Beaming to be at Skylight Cave - a photo on Flickriver

            I have been wanting to go to this cave for a long time, but I have never got the chance.  Ok, the cave can be a little hard to find, but it's not all that far, and too tough to get to.  However, it's about 2 hours to get here and there is not really that much cave to see.  So, every time we talk about going here, the idea dies because it's just too far for such a small site.  

Well, the wife and kids are out of town this week, and I know the dog and I can visit two locations (Dee Wright and Skylight) alone that the family has never really wanted to go to.  So it's the dog and I cuddling up in the car overnight again for a milky way image.  More on that later. 
 Anything for a photo.  

This cave is a very unique cave.  The beams are shy and require a very set of circumstances to appear.  

First, you need to be there alone, or at least get people out of your frame.  I know everyone wants to add romance by thinking this is a secret cave.  Nope. The fact is, it's a tourist attraction.  I took a day off of work because I have heard this place can get some crowds.  Great plan right?  Nope.  Fail.     All of the magic ingredients were right, but the people of Oregon knew that too and it was crowded.  I got lucky though and the all the visitors were very respectful of each other, we all made a great team to be sure to get the images we wanted.  

Second, you need Summer Solstice.  The actual skylights are surrounded by trees, so you need a sun high, and at the right angle to actually shine down into the cave.  that only happens for about three months of the year.  Turns out the cave is closed all the other months because it is a bat condo during that time of year. 

Third, the shy beams only come out for about three hours a day, between 9 and 11, generally.  For me that meant leaving the house at about 5am.  I needed extra time because many have a hard time finding the cave.  

Fourth, you need a cloudless sky to get the sunshine.  Marry all those together and that becomes a very, very narrow window of opportunity. 

Turns out everything worked out. 
I did loads of research on getting to the cave.  The OHV trails to the site were not that bad, I saw one guy there in a minivan.  Google maps was actually not too wrong this time (a Miricale). The day was bright, no clouds, and late June was just right.  I got there at 8am, way too early, but at least I got to scout the area before the narrow photo window.  I was worried that the crowds could be an issue.  After all, I had planned to kick up some dust from the cave floor to make the beams stronger.  I was worried that this might bug others.  Well, self correcting problem, the floor was mud, no dust to be had.  I did not need dust, you see those beams?  

The main trouble with the shoot itinerary was shooting skylight in the morning and Dee Wright at night, meant there was a lot of time to kill in between.  The dog did not mind.  He got lots of time playing in the Deschutes River.  
   
Let me know what you think.

Taken in: United States / Oregon / Black Butte Ranch (show map)

Taken on: June 23, 2022

Tags:

cave

beams

nature

oregon

bend

sisters

tripod

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Sets appears in: • Caves

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