I'm fortunate to live in a place where I have access to a large variety of landscapes within just an hour or two driving time from my home. I can see Mount Shasta from my living room window and, if I drive around and just south of the mountain, I arrive at the McCloud River, in California. This past June I spent a couple days there with some of my family, and was able to find a bit of time to photograph the waterfalls and rock formations there. The most spectacular waterfall is the middle falls. During the day there are usually a number of people basking on rocks at the base of the falls, with a few hardy souls taking the plunge into the cold pool at the base of the falls. Returning early in the morning allowed me to have the place to myself:
Middle Falls, McCloud River
Here is another photo, of just a portion of the falls:
Middle Falls, McCloud River
The lower falls have a very different character, and the pool below the falls is much harder to access. It is favored by fishermen, some of who manage to be around in the early hours - I think there was one just outside the picture on this particular day!
Lower Falls, McCloud River
At the top of the lower falls are some wonderful potholes worn into the basalt rock. I had photographed them during a previous trip, but I could not resist trying some slightly different compositions this time around:
McCloud River Potholes 2
McCloud River Potholes 3
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