Mt. Hamilton Road, Lick Observatory, Santa Clara County, CA, 3/7/2015
Mt. Hamilton dominates the landscape east of San Jose, CA. The 4,216 feet tall mountain overlooks Santa Clara Valley and is the site of Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory in the world. The foothills of Mt. Hamilton are dominated by majestic oaks and grassland, while its upper reaches are covered in pines. This high ridge is at an elevation of 3,100 feet and has a healthy mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. The views from the mountain are extraordinary! Here as we look south, we see layers: ridge after mountain ridge progressing into the distance, fading into the atmosphere. At far right on the mountainous horizon is Mt. Umunhum, and the prominent peak right of center is Loma Prieta, both in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mt. Misery is the peak in front of Loma Prieta, and Panochita Hill is in front of that. Faintly visible at the far left of the mountainous horizon is Mt. Carmel, 66 miles away in Monterey County.
