I was disappointed. After waiting 5 years after the devastating fires of 2020, the forest service road to one of my favorite spots had finally reopened. But after traveling through eight miles of the burned-to-ash forest the last 2 miles were blocked by a washout that cut across the already barely passible road. Undeterred, I spent a couple hours throwing rocks into the four foot deep gully until I’d put enough material into the bottom to get my SUV over the gap. I was rewarded with this night time view.

The moon is still lighting up Mt. Jefferson’s west face, adding an ethereal warmth as it settles toward the horizon. A time-lapse video I took this night shows the mountain disappearing into the darkness as the moon crossed over the horizon and its light no longer graced the mountain.