Mission Peak and Mount Diablo. September 2, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

The story: On this brilliant September morning near a rocky outcrop on the ridge south of Mission Peak, the views above the coastal fog and below the high clouds extended many miles in all directions.
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Morning, Mission Peak Ridge. October 28, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

The story: I often hike to the top of Mission Peak, but recently I have begun taking a detour from the busy main trail and instead following an alternate route that reaches the ridge just south of the peak. On this day I had hoped to arrive by sunrise but didn’t quite make it. However, I was attracted to this post-sunrise light creating a pattern of shadows on a ridge just west of the peak – light that would not have been there at sunrise.
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Oak Grove, Javelina Trail. Calero Park, California. November 25, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

The story: I love the open oak grasslands of central California, especially in winter when the grasses go dormant and the light filters through the leafless trees. I was on the return leg of a loop hike at Calero County Park when I came upon this section of the trail is it climbed around a curve and into this grove of oaks.
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Oak, Valley, and Ridge. Calero Park, California. November 25, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

The story: I was out for a short morning hike at this nearby park when everything came togehter for this shot. Before this moment the light had actually been fairly lifeless but, anticipating that the clouds would break up soon, I had aimed to be on this ridge as the light came through – and this time I was lucky. The spot is actually nothing all that special and you might easily walk right past it on a hike. However, the back light behind the oak created interesting highlights on the grass, there was a beautiful light on the oaks and grass in the valley beyond, and the clouds were just breaking up over the distant ridge.
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