Clouds Over Pacheco Pass

Yesterday I was going 70 mph when I decided to stop and capture a cloud formation hanging over Pacheco Pass. Practically every time I drive this route I am tempted to pull off the road and take some shots of the gnarled oaks dotting the hillsides and the shadows and clouds that give added depth to the landscape.  But I usually keep going–it isn’t easy or safe to merge back on to the highway from a gravel turnoff when semi’s are barreling down on you. Today I made an exception, in part, because I thought of all the great shots I missed because I didn’t stop. (Pacheco Pass connects California’s central coast to its agricultural heartland.)