The hills are alive again

East of San Francisco Bay Area in California lies a mountain range known for its considerably low hills that are dry in the summer but turn green when winter...
Patterson Pass

Diablo Range: Patterson Pass Road in winter 2017East of San Francisco Bay Area in California lies a mountain range known for its considerably low hills that are dry in the summer but turn green when winter rains call upon the area. This chain of hills called the Diablo Range is alive again thanks to the many storms that hit California this winter.

Last weekend, when the winter showers decided to take a break we did a drive through Patterson Pass and how scenic it turned out to be! Patterson Pass Road is a mountain pass through the Diablo Range that starts at the end of Mountain House Parkway in San Joaquin County (not very far from Tracy, CA) and goes on till Livermore in Alameda County.

Those who have been following this blog for some time might remember my first drive through this mountain pass through green graceful hills that play home to a few ranches and large numbers of turbines that tap the wind energy that this area is known for. That was last year and the pictures are up in a post called Snaking through several shades of green.

Patterson Pass is  greener this year.

Let me take you through Patterson Pass once again and show you what those storms-that-flooded-several-parts-in- CA did to the hills that lie sandwiched between the Silicon Valley and California’s Central Valley.

(These are cell phone photos as that was all I had during that drive. Oh! how thankful I am that phones can take photographs too. ;))

Diablo Range: Patterson Pass Road in winter 2017 Diablo Range: Patterson Pass Road in winter 2017 Viewpoint on Patterson Pass Road

Viewpoint on Patterson Pass Road

Diablo range : Patterson Pass Road in winters 2017

Signs of Spring on the Diablo Range

Signs of Spring, Patterson Pass, Diablo Range Signs of Spring, Patterson Pass, Diablo Range

Signs of Spring, Patterson Pass, Diablo Range

Note: Be careful driving through Patterson Pass. The road can be too narrow for two vehicles for pretty much most of of the drive and there are several blind curves too, along the way. And watch out for bikers who seem to love this route; it is not difficult to see why.

More from the Diablo Range (different parts of it) —

Vistas from California’s Devil Mountain – Mount Diablo
Snaking through several shades of green
The road to Mt. Hamilton
The Hamilton Drive
Lick Observatory in pictures

Linking to Our World Tuesday

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Dee (Divya): Blogger, Freelance Content Writer & Content Strategist. | 📸 Loves tripping.🛣 Tipsy from every TRIP!😬🫣 | 🏞Follow > for intoxicating virtual trips!🥂😉
45 Comments on this post.
  • artmusedog and carol
    6 March 2017 at 11:39 pm
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    Gorgeous landscape photography in CA ~ thanks,

    Wishing you a happy week ~ ^_^

    • dNambiar
      8 March 2017 at 12:22 am
      Leave a Reply

      Welcome back and thank you so much, Carol.
      You have a lovely week too. 🙂

  • Photo Cache
    6 March 2017 at 11:40 pm
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    Just beautiful. Reminded me to take my own drive through the back roads to discover what sprouted out from all the rain we had.

    • dNambiar
      8 March 2017 at 12:28 am
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      You must M, before it gets all dry again. I say you must drive through Patterson Pass the next time you are returning from the Central Valley side. You have to see it for yourself. (And avoid all the traffic on 580 ;)) Just drive safe. 🙂

      Oh yeah, we’ve been having a lot of rain this year. We drove towards Sac last week and saw a lot of water in the great plain. It looked like there were so many little ponds on the way.

  • Carol
    7 March 2017 at 12:30 am
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful shots- on my first visit to California many years ago, I marveled at the “golden” dry mountains. I was told it was one of the reasons it’s called the golden state.

    • dNambiar
      8 March 2017 at 12:30 am
      Leave a Reply

      I’m pretty sure you saw the Diablo Range. The hills on this chain of mountains get really very dry in the summer and Fall. Much more golden, I guess. 😀 And we have so many fires around here, then. 🙁

      Thank you for coming this way, Carol. 🙂

  • Prasad Np
    7 March 2017 at 5:18 am
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    And they are beautiful.. I miss this stretch of California the most. The windmills, the Microsoft Windows wallpaper type hills. Everything is picture perfect ….

    • dNambiar
      8 March 2017 at 12:33 am
      Leave a Reply

      The Microsoft Windows Wallpaper! Oh yeah. 🙂
      But this area looks so different the summer, you know. Maybe I should do a photo tour of this route when it’s all dry. Interestingly, around then, the windmills become the bigger attraction. 🙂

  • Liz
    8 March 2017 at 4:30 pm
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    What a wonderful area! I only seen some of the cities in CA. I love the snaking road and the fields of windmills. Such a picturesque area!

    • dNambiar
      9 March 2017 at 8:20 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Picturesque it is.

      There is a part of the Diablo Range that gets a lot of wind. So if you are taking I-580 you’ll get to see them. Then there are the smaller roads like the Patterson Pass featured here and the Altamont Pass that will take you closer to the windmills.

      And you can also go to the top of Mt. Diablo, one of the peaks of this mountain range and see these windmills from a eagle’s eye view.

      I hope you get to see more of these parts of CA, Liz. 🙂

  • Meera
    9 March 2017 at 7:14 pm
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    Wow this is such a beautiful landscape. Windmills are sure an attraction. Nice captures from your mobile. 🙂

    • dNambiar
      9 March 2017 at 8:22 pm
      Leave a Reply

      It is, especially in Winter and Spring.
      Windmills are quite an attraction. 🙂

      Thank you, Meera. It wasn’t exactly a planned drive so my phone was all I had. 🙂

  • The Untourists
    10 March 2017 at 3:12 am
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful landscape but completely devoid of trees? We too are coming to SF for the screening of our film ‘Bachelor Girls’ at the CAAM SF International Film a Festival. Screening is on the 18th. Will take a look around SF then…

    • dNambiar
      13 March 2017 at 3:15 am
      Leave a Reply

      Yeah, pretty that way on this part of the mountain range. There are parts of it that has trees but then again — it is less. It’s a pretty dry chain of mountains.
      It turns green in the winter, thanks to the rains. Some peaks get some snow in the season.

      That is so cool. You will love SF. It is such a charming city. I can’t wait to see what you guys will have to say about THE CITY. 🙂 All the best for the screening, Param. 🙂 Have fun.

      How long will you be here?

  • magiceye
    11 March 2017 at 2:25 am
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful captures!

    • dNambiar
      13 March 2017 at 3:15 am
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you, Magic eye. 🙂

  • Saru Singhal
    11 March 2017 at 1:26 pm
    Leave a Reply

    California is beautiful beyond words. From snow capped mountains to lakes to desert to such spring beauty – it’s has nature in many forms.

    Pity we covered so less! BTW, pictures are beautiful.

    • dNambiar
      13 March 2017 at 3:17 am
      Leave a Reply

      It is 🙂
      These hills that you see here, wears two different looks every year.

      There’s always a next time, Saru. 🙂

      Thank you so much. 🙂

  • Alok Singhal
    11 March 2017 at 5:08 pm
    Leave a Reply

    I absolutely adore such drives, the sheer pleasure mountains offer is unparalleled!

    You’ve been taking such travels often off late, I guess. Good for you. Seems to me we just touched California last year!

    • dNambiar
      13 March 2017 at 3:21 am
      Leave a Reply

      I swear — there’s nothing like the mountains. 🙂

      It’s been raining so much and we haven’t been going out much lately. Can’t wait to be on the road again. Looks like most of the rainy season is over. How are things at your end?

      You must come this side, again. And I ‘have to’ meet you two when you are in CA, ok. 🙂

  • Folsom Lake from Folsom Point | Tipsy from the TRIP
    14 March 2017 at 1:59 am
    Leave a Reply

    […] weekend before last we drove through Patterson Pass Road and saw what the rains had done to the Diablo Range this winter. Then last weekend we went east to […]

  • Jyotirmoy Sarkar
    15 March 2017 at 2:46 am
    Leave a Reply

    Very nice shots, eye soothing views.

    • dNambiar
      19 March 2017 at 11:35 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you so much, Jyotirmoy. 🙂

  • Indrani
    15 March 2017 at 3:11 am
    Leave a Reply

    Such a beautiful journey. Guaranteed one can become a poet here 🙂

    • dNambiar
      19 March 2017 at 11:37 pm
      Leave a Reply

      It was. It was sweeter because it was one of those sunny days in the middle of the rainy season.

  • Rajesh
    15 March 2017 at 10:03 am
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful views.

    • dNambiar
      19 March 2017 at 11:38 pm
      Leave a Reply

      It is. 🙂

      Thank you for coming this way, Rajesh. 🙂

  • Arti
    15 March 2017 at 10:40 am
    Leave a Reply

    Stunning pictures through the drive, the green pastures are a treat to the eyes and the soul. Doesn’t look crowded as well!

    • dNambiar
      19 March 2017 at 11:42 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Not at all. This mountain pass is pretty deserted during the weekends. I guess everybody prefers to take the alternative – the highway which gets us to our destinations, faster. 🙂

      Thank you for visiting, Arti. 🙂

  • rupam { xhobdo }
    16 March 2017 at 5:56 am
    Leave a Reply

    Amazing views, So beautiful pics.

    • dNambiar
      19 March 2017 at 11:42 pm
      Leave a Reply

      The views are pretty amazing. 🙂
      Thank you so much, Rupam. 🙂

  • Durga Prasad Dash
    17 March 2017 at 11:08 am
    Leave a Reply

    Wow. Beautiful photos giving indications about the mesmerizing mountains.

  • Rahul
    20 March 2017 at 12:31 am
    Leave a Reply

    What lovely hues of blue and green. Absolutely pristine!

  • umashankar
    20 March 2017 at 3:54 pm
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful framing and exposure, Divya. Your photographic skill is inching upwards with each post. It would be a dream to race down a bike on that picturesque stretch.

    • dNambiar
      27 March 2017 at 6:26 am
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you so much for those kind and encouraging words, USP.
      A big THANK YOU for your continued support.

      Have a good week, USP.

  • Swarna
    8 April 2017 at 5:41 am
    Leave a Reply

    Waoo… Great view. Thanks for sharing the great shots. It’s okay if its mobile click, then also it resulted very good. You can see how we all are liking your photos.

    Got really great clicks.

    • dNambiar
      29 September 2017 at 5:12 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you for the kind words, Swarna.

  • sruthi
    16 May 2017 at 8:17 am
    Leave a Reply

    lovely views!..

    • dNambiar
      29 September 2017 at 5:13 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you, Sruthi

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