Mossbrae Falls is a series of waterfalls along the upper Sacramento River within the city limits of Dunsmuir, CA. The waterfalls extend approximately 175 ft (53 m) along the river, fed by springs located along the 50 ft (15 m) high riverbank. The name “Mossbrae” refers to the abundant moss on the riverbank, and “brae”, which is an Irish and Scottish word for a steep hillside or bank. Access to the falls requires hiking approximately one mile along the Union Pacific railroad tracks, which is currently prohibited. The City of Dunsmuir has been working for several years to create an additional access to these gorgeous falls, but the project is still not complete.
I created this image several years ago, when access to the falls was not officially restricted, and I was living an hour away in Redding, CA. I made several trips to this location. On this particular day, I decided to hone in on a small section of the falls. Due to the limitations of the 12MP Nikon D3 I was shooting with, I shot a panorama using five frames in a portrait orientation. I used a 1.5-second shutter speed to create a blur in the water. I used a polarizer but no other filter. Despite the tranquil feel of this image, the experience of being there is quite different; the falls are quite loud, and the trains slowly passing by, 50 ft or so behind my shooting position, are barely audible above the din of the flowing water. Nevertheless, it is marvellous to experience the verdant beauty of this location, especially on a hot summer day.
