Secret camping spot in Tahoe National Forest

In September we took our kids to our "secret camping spot" in the Tahoe National Forest. Julie and I have been going there for more than 20 years, and both kids camped there before they could walk. We've returned many times over the years, usually with other families. It was a joy this time to see six teenagers laughing and playing in the same hidden alpine lake they've been visiting their whole lives. One of those teenagers turns 18 today. Happy birthday son!

I took this image from our campsite at night. It's a 20 second exposure with the camera on a tripod. The clouding in the stars is the Milky Way, and the bright light in the bottom right is from cars on nearby Interstate 80 and from Truckee, 30 miles away.