake and exposed at its edge.

There are quite a few Sierra lakes with such rocks at their shorelines. (They make fine spots to sit and eat lunch... :-) )

(Plus, moving those boulders into place would be a pretty tough task without heavy equipment!)

Dan

This is fascinating. Thanks for the replies!

Aug 04, 2021 at 10:42 AM

Brad Williams
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Duck Lake, Sierra Nevada

Nice photos and congratulations on the engagement!

Aug 04, 2021 at 12:39 PM


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