Sharing a few of my drone photos and a hyperlapse from one of the most unforgettable sunsets I have seen in Bend.
Halloween landed on a Friday this year, and right before sunset, Bend put on a show. Toward the Cascades, one of the wildest lenticular clouds I have ever seen lit up the sky. It looked like a giant glowing stack of pancakes hovering over the mountains.
Of course, I grabbed my drone and sent it up. The photos and hyperlapse are 100% real, not AI or editing tricks. Just a lucky moment when nature lined up the lighting perfectly. Dozens of people around town posted their own shots, and for good reason. You do not see skies like that often.
For anyone wondering what they were looking at, those were altocumulus lenticularis clouds, better known as lenticular clouds. They form when stable, moist air flows over a mountain or ridge, creating standing waves on the downwind side. If the temperature drops enough in one of those wave crests, moisture condenses into these smooth, lens-shaped clouds.
They are a common sight near the Cascades, but the conditions have to be just right, with steady wind, stable air, and just the right amount of moisture. When the sunset hits them at the right angle, they can glow orange, pink, and gold like something out of science fiction.
As if that was not enough, we also had more trick-or-treaters than usual this year. Maybe it was the Friday timing, or maybe those clouds drew everyone outside. Either way, the night had a little extra magic in the air.
