I have plotted picture taking spots in numerous locations on maps, and I have been disappointed many times. Sometimes there’s no path through a section of dense woods, other times, where I wanted to go would only be accessible by a transport I didn’t have. More and more I find some areas are just forbidden, either by signs, or fences, or “I wonder what the hell that thing is, but it doesn’t look safe!” I’m not one to let a little thing like a sign stop me from snapping a picture of a breathtaking view, but I’m not foolish either. If the sign read “rattlesnake breeding area” I would retreat and regroup.
I have frequented Marsh Creek State Park many times over the past years because it is close to my home, it’s well kept, clean, and friendly. There are many parts of the lake that are not visible from the main boat launch areas, and one area in particular that had peaked my interest. A park official explained to me that last winter Marsh Creek’s volume was decreased by six feet because Hurricane Sandy,as a preventative measure against flooding. I didn’t quite fully understand the complexities of water table maintenance for the tri state area, but I nodded politely. The notion of being able to control the amount of water in this lake led me to the conclusion that there must be a dam somewhere, and it was probably in the one place I had never seen directly. This thought, buried in the back of my brain for months, rushed forward a few weeks ago when I was viewing the lake from an elevated position that I had never seen it from before. I spied the dam!
Arriving atop the dam a week or so later yielded the view you see here. Of course this area was no well kept secret from anyone except me; there were plenty of hikers, canoers, and bikers already there.
Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 30mm f/16 ISO 100 9 image HDR