Sunol Wilderness from Above

Matt Tilghman

Sunol Wilderness from Above

With the new rules that allow us to use small, non-transmitting electronics during airplane takeoff and landing, I decided to try my hand at taking photographs during the descent into San Francisco. It's often a piercingly beautiful descent, flying right over Yosemite and the High Sierra, then the chaparral foothills, and then right over the bay and San Francisco. And this flight was supposed to be landing right around sunset, too! Unfortunately, we made good time, and were a bit early (how often do you hear it phrased like that?). The approach was also more southerly, so we didn't fly over Yosemite or SF. The good news is that there is great scenery down there too. This shot is of the San Antonio Reservoir, and the Sunol Wilderness below it. The oak-studded, gently undulating hillsides are so beautiful in their spring garb – one of my favorite sights. And even though it wasn't quite sunset, the light was still pretty dang good!

(please let me know if you think my identification of the landscape is incorrect, I pieced it together from Google Maps)