Solitary Cliffside Tree

Horizontal orientation. Canvas prints are available with optional barnwood or hardwood floating frames hand-crafted by the photographer, making a truly unique and one-of-a-kind piece of art. Please see images for details.

Dierkes Lake, near Shoshone Falls a few miles east of Twin Falls, is a popular recreation area and often a bustling, noisy public park. However, I tend to explore places in early dawn and so I arrive before sunrise when there is no one around. There is a loop trail around the lake that many trail runners and others use for exercise, and in early August 2026 I walked this loop looking for unique views and lighting as the sun rose through the haze from many wildfires around our area. To the naked eye, the sun and moon both appeared completely red, although they rarely appear that way in photos. As I reached the highest point along the trail, I stepped away from the lake loop trail to get a view of the Snake River Canyon where it approaches Shoshone Falls. The Canyon walls are steep along this part of the river, making a beautiful view. As the sun rose this cliffside tree caught my attention, and I was able to set up my camera and tripod where the sun was just partially visible along the edge of the cliff, creating a small sun-star and lighting the scene beautifully. This tree seemed to exemplify the epitome of resilience and strength, growing out of the basalt where it seems nothing should be able to grow!