The Lady Of The Lake
by Mitch Shindelbower
Title
The Lady Of The Lake
Artist
Mitch Shindelbower
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Lady Of The Lake.
Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe
Cave Rock is 75 feet of solid stone at the southern end of Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, and is the throat of an extinct volcano. Tahoe Tessie, the lake's version of the Loch Ness monster, is reputed to live in a cavern below the impressive outcropping.
This large rock formation is located on the southeastern shore and is easily visible from almost any point on the lake. Once a part of the neck of a volcanic vent that existed on the site about five million years ago, Cave Rock is now named for the caves high up on its side. When Lake Tahoe was first formed, roughly three million years ago, lake level was initially hundreds of feet higher than it is now. Remarkably, these caves were carved out of the rock by wave action of the lake over tens of thousands of years during that period.
For the Washoe Indians, this area is a sacred burial site. Cave Rock towers over a parking lot, a lakefront picnic ground, and a boat launch. The views are some of the best on the lake. Cave Rock is still considered today a sacred site to the Washoe Indians whose ancestors spent their summers at Lake Tahoe and once performed religious ceremonies inside the largest of the caves. Much to the dismay of the Washoe tribe the first tunnel for Highway 50 was blasted through the rock in 1931. Prior to 1931 the original single lane roadway went around the outside of the rock. The stone foundation for the road, laid at great expense in 1865, is still easily visible clinging to the side of the rock. The second, easternmost tunnel was added in 1957.
Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe
Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe
Today the largest cave is used as a base for rock climbers to scale the face of the rock, still causing great consternation in the Native American community. Occasionally climbers can be seen from the lake dangling from lines above the cave.
One of the reasons the Washoe considered Cave Rock sacred was what they called "The Lady of the Lake". The "Lady" appears in the rock formation as the profile of a woman's face gazing out toward the lake from just below the old highway foundation. She is best viewed by boat from north of the rock, close in to shore and in the morning or early afternoon hours.
Uploaded
November 3rd, 2012
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Viewed 6,152 Times - Last Visitor from Beverly Hills, CA on 03/19/2024 at 2:15 AM
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Comments (18)
Donna Kennedy
Congratulations Mitch! Your fabulous image has been Featured in our Group Nevada Scenery-Wildlife-Nature! Also added my vote :)
Bill Robinson
Wonderful land form and capture Mitch. Appreciate the description and being able to understand more about it too!
Joyce Dickens
Mitch I love this beautiful capture; so well done - congratulations on your sale! Joyce
Irina Sztukowski
Congratulations on your sale Mitch! Lovely piece of art :0). Cheers! Irina Sztukowski
Pamela Patch
Beautiful scene Mitch, I love the small bits of autumn color, very interesting and informative description. f/v
Mitch Shindelbower replied:
Thank you very much for the comments and support Pamela very much appreciated !