SURPRISE POWER

July 3rd 2025 and I’m fishing on a lake off the Cascade Lakes Highway in my new pontoon boat, which has changed my life, but that is besides the point. The forecast had called for 20%-30% chance of showers, no thunderstorms. Evening was coming on and dark clouds began to build to the southwest, incredibly dark clouds. The clouds started to unload lightning, a ton of lightning. I thought, this will dissipate and continued to fish. The clouds and lightning did the opposite, they increased in power and size.

Two other fly fishers paddled their kayaks by me and said, ‘it’s time to go, I don’t want to be that guy!’ I agreed and rowed my way back to the boat launch. Loaded my boat quickly and started the drive back home. As I drove, gigantic rain drops began to fall and the clouds were incredible shapes in every direction. I kept thinking, there is no way this is happening, the forecast didn’t call for it, there won’t be an epic sunset; I was saying this to myself because I didn’t have my camera gear or a plan.

As I driving I was talking with my friend who was in Bend and she said ‘this looks like it’s going to be an incredible sunset.’ My heart was pounding, I must get home and shoot this!

I arrive home and the sunset colors had started to form. I raced upstairs, got my drone, put a new battery in and launched it from deck. My house, has ok views, but not the best. The drone would give me a hopeful opportunity to create the view to see this powerful happening.

I flew my drone and shot video. I wanted to capture movement because the lightning was crazy, the clouds were crazy, the colors were crazy. The entire time I was shooting video I kept thinking, ‘get a photo Pete, you have stop shooting video and get a photo of this!’

I shot this one photo.

I kept the photo uncropped because it is the only way to show the scale of what happened.