California in the morning

I'm spending the day in Sacramento for a meeting. It's not as glamorous as it sounds -- fly up early, meet all day, fly back late, but it's had an unexpected benefit. We're cruising at 34,000 feet over inland California with the sunrise behind us. The sky's mostly clear except a few cirrus clouds, building as we head north. Visibility at this altitude is pretty much unlimited as the sky fades from a powder blue horizon to a deep blue overhead. The orange sun's just skimming the mountain peaks. The fog-filled valleys are still dark. Some of the peaks this time of year have snow on them, while others look as arid as photos from Mars, with erosion gullies to match. It's good to be reminded just how spectacularly beautiful this state can be.