Sierra Nevada

Today I understood why the mountains to the east of Sacramento are called the Sierra Nevada, Spanish for "Snowy Range". At about 4:45 p.m., I was driving east on I-80 along the causeway across the floodplain that covers spans some 10 km between Davis and West Sacramento, with the setting sun just about the horizon behind me.

With flooded rice fields to either side of me, I could see the modest skyline of Sacramento ahead. The mountains that usually loom in a bluish color ahead were instead capped with a brilliant white from top to about halfway down, proudly showing off the 100 cm plus snowfall they've received in the storms of the past week. The jagged outlines of the mountains were clearly visible with the sun's rays (now almost parallel to the ground) hitting the mountain face and reflecting off at almost a 90 degree angle, creating a beautiful contrast with the orange-blue sky.

For a moment, it did not seem like California. I felt as if I was driving along the prairie heading west towards Denver with the Rocky Mountains behind. But no, this was very much California. So on this shortest day of the year, December 21, 2007, I was once again astounded by California's natural beauty. This state never fails to surprise.