Nestled between the picturesque Elliott Bay and the lush foothills of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range, Seattle is an enchanting city that marries natural beauty with cutting-edge technology. As an up-and-coming rival to Silicon Valley, Seattle’s population boom has come with its share of challenges, including traffic congestion, overcrowding, and soaring housing costs. For those seeking respite from the urban sprawl, a mere hour’s drive east on I-90 transports you to the serene beauty of Snoqualmie Pass. It was this tranquility I sought as I embarked on a photography adventure to capture the breathtaking Supermoon Eclipse on September 27th, 2015, at Keechelus Lake.
Taking Exit 52, I found myself enveloped by the majestic Douglas Firs and other evergreens that have earned Washington its license plate moniker, The Evergreen State. As I awaited nightfall, I meandered along the nearby Forest Service roads, which snake their way up the ridges of Mount Hyak and Mount Catherine. My journey took me past the popular ski resort, Summit at Snoqualmie, before gradually descending back into the valley. Finally, I arrived at my destination: the dry lake bed of Keechelus Lake.
With my camera in hand and a sense of anticipation in the air, I set up shop amidst the serene landscape, ready to capture the celestial spectacle of the Supermoon Eclipse. The tranquil setting of Snoqualmie Pass provided the perfect backdrop for this awe-inspiring event, creating a magical experience that I’ll never forget.
Keechelus Lake (/ˈkɛtʃələs/) is a lake and reservoir in Washington state, USA. It is the source of the Yakima River. Keechelus Lake is the western lake of the three large lakes near Interstate 90 and north of the Yakima River in the Cascade Range, the other two being Kachess Lake in the middle and Cle Elum Lake to the east. After crossing nearby Snoqualmie Pass (elevation 3015 ft), Interstate 90 runs along the eastern shoreline of Keechelus Lake.
Keechelus Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, being the source of the Yakima River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.
The lake is used as a storage reservoir for the Yakima Project, an irrigation project run by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Although a natural lake, Keechelus Lake’s capacity and discharge is controlled by Keechelus Dam, a 128-foot (39 m) high earthfill structure built in 1917. As a storage reservoir, Keechelus Lake’s active capacity is 157,900 acre feet (195,000,000 m³).[1]
