China Camp Sunrise - 1/15/12

          I drove out to China Camp to watch sunrise over the San Pablo Bay. I took my chances and parked illegally near the closed gate to the China Camp Village lot. I figured the Ranger would not arrive until it was time to open the gate and I would be alright. There are several legal spaces further away, but with the sun soon rising I was pressed for time.
          I walked down to China Camp Beach and then scrambled along the rocky shoreline toward Rat Rock Island. A low lying bank of clouds blocked most of the light but some of the higher clouds did get some color.

China Camp Sunrise

San Pablo Bay Sunrise
          As the sun rose higher the pink shifted from cloud to cloud and I made my way closer to the island, being careful not to slip on the slick rocks.

Rat Rock Island Sunrise

Bonzai Island

Fading Color
          Although I wanted to stick around longer, I knew Ranger Rick would be coming by soon and I didn't want a ticket. Back at the car I spotted a Red Shouldered Hawk on a telephone wire focused intently on catching breakfast. As I drove along San Pedro Road a coyote ran across the street right in front of my car, scared as hell it bolted up the adjacent hillside. It made its way to the edge of some brush, turned around and briefly locked eyes with me, and then away it went.