In a time lapse downloaded from the ALERTCalifornia website, shot at sunrise on July 12 2024, the dawn turns violet as cloud-shadows race across the landscape. In a video of the night sky over Pierce Mountain in Humboldt County, captured by a PG&E webcam last week, the Milky Way can be seen drifting across the screen. These are two shorts (one minute, 49 seconds, respectively) branded “California Views,” posted last week on California Local’s YouTube page.

Chris Neklason, our friend, CEO, and product-development dude, launched California Views after writing a blog post about UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia network of mountaintop cameras. He’s now posting something on most days. 

He’s also posting occasional shorts that he shoots on his frequent ambles around his home in Santa Cruz or his cabin outside Yosemite National Park. Check out this mini-stunner of a recently fledged red-tailed hawk at Lighthouse Field State Beach (listen to that bird sing scream!) or this classic Yosemite Falls rainbow. 

Beginning this week Chris is incorporating the vids on our homepages, which we call County Overviews, and posting them on Facebook. Please follow us to keep up with the goodness.