Look What the Fog Dropped In

Prescribed burn in Big Basin State Park brings smoke and colorful sunsets.

Yesterday, thick fog came rolling through the coastside passes at 5 pm and suddenly it was an early dusk.  We were disappointed because we were hoping to shoot a second night of brilliant sunset colors.  This week the park staff is conducting a prescribed burn in the understory of Big Basin State Park.  Although the smoke temporarily degrades the crisp fall air, it provides beneficial ecological changes to the park's redwood forest and makes for fantastic sunsets.  The western horizon the night before was an hour-long show of many shades of orange, pink, red and purple.

We decided to go to Alice's Restaurant for a Triumph Burger instead, and packed our cameras in the car in the off chance that the fog might clear on our way back.  But the fog was stubbornly hanging in there as we passed the usually scenic westerly gap across from Anniversary Trail at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, and our cameras stayed in their cases.

Colors getting darker as the sun sinks below the Pacific Ocean 

At almost midnight as we were just settling down to bed, we suddenly saw mysterious flashes on the hills near the house.  Mindful that we are in the dangerous harvest period of illegal marijuana growing that occurs in these remote hills, we tied up the dogs, did a quick check of the near perimeter, implemented our safety plan and called the sheriff.  Suspecting either poachers or growers, we did another quick search with the deputies but could find nothing.

This morning, we were sipping coffee in the backyard and enjoying the sunrise while reviewing our safety plan.  Suddenly, a stranger walked through the front yard.  While the Rugged Individual detained the man, I tied up the dogs again and called the rangers on the radio.  Never before have the rangers' voices on the radio sounded so sweet as when they responded, "Hang tight 9A12, we're on the way.  ETA 8 minutes."

Spent the night on the Dipper Ranch

Quickly, the man's garbled story started to make sense.  Yesterday, he was flying his helicopter from Half Moon Bay to San Carlos when he suddenly was surrounded by dense fog.  Since he could not navigate, he landed on a flat grassy field immediately below.  This turned out to be the upper pastures of the Dipper Ranch.  He waited hours for the fog to lift, but finally at midnight decided to walk cross country to Alpine Road where a friend picked him up.  Now he was returning to fly the copter out.  We missed seeing or hearing his helicopter land because we were at Alice's, but we must have seen his jerking flashlight as he later walked out.

Once again, "open space" helped someone.  However, we did chew the pilot out for not stopping to talk to the sheriff deputies when he saw their patrol cars which would have made the night worries go away much faster.  The rangers drove the pilot up to his helicopter and he flew away in the clear morning air.

Ranger escort to leave the preserve

Although we all were sleep-deprived, we were glad the pilot and helicopter were safe, the sheriff deputies responded in the middle of the night, the rangers responded quickly as if on their own wings, the dogs didn't bite anyone, and no guns were discharged.  We are revising our safety plan to include  mysteries that drop out of the air.

Another place I like to shoot at night are the pullouts along Page Mill Road with the city lights of the Santa Clara Valley and the moon rising over the Hamilton Range.