garin – Matt Tilghman Photography

Dry Creek with Storm Approaching

Matt Tilg — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:56:29 +0000

Dry Creek Pioneer Park, among the foothills of California’s Diablo Range, glows ominously as a large storm approaches.

This photo has quite the story to go along with it. It had been raining in the area a lot for the past few days. During a brief break in the rains, I thought I’d try to go capture some lush hillsides. At first I thought I’d go to Coyote Hills, but as I approached them, it was clear they were still brown. However, I could see some beautiful emerald hillsides rising in the distance (what I now know to be the Garin/Dry Creek/Pioneer parks). I had never explored these hills yet, so I whipped out my phone to see if there were any public, explorable parks in the hills ahead. And then, I got pulled over and given a ticket for using my phone. Oh well, I can’t say I didn’t deserve it. But undeterred, I still explored the hills. It was a lovely setting, as the approaching storms coated the hills in dappled, evanescent sunlight. Overall, I think it was worth the ticket.

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Bay Area Foothills in Spring – Dry Creek Pioneer Park

Matt Tilg — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 15:26:29 +0000

Lush green rolling hillsides overlook California’s East Bay Area, from Dry Creek Pioneer Park.

When spring rolls around, the California hills turn that intoxicating shade of emerald green. As soon this starts to happen, I try to hit every location I can think of. Usually top on my list are the Open Space Preserves in the Santa Cruz Mountains, along Skyline Boulevard. Russian Ridge, Windy Hill, those are usually the ones I visit first. But that’s simply out of convenience, living on the peninsula. Soon I remember that the rolling hillsides in the East Bay are just as beautiful. Mount Diablo stands out, but it’s a bit further, so usually warrants an extended trip or group outing. But on those days where I just want to get in my car and go, the Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Park combination cannot be beat. It’s high enough up in the foothills of the Diablo Range that it offers stunning views of the bay, but low enough that it’s a manageable and enjoyable afternoon jaunt. And the oak-studded chaparral hills rival those of anywhere else in California. It should be on everyone’s springtime checklist.

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Stay Awhile – Summer East Bay Sunset

Matt Tilg — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 16:46:23 +0000

A beautiful ancient oak tree overlooks the rolling chaparral landscape, and the city beyond, from high up in the hills of California’s East Bay Area.

I came across this tree while hiking in the hills of the East Bay Area. When I saw it, it seemed like it was telling me to stay awhile. It offered plenty of shade, a nice break from the still-strong setting sun. It offered a nice place to sit, on a giant boulder underneath. But best of all, it offered one heck of a view. An unobstructed vista of the California’s whole Bay Area, and plenty of rolling chaparral too. Not to mention, a front row seat for the sunset. I couldn’t stay that long because I wasn’t familiar enough with this park to hike in darkness, but I wanted to! Yet the title of this photograph doesn’t only reflect what I thought when I saw this tree. It also reflects the tree itself. It looked like a very old tree, and so has undoubtedly “stayed awhile” itself. But drove that message home, for me at least, is the way the tree grew around the boulder. It may not have been the easiest path to adulthood, but this tree would not be deterred… or moved!

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Pastoral California Hillside

Matt Tilg — Fri, 19 May 2017 01:20:09 +0000

Beautiful rural scene of pastoral California hillsides in the East Bay Area, the foothills of the Diablo Range.

I almost missed this beautiful scene. I was on the return portion of my hike, walking back along the main ridge in Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer regional park. It’s hard to look east on this hike. West is so much more stunning, in the stereotypical way. To the west is the descent from the high foothills of the park. Beyond that is the East Bay suburbs, followed by the bay. And in the distance are the cities on the peninsula, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. To the east, is just some gentle rolling hills, and some cows. But luckily, I did look east. And I found the scene even prettier than that to the west. Less stunning, but more beautiful in its subtle ways. To me, this is a perfect example of a quiet pastoral California hillside. There are cows, verdant spring hills, and even a small drinking hole. But what I like most, and what is most reminiscent of California, are the trees between the hills. I love how the trees follow the arroyos where the water flows. They get so big and dense that I would assume trees of a smaller size should be able to grow further away. But no, the trees strictly stay faithfully to the stream beds.

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