6 February 2010
I stopped at the north gate entrance of Mt. Diablo State Park to pay the $10 entrance fee. It was almost 4 PM; just about 90 minutes of sunlight remained. "Coming for a short hike?" asked the young ranger as she took my money. "It's like Ireland up there!" Nodding, I said, "That's what attracted me."
Last night it rained. Hard. This morning more rain fell. But in the afternoon it paused. Clouds parted. Blue sky emerged. On the green hillsides sunlight danced and black cows romped in the fresh green grass.
The horse chestnuts are in new leaf. But many trees are still bare. Winter and spring in California are not synchronized. Yes, we are nonconformist.
I hiked a few miles up to the ridge line above Castle Rocks. The trail was sloppy but passable. Other than some cyclists far away on the road, there was no one else around.
As I hiked along the ridge, nice local scenes of rock, grass, and tree complemented the outstanding distant views of Mount Diablo to the east and Castle Rocks to the south and west.
2 comments:
"DiabloFebruary002" (2nd pic) is like a painting. Fantastic shot -- from the trees on the ridge-line in the top left to the shadows in the foreground to the dark hill with its own clouds in the top right! And that young green!
I agree with Charlie. I love the second picture. It is a very romantic landscape with dramatic lighting.
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