Capturing the Light Beams of Skylight Cave

Skylight cave is one of many caves in Central Oregon. It is near the town of Sisters and next to Mt Washington Wilderness. The cave features 3 skylights next to eachother that produce beams of light during the morning. I explored the cave at the right time to view and capture these photogenic light beams.
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[@Lowellian1]

Fantastic! Another Matt Cook video!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Pam!

[@discover-montenegro]

Lovely vid again, you background information is so detailed 🤗👍, Those lightings beams always make for stunning pictures, well done and thank you for sharing 😍🤗💚

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you very much. I try to provide some informational value to go with the eye candy.

[@skyblue-lb9kr]

Absolutely mesmerizing! love!!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you sky!

[@bryanwiedeman3154]

Matt chilling in Enterprise Oregon …Great shows

[@MattCookOregon]

Enterprise! Hope you went to terminal gravity. Coolest outdoor brewery space in the state.

[@VAROOMS4]

Thanks for the video. It brought back memories of visiting it several decades ago. And your time lapse of the light shafts was icing on the cake.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks! Caves don't change much over the years and that is comforting to me.

[@VAROOMS4]

@@MattCookOregon I agree. The chance of falling rock is geologically remote. Whereas man made mines are dicey at best.

[@johnmcnulty4425]

This is great! Nice getaway after a long day..

[@MattCookOregon]

We all think of rivers and lakes to escape the heat but caves are where its really cool!

[@Oregontrailblazin]

Ahsoka says not a chance dad ! xoxoxox this !!!!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks! She is defiantly not a cave or climbing kind of dog.

[@MrBeer503]

Such a cool location! Thanks for sharing.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you very much!

[@robbergstrom943]

Beautiful work Matt. I love the shots you got and the time lapse videos really capture the ephemeral beauty of the beams.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Rob! I really like ones that take a special effort to get there or time the lighting. Makes for a more fun adventure. Thielsen video coming next week.

[@Karlacook89]

Hey, Matt 👋 You could be the voice of one of my favorite shows "I shouldn't be alive" I like your professionalism in your videos. Sister checking in 😊 Hope you have a blessed month.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks as always sis. Hope to see you at Christmas with the new baby.

[@Mssashakc]

@@MattCookOregon What new baby? 😂✨️✨️

[@MattCookOregon]

@@Mssashakc I meant mine.

[@JungleJayAdventures]

Very nice, some excellent visuals! Seems like a good place for the early indigenous people to shelter up in. The ceiling looked almost as if it was engineered. Thanks for showing us!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Jay. Indigenous refrigerators! Ya never know some dude could have done some weird stuff with dynamite.

[@carolbalingit]

Fantastic 😱👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 all i can say this is totally amazing and beautiful place.. thanks for sharing

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you very much! I really like sights that you have to go at the right time for. Makes a fun adventure.

[@aimeesygney6515]

I visited this cave last summer! The road out there was pretty rough but my Honda made it through okay. Definitely would go out there again with a higher clearance vehicle.

[@MattCookOregon]

Nice. It is definitely a rougher road. Lots of caves there to see I could keep doing cave videos for sure.

[@melissabeyer7826]

I was hiking at Blue Pool this week and ran into a guy who was talking about the Sawyer (Sky Light) Ice Cave. How crazy that you did a video this week on that same place. Your pictures and video were fantastic as always.

[@MattCookOregon]

Awesome. Though Sawyer is another cave with skylights kind of nearby. I did a video on it long ago, you can see how bad my videos used to be! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZi7gmmcq9WdbNE

[@melissabeyer7826]

Thanks for the clarification. We just started following you last month so we aren’t caught up yet. But I will make sure and watch that old video soon.

[@MrHugemoth]

While flying my ultralight I spotted a large skylight hole in a lava tube cave a couple miles off Fredrick Butte Rd. I marked the location on the GPS and hiked to it. There is no trail or road or any signs of anyone being out there for a long long time and it is not on any map. There was a homemade lodgepole ladder down to the cave floor but it was very old and unsafe. While sitting around the hole, discussing ways to get down, my daughter wandered around and found another hidden entrance. Far back in the cave we found a name and date of 1928 written with a charred stick on the cave wall. Interesting place. Also off Fredric Butte Road flying the ultralight I found the remains of an old still, likely from prohibition times, hidden back in some rocks. Hiked out there and found barrel hoops, tools, tubs, and various other artifacts.

[@MattCookOregon]

Drone scouting is awesome. I use mine to find Christmas trees. Sounds like a nice find. Also sounds very similar to this cave?

[@brookeshaffer4377]

Really interesting and nice work Matt🌟

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Brooke! Another one coming up.

[@lastdaysdreamer]

Great pics and nice video. Thanks. I love caves!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Pam. Me too! I always say if I run out of video ideas I will just go hit up another cave. I was thinking South Ice cave next.

[@lastdaysdreamer]

@@MattCookOregon I look forward to the video.

[@lynnnorthrup8914]

Awesome presentation! Video and photography were outstanding. Wonderful presentation! 🙂

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Lynn. I didn't believe the photos til I visited at the right time.

[@darnold87]

Great video Matt. That's one of my favorite caves. Found it on accident about 15 years ago. Awesome skylights with the light beams!!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. Wow that would be a cool thing to stumble upon.

[@antonioloredo8800]

Cool video, been there couple times and soon I'll be there one more time. Thanks for all that work on your videos Matt, amazing!

[@MattCookOregon]

Nice! Don't fly the drone through the skylight they always crash haha.

[@elflordsjourneys]

Great shots.😀

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks!

[@AdventuresPNW]

So cool! I've read about this but have never seen it. Thanks for sharing. The time lapse was particularly awesome.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you! Go while you can it might close for winter soon.

[@AdventuresPNW]

@@MattCookOregon Oh, that's good to know! Thanks.

[@MattCookOregon]

@@AdventuresPNW Or maybe it was closed for bats. That would be sooner like end of sept.

[@andrewtoddmedia]

Nice one Matt! Thanks for sharing the info about white-nose syndrome. It's a nasty disease. The cave looks amazing! Definitely added it to my Central Oregon list for the summer.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. It is an important thing for our caves. Also gross that the stuff stays on your clothes even after a wash. So many caves to cover I will have to think of another for this year. Maybe South Ice cave? I like that one.

[@andrewtoddmedia]

@@MattCookOregon I can't remember. Have you done Ape Cave or the Lava Tube cave near Sunriver?

[@MattCookOregon]

@@andrewtoddmedia Never been to ape cave! I did a full length documentary on Newberry which includes lava river cave.

[@andrewtoddmedia]

@@MattCookOregon wanna team up for Ape Cave? I've been meaning to go back to make a video from there. I've got the Newberry vid in my Watch Later. Will check it out!

[@MattCookOregon]

@@andrewtoddmedia I just looked it up. Washington?! Are you trying to get me killed?

[@TheWorldAccordingtoJim]

What a fantastic video! I appreciate this wonderful video.. Unfortunately several of our caves here in Central Oregon have been vandalized with graffiti. I'm saddened to see several closed after years of being able to explore them. The natural wonders of Oregon need to be preserved for future explorers.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. That is a tough balance, letting people enjoy them and protecting them. Secret tiny cameras maybe?

[@Itsfish20]

Man I love your videos, I am so jealous that you get to live somewhere worth exploring! Illinois is so boring

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. It is very nice here. I am still finding new things somehow too.

[@ArielleViking]

Such a beautiful cave and a wonderful and educational narration about caves formation and protection of its wildlife. ❤️

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you! I continue to try and add more and more educational value to the videos.

[@keithbrown2049]

That was so cool with the thunder I appreciate how well you explain the formation of the cave and the pictures look fantastic .

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Keith. I think I keep doing the same explanation in a few cave videos so I got it down. Thunder was cool but then all those fires started!

[@WinterMan.]

3:39 that's a great picture

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks! If you send me an email I can send the full copy for a screen saver or to be printed. [e-mail]

[@mackleswimbaits]

What's up buddy, I met you in the cave that day - excellent content, keep it up

[@MattCookOregon]

Hey that was a nice meeting. I didn't realize I had met a famous fisherman!

[@Off_the_beaten_path]

Dude FANTASTIC video! I think this is one of my favorites. The cinematography is on point and the drone shot coming down towards the entrance was amazing!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks. You said that last time! Is a good sign that they keep getting better then.

[@northcoastoutdoorchannel]

Really enjoyed your cave adventure. I love all of the information you share, I was not aware of the disease spread from clothing! Those were some cool shots, really liked your still of the skylights! Those beam shots were incredible!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. Yeah that disease is pretty crazy. Hard to clean off completely too we just try out best. All kinds of people might be walking around with that fungus!

[@toandfro2377]

5:07 is an angry monster

[@MattCookOregon]

Glad someone else noticed! Wish I got a pic of it for better quality.

[@conniewojahn6445]

Thank you for explaining about the fungus and issues surrounding visitors. I'd guess most people don't realize they're causing problems simply by being there. Great photos! Well done.

[@MattCookOregon]

As a species we are terribly destructive and that probably wont stop. Got to try our best to save things at least a bit.

[@jerryscheneman1693]

Very nice video. Whereabouts is this place if you don’t mind me asking

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. It is between Mt Washington and Black Butte.

[@amnonsuodai9145]

Great video.PLEASE MR Matt.ANSWER IT FOR ME. WHICH MONTH you shot the light beams. at the cave.!!! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm from NYC. I like to photograph this cave what time in morning it was ( 11 AM TO 1 PM like Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona,) Thank you again for your answer and help. Amnon.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you very much. This was late July around 9am. Hopefully you have a good trip to Oregon. I have a lot more videos with other places to adventure to.

[@wayfairing_soul]

What's the best time of the year to visit?

[@MattCookOregon]

All are good. Winter and some of spring the road is too snowy for most.

[@wayfairing_soul]

@@MattCookOregon thanks! My wife has always wanted to visit a cave and this seems like a good one that is accessible.

[@rhifunke6664]

I’m from Tucson AZ and currently living in Salem Oregon. I’ve been struggling this winter with the lack of sunlight here. I’m hoping that exploring will get me out of this mopey rut !

[@MattCookOregon]

You will have to get used to some rain for sure. Good thing is you can get hiking trails to yourself if the weather isn't ideal to most.

[@sharonwhiteley6510]

Outstanding. I hope your dog had a sitter while you were exploring

[@MattCookOregon]

My wife is a decent dog sitter : )

[@plantingseedsproductions4195]

Wow! Nicely done. Great way to capture your exploration.

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. I am very comfortable doing my own thing.

[@BackpackingWithJason]

Really really cool 👍🏻👍🏻

[@MattCookOregon]

Thanks Jason!

[@somethingonyt3668]

Ayy I’ve been there irl

[@MattCookOregon]

Wish I could say the same. This was all disney marvel cgi.

[@somethingonyt3668]

@@MattCookOregon oh well go sometime it’s cool

[@xanaxsnax]

I am really enjoying your videos and I was hoping you could help me with something. At 0:35 if you pause there is a green circle in the mid left corner. I see this often on maps but I can’t figure out what it is. I was wondering if you knew? Thanks!

[@MattCookOregon]

Thank you. I have looked into that before. Maybe a video would be good? It doesent have much shape to it, not a crater or anything. It sticks out to the eye mostly because of the trees, part was clearcut making it look more dramatic on satellite maps.