Autumn in California

We do not take a trip; a trip takes us.

John Steinbeck

It has been just over a year since we moved to California and it has been interesting to watch the seasons pass.  Some say that California doesn’t have seasons, but it does – they’re just more subtle. 

The other day, Jeff and I took an afternoon to ride Mt Diablo, which has become something of a regular stop in my riding experiences while living here.  We’ve ridden it in each season and it always offers something a bit different.

In winter, the mountain can be very cold, if not at the bottom, then at the top which rises to over 1200 meters above sea level.  There is occasionally ice on the road in the shadows and the wind can be fierce.  In springtime, the grass is green, with hillsides full of blue, red and purple wildflowers, while in the summer it turns from a light brown to dark as the sun bakes the grasses and the days heat up.  All the while, the oak trees stay a beautiful dark green.  In the autumn, just after the first rains, the grass again begins to turn green.  The air goes from feeling heavy and dusty to feeling clean and washed and a pleasure to breathe.

This is how it felt last Tuesday when we rode once again from the South entrance to the summit.  Each season brings with it its own pleasures, even in California.

Here are some photos looking to the South: