HDR Photography
Our stay at Mohonk Mountain House last fall produced so many images I loved. I posted the first of them last October, and today (more than a year later) I post the last. This nook between glacial cliffs is simultaneously private and yet offers an exceptional view of the lake and Skytop perched on the cliff in the distance. This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon reading a book.
In the cracks between the glacier-carved cliffs above Lake Mohonk, hidden platforms make the perfect spot to read a good book on a truly relaxing afternoon.
A clifftop view of Mohonk Mountain House’s swimming hole shows the impact of last summer’s drought: sections of beach that would be deep underwater are instead showing green sprouts of grasses. Even with that minor asterisk, the setting is idyllic and captures the late-summer pleasures of a little escape well.
From one Mohonk framing to another, we arrive one of Mohonk’s signature gazebos (but during the day this time.) After a gentle hike, a charming view is a perfect way to cap off the summer season.
A quiet morning between father and son, fishing from a rowboat on a placid mountain lake: does it get more classically summer than this?
Mohonk’s gazebos are iconic, but in my childhood, they vanished into the woods as night fell. The addition of strings of lights to them means that they stand out more without the sunlight.
Warm, welcoming, and… monolithic? Though Mohonk is a huge, castle-esque structure, the hotel nonetheless feels deeply cozy in the evening. Perhaps it’s the sense of life about it. Zoom all the way in and people are visible, enjoying the warm air on the many balconies.
A human-made building-cliff faces a glacier-made cliff; when the sun sets, one glows and the other reflects the light.
All of the little details of place—the railings and paths, the docks and balconies—stand out in the blue hour. There’s a cozy contrast between the warm lights of Mohonk Mountain House and the cooler colors of the little gazebo atop at rock staring back at the hotel.
A cliff face may not seem the optimal spot for a tree, but there will always be specimens that go against the grain. (I couldn’t help myself.) The lights of the granary barbecue across the lake almost makes me think that this particular tree is pining (again, I’m sorry) to pick up its roots and go join the party.
Is there any better place to settle in and watch the sunset than a cozy gazebo atop a cliff overlooking Mohonk Mountain House?
A big dramatic sunset sky and lake reflections provide great context to the wall of stone that is both Mohonk Mountain House itself, as well as the cliffs on which it rests.
The two people looking over the idyllic setting of Mohonk Mountain House from a clifftop gazebo makes this an official entrant in my “the view and the viewer” (alongside this one, this one, probably this one, and definitely this one.)
Much like another shot from Mohonk that I recently shared, the constructed-yet-natural space of Mohonk Mountain House makes finding these kinds of framed images a treat.
Thanks to the local students working summer jobs who make relaxing afternoons possible.
Decaseconds 