A steep hike up a narrow, muddy trail from Sausalito, on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, finally emerged onto an open plateau and revealed this unusual, but spectacular, head on view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Even though this was in May, the wind was still bitterly cold, and as I sat on the cold rocks waiting for the perfect light, I was very glad of the thick coat I’d worn, as much of a hindrance as it had seemed on the hike.

The high winds were also making long exposure photography with my big zoom lens a bit of a challenge, even with my heavy tripod set low to the ground, with the legs spread out wide, and my camera bag acting as ballast. Fortunately, the winds died away for just a couple of minutes and I was able to grab a clear photo!