Desert

Pines and Painted Hills

Accompanied by swarms of hungry mosquitoes, my husband and I hiked up what essentially is a gigantic sand dune of a cinder cone to witness sunrise. With vivid reds and oranges, surrounded by black lava rock and dotted with Jeffrey Pines, the otherworldly Painted Hills in Lassen Volcanic National Park are formed from oxidized volcanic ash, and truly are a work of Mother Nature’s art. I deviated from my usual editing style to bring out the dark shadows and drama of this magical moment.
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CaliforniaLandscapeLassen Volcanic National ParkNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaTelephotoTreesUSAsummer