Still Sunrise on Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay, North Lake Tahoe, California, USA

Protected by mountains, the waters of Emerald Bay are calm, unlike the wind whipped waves on the open lake behind it. These still waters perfectly reflect the luminous clouds painted pink by the pre-dawn sun.

High in the Sierra Mountains, with surrounding ten thousand foot high peaks Lake Tahoe was reformed by glaciers during the Ice Age more than a million years ago. It is the second deepest lake in North America at over sixteen hundred feet; it is also one of the clearest lakes in the world, seventy feet of deep blue clarity.

Heavy snow encircles the lake on this cold morning and covers Fannette Island. Fannette Island is the only island in Lake Tahoe and is home to the Tea House, erected in 1929 along with a Scandinavian castle at the head of the bay. It remains a beautiful sight in the lake and is a popular tourist destination, often accessed by boat.