I’ve been waiting for the perfect Saddleback Mountain snow shot for years now. I’ve missed three golden opportunities in the past five years. Two years ago, immediately following a heavy snow on Saddleback, I headed up to the top of Vista Del Lago in Mission Viejo. Vista Del Lago, which crosses Marguerite Parkway at Market on the Lake, has a steep incline and from the top it has amazing views of Saddleback Mountain and Mission Viejo Lake. The locals know that this is the place to go for photos.
Getting quality photos of Saddleback Mountain blanketed in snow is a little more challenging than snapping shots of other Southern California mountains. The Santa Ana Mountain Range is only 5687 feet at it’s highest point, Santiago Peak. Trabuco Peak and Los Piños Peak are just over 4500 feet. Snow on Saddleback is fairly infrequent, and more often than not, the temperature warms up a few degrees during the day, turning any precipitation into rain, and melting the small amount of snow we were blessed with. There are often rain clouds obscuring any view of the snow-topped mountains.
So on that amazing day day two years ago, when Saddleback Valley was graced with an amazingly clear day, following a substantial overnight snow on the mountains, I was excited and ready to catch that perfect shot. Unfortunately, I neglected to adjust the lighting and focus properly and my “perfect” photos were anything but. I was devastated. To worsen the pain, every other forward-thinking, opportunistic, real estate agent in South County managed to get the shot. I am still receiving flyers and postcards from agents who farm my neighborhood, who managed to capture the panoramic splendor I missed. Ouch!
This morning, knowing that there was a good possibility of snow last night, I jumped out of bed and ran out the front door. What I didn’t see was snow. Instead, I saw a beautiful double rainbow…and managed to get the shot…just in time…before it disappeared in the clouds and drizzle.
I was due for a good rainbow shot too. I missed one this past Monday when I was out showing South County Homes to clients. What I wouldn’t give to be able to drive, navigate, discuss the merits of one home versus another, and take photos simultaneously. But multi-tasking can only be taken so far. I’m guessing my clients would be working with another agent right now if I had tried to pull that one off. They want to live long enough to actually move into one of these homes that they’re considering.
I did manage to get one snow shot this morning. It’s not an amazing shot by any stretch, but it’s a shot none-the-less. I think the most interesting thing is that the snow is blanketing a portion of the foothill area that was burned in last October’s Santiago Fire. I’ve got to admit that this is much more beautiful than the scarred black hill tops that we were looking at in November and December. Even though the previous rains have caused an almost spring-like blanket of new-green growth, there is still something infinitely more special about seeing snow on the Santa Ana Mountains. It’s something I always look forward to and something I will forever attempt to photograph.
