One man was driving along Lake Berryessa one Saturday morning when he saw the famous glory hole open up. He decided to stop over and fly his drone over it to capture the breathtaking view which he later edited (he added Highway to Hell by AC/DC as the background music) and posted to YouTube.

The drone did spectacular work. It flew high above the lake and captured the entire view in one panoramic shot. The device also flew real close to the Glory Hole and gave an excellent look of the water as it drained down the spillway. The man also found his way to the Putah Creek and filmed the water as it flowed off the pipe almost sixty-four meters below the lake.

The lake that was named after the first European settlers in the valley is the largest in the county of Napa, California and is among the largest human-made lakes in the world. It is not very wide (only about five kilometres) but has a remarkable length of nearly twenty-five kilometres (15.5 miles).

The artificial lake is well-known for its seventy-two-feet wide spillway, otherwise known as the Glory Hole. When there are heavy rains, and the lake starts flooding, the glory hole opens up and drains water seven hundred below to the Putah Creek. Following the prolonged drought that had been in California, the gap had not opened since 2006. That is probably why the man (YouTube video was posted under one Evan K) was utterly mesmerised when he witnessed it opening for the first time in ten years, and could not help himself but stop and power his drone to capture the fantastic footage from above.

Lake Berryessa is built on the Berryessa valley which was once one of the country’s most productive agricultural sectors. The nearby town, Monticello, was abandoned to create the Monticello Dam. After gold was discovered nearby, there was a sudden population increase and the need for water resulted in Lake Berryessa and the Monticello Dam.

The lake also serves as an excellent source of recreation for those interested in the sporting activities. When it is not swelled up, and the Glory Hole is not open, people are allowed to go swimming. Other sports that take place include jet skiing, canoeing, pleasure boating, water skiing, kayaking, motorcycle pleasure biking and road bicycling. The lake is also ideal for fishing, wildlife observation and one might find a good spot to picnic.

Talking about picnics, the lake has seen its fair share of death. In 1969, a murder at the lakeside put Lake Berryessa on the media limelight after a couple that picnicking there was tied up and repeatedly stabbed by a serial killer. The man pretended to be an escaped convict and told them that he needed their money and car to get to Mexico. He then tied them up, stabbed them and run away to call the police and report his latest murders. The girl died, but the young man survived to tell the horrific tale.

Generally, Lake Berryessa is a fantastic place to be, especially when the glory hole opens. It makes one of the most amazing sights, especially when seen from an aerial view. It is however advised not to fly a drone too close unless you are a professional, as Evan K warns in his AC DC video.