Flower Beach - El Dorado Hills

With aspirations of one last spring photo, I headed out to Darrington Trail in El Dorado Hills. I had heard that this was a good place to see wildflowers, so I had to come here before the season ended. I arrived later in the day, hoping dusk would gift me something special. 

The trail hummed with the sounds of spring, distant bird calls, the occasional rustle of lizards darting through tall grass, and the wind whispering through oak branches. I wandered slowly, soaking it in, stopping now and then to snap a few photos, though nothing really said, "this is the shot."

As I neared the end of my loop, I told myself I’d check out one last spot—a small stretch of beach I'd noticed earlier, half-hidden and easy to miss. I stepped down through the grass, brushing aside waist-high stalks, and there, at the very end of it, I couldn't believe my eyes. Lupines exploding across the sandy shore, stretching farther than I would have thought possible. The contrast of bright, floral tones against the soft greens of the hills, and the golden-hour light was unreal. A few old valley oaks dotted the landscape, their silhouettes stately and grounded. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I didn’t have much time, the sun was nearly gone, and I still had a three mile hike back, which I would have to do most of in the dark. I took a couple dozen photos, and then tried to get out of there as fast as I could.

I pushed my pace, trying not to imagine mountain lions in the bushes or snakes slithering close by. Every rustle from the brush made my heart skip, and I was so relieved when I finally made it back to my car.

This particular frame, I only took one shot. Just one, where normally, when I find something I like, I take about fifty. Back home, reviewing my shots, this single frame that I thought was going to be nothing, ended up being my favorite photo of the season. It was all there. The bloom, the balance of color, the mood. This one photo, snapped almost as an afterthought, ended up being the hero of the entire day. Funny how beauty can surprise you like that.