Ring Mountain Sunset - Turtle Rock - 11-6-11

          Ring Mountain Open Space is a convenient area for me to go hiking without having to drive too far from home. Its beautiful rolling hills are studded with fascinating geological features, one of the most prominent being Turtle Rock.
          I parked my car at top of Taylor Rd. in Corte Maderawhere there is ample parking and then hiked up to the top of the ridge and did some exploring before dropping down to Turtle Rock. Often times occupied by rock climbers, I was lucky enough to have the exotic block to myself. I circled the giant rock waiting for the sun to set behind the ridge to the west.

Turtle Rock

Turtle Rock at Sunset

Turtle Rock on Ring Mountain

Turtle Rock and San Francisco
          The moon had risen and was a nice addition to the already amazing scenery.

Moonrise over Turtle Rock
          Most of the color ended up on the clouds to the east. I climbed on top of Turtle Rock for a better view.

Sunset from atop Turtle Rock

Moon Over Turtle Rock

Moon and Turtle Rock
          Although I’ve never seen any in person, there are coyotes up on Ring Mountain and I could hear the frequent yips and howls starting at dusk. It is my goal to seek out the wildlife of Ring Mountain in months to come. It was dark by the time I headed back but the fire road was easy enough to follow without a flashlight.