Views From the Ridge

Went for a walk this morning. It was unusually warm. I have doctors orders to exercise more, at least 45 minutes a day so I went and did that. The air was warm enough to only need a wool shirt and a down vest over it. There was black ice and snow standing in the shade in front of many houses. I'm glad I don't live down that street. It does have magnificent views of both the Sutter Buttes in the West and the Sierra Buttes in the Northeast. Due north are a few thousand square miles of trees and bits of the various Gold Mine Diggins poking out here and there on the ridgelines, looking like snow.

The Local View to the North

Yes, That's SNOW to the West, in the Coast Ranges.

The Sutter Buttes, viewed down the mountain on a warm spring day.

This is thumb width in the original under max zoom.

The Sierra Buttes are the northernmost extent of the Sierras. They get snow most of the year and with the skies so clear you can REALLY see them. Unfortunately, my little camera was uncooperative. I'll take the better one and a tripod to nail that shot. You have to wind through canyons to the north, then climb up the canyon into the high country before you can actually reach the Sierra Buttes and Sardine Lakes nestled in them. Its all carved by glaciers, which is painfully obvious when you're standing next to them. Its very cool though. In the winter its great for snow shoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. In the summer people mountain bike, hike, fish, and picnic around there.

This was with an older digital camera (1.0 MP). See how the sky is washed out into white, yet the reflection clearly shows the blue? Its a shame because the shallows on the left are only barely visible as a faint green. I find reflective semi-transparent surfaces like lakes to be very interesting how they affect light. I plan to visit that place again, this summer. Take the better camera with me, take the tripod and get some really good pictures.

Typical Fishing Day

Sardine Lake is about 90 minutes drive up Highway 49 from here, but you can see the Buttes from many of the local ridges. With views of places like these, you can see why I like this place. That and the lack of serious violence, of course. This is why my parents retired up here. Now, if I could just find a job.