Moss Landing to Marina Beach.

California Coastal trail
Moss Landing to Marina Beach
Distance: 7.25 miles
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Tim, Carly, Julie









It was a last minute decision to do this hike. Tim had done it in March, so I wanted to go with him. Also, being a sailor I figured he would know about the tides and such things. I knew this segment of the California Coastal Trail was tricky because you have to cross the Salinas River.

The California Coastal Trail runs from the Oregon Border to Mexico. "Trail" is truly a misnomer, since for sections north of Santa Cruz the trail consists of walking along Highway 1 when the coast is inaccessible. Not exactly my idea of a good hike. I am also paranoid about being trapped against cliffs by a high tide or having to race incoming waves to get around rocks. The section between Capitola and Monterey seems pretty open.

My goal was to hike the coastline from Capitola to Monterey by the end of the year. This would be done in increments - not as one long hike. This first hike was a test to see if these hikes were doable and enjoyable. Turns out they are both.

We met at the Whole Enchilada in Moss Landing at 9:00 a.m. and dropped one car at Marina Beach. We drove back to Moss Landing, got a cup of coffee and a tamale (which took way too long) and were on the trail head by 10:00 a.m.

We wanted to reach the river at low tide. Tim had initially described the river at "easy to cross" buy the more we heard about the last crossing - rushing water at mid thigh height - the more concerned I became. Tim said, "we can always swim it". Since I don't swim well and have a lot of respect for rivers and the ocean - this wasn't going to happen. I confirmed that we wouldn't be up against any cliffs. Tim knowing about my "getting trapped" fear suggested we purposely trap ourselves so I could have the experience of swimming out and seeing how easy it is. Then I would overcome my fear. I don't think so! I began to wonder about Tim as tour guide. :-)

When I left Lompico in the morning it was sunny and clear. I wore a sleeveless top and almost didn't bring a jacket and fleece. At the last minute I threw them in. When I drove into Santa Cruz it was completely foggy and it stayed that way all the way Marina. The fog never lifted on the whole hike - though it wasn't windy at all. It was extremely pleasant hiking in the fog. I'd gotten enough sun the day before.

Carly and I hiked barefoot in the surf. I had brought tennis shoes - but ended up doing the whole thing barefoot - one of my favorite things. It's the longest I have ever walked barefoot. Being in the cold water felt good on my ankles. Walking near the water also has the advantage of having harder sand to walk on. Tim kept his shoes on for the whole hike. He had to run from the waves a couple of times, but he was able to keep his shoes dry.

As we started out, I thought "this may get monotonous, just sea, sand, fog. No trees or variation of landscape." Yet it was very peaceful walking in the surf. The ocean is always varied. We passed some fishermen and a housing development. A surf patrol drove by in a jeep and busted some fishermen for not having licenses. There were tire tracks in the sand, but we didn't see another person for two hours.

The snowy plover - those cute tiny birds who chase the surf on their little twig legs - nest in this area. They are an endangered species and the upper portion of the beach was fenced off to protect their nesting area.

I loved that it was a cloudy, "Julie Day". The waves looked steely gray in the misty light. The further we walked in the solitude, the more it felt like escaping into another world. When can you on the beach for hours and not see another person?

Tim described it as "a beach of life and death". It is nature in all it's glory and horror. We saw several dead sea lions, an otter and gulls. A group of turkey vultures huddled on the beach, then flew over to snack on some of the decomposing bodies. There were flocks of brown pelicans intermingling with sea gulls. I loved watching the pelicans take off. They look so prehistoric in flight.

The river crossing was weighing heavily on my mind. The longer it took to get to it, the more rushing a torrent I pictured. We finally came to a sign saying Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge. I figured the river would be close. We kept walking and walking and walking. Always seeing it up ahead of us.

We were getting hungry for lunch, but I wanted to have the river crossing behind us before we stopped. We came upon an old rusty barge that was grounded. We walked awhile further and then Tim said - "I think we are past the river". I'm sure that the barge was after the river crossing. It turns out that the area not far past the sign was where the river flows in the winter. During the summer the river doesn't reach the ocean. What a relief.


We quickly found a spot to have lunch and sat down next to a log to eat. It got colder as we were sitting, though it still wasn't windy. We started hiking and came upon a "sand dredging" operation. There were rusted old scoops and a small lagoon where sand was brought up and than transported to be processed or so we assumed. We couldn't really tell what they were doing, but they were doing something.

Carly wanted to run and roll down some sand dunes. Tim had started hiking up the in the hills. He pointed to where we were down in the water and we could see a school of bottle nosed dolphins swimming close to shore. There were still protected Plover nesting areas, so it took us awhile to find a good sand dune.

Right before Marina we found one. Nice and steep. First I ran down it. then Carly rolled down it, then Tim and I rolled down it a couple of times. Talk about dizzy - we lay sprawled at the bottom for a minute afterwards trying to regain equilibrium. Sand was everywhere - ears, hair - but it was invigorating. We found a piece of cardboard and Carly tried to slide down, but it didn't quite work.

I was worried we might "miss" where we parked the cars, but all the people on the beach quickly clued us in we were close. There is also a building and a hang gliding ramp. As we walked back we saw a para glider sailing above the beach. We had never seen a contraption quite like this one. Rather than being belly down - superman position - he was sitting in a what almost looked like an "air kayak" He was sitting and his legs were encased in what looked like a sleeping bag. Looked a lot easier than hang gliding, though I didn't get to see him land.

Thus ended our first segment of the CCT. It had been a great day and I am now inspired to do the whole Santa Cruz to Monterey portion by the end of the year. It was fun to spend time hiking with Carly before she heads out for a South American adventure and it's always a pleasure hiking with Tim.

Lessons Learned: Beach hikes are anything but monotonous. You can hike a long way barefoot if you're in the surf. Don't fear the crossing, because it may not come.

Carmel River Trail

June 2008
Carmel Valley Backpack
Distance: 8 miles
Elevation: ????
Julie and Bill






I had trouble posting this before I left in July, but now that this area has been burned, I thought I would put up some of the pictures. When we looked at a map of the fire - it looked like this area had been badly burned. Which is really sad, because it was such a wonderful camp. We'll have to hike in and see what's left.

This was a 3 day back pack that Bill and I did in June. The Big Sur book described it as "easy and good for children". We figured being only 4 miles out, if it was terrible we could just turn around and head back out. We took the "easy" too much to heart and packed incredibly heavy packs for two days. Nothing is easy when your pack is too heavy.





Carmel Valley is so close to Santa Cruz that this is an ideal weekend getaway. You start at the San Pedro dam after driving along Carmel Valley Road past multi million dollar houses and through the "slums" - a dilapidated old trailer park right before the trail head. We got a late start at the trail head, so we were hiking in the heat of the day.












It took us much longer than we anticipated to hike the 3 miles to Bluff camp. Elevation, narrow trails, unmarked trails in the beginning, the heat of the day and heavy packs made it a long hike. You start out crossing the dam and hiking above the reservoir. The trail is narrow with steep drop offs. We came upon an "unofficial" campsite, which we thought was Bluff Camp. When we got to Bluff Camp we thought we had reached River Camp and decided we would stay even after we realized our mistake.

Photos of the actual campsite didn't come out too well, but it is a large campsite with sites on both sides of the river. The trees were beautiful and varied. Large groups could be accommodated in both camps. No one was there on Friday night except two guys coming in late. On Saturday a large group arrived.

The camp is right on the river. We day hiked up to River Camp the next day and didn't like it nearly as much. It was dark and the mosquitoes were extremely heavy. I took a quick dip but then we headed back to Bluff camp. There was a swing in Bluff Camp made of rope, which wasn't comfortable, but I took a couple of swings on it.











We headed out Sunday morning and it was a quick hike out, now that our packs were much lighter. We decided that this would be a great quick weekend getaway. Loved the place. Now who knows? We stopped and took this picture at the Whole Enchilada in Moss Landing. It was a great little trip.





Lesson Learned: Appreciate what you have before it goes up in smoke!

Waddell Creek - Berry Creek Falls

Big Basin State Park
Bike/Hike
Bike 10 miles
Hike 3 miles??
Julie and Bill

I bought a new cheap $80 mountain bike while up in Redding and wanted to try it out here.Ever since we hiked Big Basin to the Sea I have wanted to try to bike fromWaddell Creek to Berry Creek Falls. I kept looking at the trail and saying - even I can bike this. It seemed pretty level for the most part.

Because Bill doesn't have a bike we were
going to rent one. When I checked around I found that only one place rents bikes and we didn't want to go there. I talked to Tom Sullivan and he explained that the insurance is exorbitant for covering bike rentals, which makes sense. Finally our friend Brant said he would lend Bill a bike, but Hans while riding it from Brant's house ran off the road and messed up the gears so it wouldn't shift out of one gear. Ooops! Better than nothing, we thought.

We had a lot of errands to do in the morning before hitting the trail - including buying a bike locks and bungee cords to tie the bike down. We were planning on stopping at AuntieMames for breakfast, but decided to just grab something quick at McDonald. I haven't had many breakfasts there and when I flipped my paper place mat over for the nutritional information - I learned that my breakfast choice was the highest one in fat. I at over 50 grams of fat between the breakfast burrito and 99c breakfast sandwich! Oooooops! Good thing we were going to get some exercise.

The drive up the coast went quickly without too much traffic. Waddell Creek isn't that much beyond Davenport. We parked in the dirt lot overlooking the ocean and unloaded the bikes. It wascool and overcast which is just fine for a bike ride.

We crossed the
highway and were on our way. The
beginning of the trail is a paved road going through private
property. There is a small for with neatly planted fields and beautiful farm house. I joked that it looked just like my garden at home, which is sadly far from the truth.

The road eventually turns to gravel - but is relatively level. You actually going uphill most of the way, but you don't notice it until you are on your way back. That's my kind of grade.

A couple of miles in there is a backpacking camps which seems extremely popular. There was no-one on the trail until we passed a couple of hikers coming from the camp. The road winds thought the redwoods and lush ferns. It was shady and cool and we even felt a few droplets of rain.

We came to a steep narrow part where the road turned into a path with steep switchbacks. It was too narrow and steep to ride, so we walked that part. There were only two sections of the trail that I needed to
walk though.

Annoyingly, my brakes made a screeching noise every time I used them. This had happened when I first bought the bike - but then they had quieted down. Not on this ride. They
screeched the whole way. Bill was pedaling away in his one gear. Fortunately it was an easy gear for hills, but this meant when we were on the flats he was doing a lot of unnecessary pedaling. He of course didn't
complain about this. So there we were
Screechy and One Gear riding away.

It's five miles to the bike rack and we got there in about an hour. I remembered how long it had taken to hike it and was thankful for our bikes, regardless of annoying things like squeaky brakes.

There were about six horses and riders at the bike rack.
They asked if I had been to the falls before and whether it was worth seeing. I said yes, the
falls were really close. One of the guys was trying to tie up his horse who was not happy about being left. Someone else in the party said "that horse is going to have over the cliff". Which didn't install a lot of confidence in their ability with horses. I just wanted to get out of there.

>The hike to the falls took a little longer than I remembered. It seemed that when we were hiking it that bike rack came right up. It was still probably 1/2 to a mile hike. Berry Creek Falls was flowing, but wasn't full. Bill wasn't impressed being used to Rocky Mountain falls, but we had the platform to ourselves once the horse people left.

We hiked up to Silver Falls and had lunch there. It wasn't worth it to Bill to hike up to Golden and Cascade falls. The steps are cut in stone right next to the falls. When the falls are running full, it can be a little scary but it always invigorating.

I liked looking down from the top of the falls to see Bill down below.

Golden Falls is unusual in that the rock is a mud colored and when the falls are full, they look golden. Since they aren't quite full, they aren't as impressive. I hiked to the last fall and then back down to where Bill was.

As we hiked out we came a larger group of boy scouts or at least boy backpackers. After passing the main group, we saw one straggler, agangly boy who tripped, did a face plant and his glasses flew off. We stopped to help him. I couldn't believe that they had left him behind and that there wasn't an adult coming up. As we walked a bit further we came to the rest of his group, which was a relief.

We got back to the bike rack and started
back. It was amazing how most of it was downhill. We had been coming uphill on the way up without even realizing. Going back was a breeze. My squealing brakes were annoying of course, but it seemed like we were back in no time.

When we got back to the beach there were lots of Kite Surfers. I asked the only woman kite surfer I saw whether it was fun. She said, "it's great, but it has a huge learning curve. It took me three years to learn how to do it and that was coming out here every day". I decided that was too much of a time investment for me. Especially since I can't swim well. It did look like fun.

Bill and I stopped at the Roadhouse in Davenport for our post celebratory drink. Scott doesn't work there anymore, but the Bloody Mary was still tasty. It had been a great day and bike ride we will definitely do again!

Lessons Learned: You cover ground a lot faster n a bike. You get what you pay for.

Garrapata State Park May 2008

Sobranes Creek - Rocky Ridge
4.5 miles
1,700 elevation gain
Hiking time: 3 1/2 hours
Jan, Paula, Julie






I knew it was going to be hot this weekend, so I was looking for a hike that would be shaded, not too much elevation and by water. I decided on the Carmel River Trail which follows the Carmel River and ends at a backpacking camp which was supposed to have nice swimming holes. Sounded perfect.

With the usual cancellations there were three of us the day of the hike: Jan, Paula and myself. We met at 9:00 a.m. at the Soquel Park and Ride. We were on the road, fairly quickly, but had to make a quick return when Jan realized that she'd left her hat in her car. It was not a day to be without a hat - although I don't where one myself. I did bring my boots and I love this superimposed picture of leg and landscape. A preview of what was to come.


I've been to Carmel Valley road several times, but I always think that the road with our gas station and Safeway is Carmel Valley. I realized this is Rio Road and Carmel Valley must be a little further south. So I took Highway 1 south. We were chatting and I wasn't paying that much attention until we reached the former Highlands Inn. I knew that was too far past Carmel and realized that we had headed in the wrong direction.

I said, "Jan, I think we are going in the wrong direction. I think we are almost to Garrapata. I need to find a place to turn around", which isn't easy on Highway One. We had to make it all the way back to Carmel Valley Road and then it was another 20 miles on curvy little roads. Jan said, "Why don't we just go to Garrapata - if it is closer and that was my favorite hike." I thought about it and asked Paula what she thought.

Garrapata is a hard to beat hike. It has everything forest, wildflowers and coastal views. I knew it was a strenuous hike but Jan assured Paula she could do it. It did seem that last time that the elevation went by very quickly. The coast was foggy but the sun was shining on the hills. I said, "what if it's foggy?" (having just gone on the foggy Montara hike). Jan reminded me that it had been foggy last year, but then had cleared enough for us to see the ocean.


I did want to go to a new place and had planned on swimming - but I agreed with Jan to be flexible and because I love this hike as well. We arrived and I encouraged everyone to bring windbreakers and warm clothes, because it had been foggy and cold on top last year.

We started off on the hike at 11:00 a.m. The sun was already coming out along the path that winds along the side of the mountain. Then you are plunged down into the cool lush redwood forests. Lots of ferns grow beside the creek. It is so pleasant in the shade. I wet my sarong and realized that because I had been planning on swimming I had two more sarongs which I gave to Paula and Jan to use. There is nothing like a sarong to keep the heat off - especially when dipped in an icy spring.

I remembered that there was stairs and then the elevation truly began. We kept winding up and down and Paula would ask, "Is that the elevation?" and I would say "no, that hasn't quite started yet". We would think we were to that point and then it would level out. I said once the elevation starts it just keeps going almost straight up.

We finally came to the stairs in question. They did go straight up into the heat. An old Chinese woman was coming down the stairs. She said "you are getting a really late start, it's too hot to be climbing up now." I assured her we had done the hike before and knew what we were getting into. I looked at my watch and realized that it was high noon. The fog had completely burnt off and it was indeed hot out there.


According to the guide book (consulted after the fact) this trail gains 1,000 feet in less than a mile. In other words it is really steep. And it was really hot. And we were moving really slowly. This seemed a completely different hike from the year before. The elevation kept going and going and going. We would reach the top of the hill, only to see another hill behind. We'd reach that thinking we were finally at the top and then see another huge climb. Even with the sarongs it was hot. We ended up using water to wet the sarongs.

I had brought two water bottles rather than my usual three and we shared water on the whole trip. The intense heat took it out of everyone, especially Paula who hasn't been hiking lately. I was worried that she would have heat stroke. We were exposed with no shade and just lots of elevation to look forward to. I thought we would never make it to the top. I was so glad Bill hadn't come on this hike. He really hates hot, exposed hikes.


The trail was extremely slippery and I was sorry that I didn't have sticks for Paula and Jan. I would have had a real struggle without mine. As we were scrambling up the trail, a hiker coming down informed me that as of the day before the trail had been downgraded from trail to "goat path." It was an accurate description. I started bleating and waited to tell Jan and Paula the good news. Paula was not amused. This hike was not what she had signed up for at all. We had gone from "a little bit of elevation that will be over quickly" to the "hot hike from hell."

When I was looking at hiking books later - I noticed one said, "strenuous. For Serious Hikers only." We earned the name on this hike.

Finally we reached the top and ironically we were looking at a sea of clouds. No ocean views. There were rock outcroppings, but no shade, so we decided to postpone lunch and wait until we were at a cooler elevation. Now we began the descent down. This also was not how we remembered it. A very steep grade with an equally eroded path. We finally found an overlook and had lunch. It was a little cooler.


Paula found a spot to lay in the dried grass until I mentioned ticks. We decided to start down. We were racing for the fog below which looked so inviting and cool. I kept expecting to come to the bench that we had stopped at last time, but we never did. Jan and I wondered if this was a different trail. Certainly different from our memories.



Paula's poor feet were killing her and even though it was somewhat cooler as we got down, we were getting extremely low on water. Finally we made it to other bottom and took a shortcut to the highway. I wanted to see if we could easily get down to the beach and soak our feet. My Achilles was acting up. We walked down to the edge and could see a beautiful little waterfall coming off a creek falling to a rocky beach. . I climbed up to see if we could get to the creek. Paula and Jan waited while I explored.






It wasn't difficult to get down to the creek. Just a bit of rock climbing. It was a beautiful lush wading pool in a grotto with a view out of the ocean. It was easy to walk to the top of the little waterfall. Paula perched there enjoying the ocean breezes and great view. She said "this magical spot makes up for the rest of the hike. I can forgive you now". We all laughed.

I waded across a small pool and soaked my Achilles in the cool water, reflecting on the hike. There is a real sense of accomplishment when you have completed a tough hike and are now safely cooling your heels. It is amazing how conditions such as heat and dryness can change the whole experience of the hike.

Our last minute decision to change destinations could have serious consequences, since we weren't really prepared. Many lessons learned on this hike, and even though it was grueling, I will remember it as an adventurous well earned day.



Lessons Learned: Sticks and Sarongs for all! Listen to old women when they give advice. Better to bring more water than not enough. Consider seriously before hiking elevation in the heat of the day. To forgive is divine.

Montara Mountain - May 2008

Brooks Fall Trail - Montara Mountain
Ladies Lompico Book Club
7.5 miles
1,800 elevation gain
4 hours hiking time
Barbara, Tara, Toni, Priva, Julie
Photos by Toni


Since the Lompico Ladies Book Club was having an overnight at Montara Hostel, I couldn't resist a hike to the top of Montara Mountain since the views are so spectacular. Other members of the hiking group were going to try and join us, but in the end it was the just the five of us.

The original plan was to hike from the Montara side, since the trailhead was less than a mile from the hostel. This is a steep fire road all the way to the top. The morning dawned extremely foggy, but the group was up for the hike - hoping it would be clear but satisfied even if it didn't.


I consulted with Barbara who had done the hike the first time with the fantastic views. We decided to repeat the Pacifica hike - because the trail would be more interesting than the fire road. Fire roads also tend to have a steeper grade since they are designed for vehicles. My Achilles were acting up so we opted for the easier option.

On the drive from Montara to Pacifica you can see the work on the tunnel that will reroute Highway One from Devil's Slide through the mountain and onto a new bridge that is being built. It is slated for completion in 2011. Perhaps they will open up the coastline for hiking once the highway is closed.




We easily found San Pedro park and loaded up for the hike. We started up the trail in the fog. I missed the views of Pacifica and the whole bay area behind the fog - but Tara, Priva and Toni focused on the beauty of the wildflowers along the trail.

I like the fog and it was nice and cool as we wound our way up the mountain side. I came to appreciate having the whole cityscape obscured and focusing on the immediate natural surroundings.











We took a break at Barbara's bench along the way where Toni got this great shot of "our" Barbara.










The wildflowers were definitely in bloom. Especially noticeable was a bush with blue flowers which smelled like Ajax cleanser. Trees surrounded us on the rutted path suffering badly from erosion. We stopped at another viewpoint and peered into the fog. The trail continued up to meet the fire road and we had entered Sam McNee park.


This portion of the hike was steeper and slippery. The sun came out - not to burn off the fog, but to heat up our climb to the top. Tara had gone ahead and soon we could see the satellite equipment at the top of the mountain. Some cyclists who had ridden past us were resting at the top and took our picture. We looked for the container holding the summit notes, but it wasn't there this time. Perhaps someone tossed it off the mountain.

We lunched in the spot on the side of the hill with just enough room for us all to squeeze in. After lunch we headed back down the mountain. The fog rolled in even thicker than before. Toni cme down the hill all bundled up with one glove on. We returned down the fire road to our trail, but on the way back took the trail to Brooks Falls, even though we knew the falls wouldn't be running.












This part of the hike was less foggy then the last time and was quite dramatic. The foliage was lush and felt like a jungle. Flowers bloomed and ferns overgrew the path.

The opposite canyon wall was partly bare rock face and also covered with trees. I expected to see monkeys swinging through the trees at any minute. It had a wild feeling to it. We stopped at a viewing bench and could here the falls and even see a little trickling water. This area is a hidden gem. Unexpected. Lush. Open.



Continuing down the trail we walked through thick bushes. I small a tiny bright yellow bird flittered through the brush. We passed a dramatic grove of eucalyptus trees which were flowering. I don't think I have seen them flower before. We walked under an archway of manzanita bushes.









The trail came out along a creek and looped back to the parking lot. The rest of the group headed back to Felton for a post celabratory dinner, but I was anxious to get home since I had been gone all week. It had been a most enjoyable day and a great end to our away book club weekend.

















Lessons Learned: If you don't know what you are missing - you won't miss it. When you are in a fog, appreciate what's closest to you. Take Advil before hiking.

Andrew Molera - Big sur Coast

Hidden - Ridge- Panoramic - Bluff Loop
8 miles
1,100 elevation gain
Hiking time: 4 hours
Bill and Julie



I really wanted to do a Big Sur hike. Bill agreed to go to Andrew Molera to our favorite beach. We usually take the beach and then bluff trail which is six miles. I convinced Bill to do the loop hike the Tara, Paul and I had done back in 2006.

This hike has everything - meadow, forest, ridge, mountains, ocean and great panoramas. I thought Bill would like the route because part of it was through the forest and he doesn't like dry, exposed hikes. We got to the trail head at 11:30 after picking up sandwiches in Carmel Valley.

I asked the guy at the entrance if the bridges over the river were up and he said "No, and the water is above knee level." I decided to change into my shorts. I didn't bring my tevas so I walked barefooted to the river which is very close to the parking lot.


The water was cold - I mean refreshing - and in my case went mid thigh deep. I was really glad to have my stick for extra balance and to act as a "third leg". I put on my hiking boots on the far side and we were off. We started on the river tail that parallels the river and the highway.




Everywhere it was lush and green. The wildflowers were already out in force. We saw purple iris, Indian paintbrush and lots of poppies. The lupine wasn't out yet. There was a white flower that I couldn't identify that was everywhere. This is a pleasant trail through twisted coastal oaks. Eventually you come to the Hidden Trail which is steep .9 trail up to the ridge.


The ridge trail gives you a great view of the Santa Lucia mountains and particularly of Pico Blanco. At one point the ridge opens up and you have mountains to the left and ocean to the right. We kept hearing gunshots from the mountains on the other side and hoped they weren't aiming for us.



The ridge trail turned into forest with more oak trees eventually giving way to a redwood grove. One of the things that I like about Andrew Molera is the variety of trees from birch, oak, redwood to evergreens. Butterflies were also out and fluttered around the trail. We reached the top of the ridge and there is a bench and a grand vista of the Point Sur peninsula.

We took a break to eat our sandwiches and enjoyed the hard earned view. We headed down the Panoramic trail. This intersects with the beach - but is deceptive in that you can see the beach - but there are many curves and switchbacks before you get to the trail junction. There were two guys coming up the trail as we headed down, but otherwise the beach was deserted.



It is was much smaller than it has been in the past with big waves breaking close to the shore. The point we usually get around was inaccessible. I soaked my ankles in a little stream running down to the ocean. We hung out the beach for an hour and a half, napping, reading War and Peace (yes, I carried that sucker all the way down) and playing in the water. Bill was mesmerized by the waves and eventually went down the beach exploring a bit. It was an absolutely gorgeous Big Sur kinda day. We could have gladly stayed longer at the beach, but at 3:45 we decided to head back.


It was the first day of daylight savings and so we had gained an hour of sunlight, but still had the drive home before us. The hike out on the bluffs trail was pure bliss. Birds singing, flowers, the ocean glowing. Perfect temperature. All that a hike should be. Good for the heart. Good for the soul. Good for the mind. Good for the body.

We moved at a good pace and it took a little less than an hour to get back to the river crossing. We cut across Creamery Meadows. A group was crossing the stream when we got there who had stripped down to their underwear which was entertaining. The water felt great on my legs and feet. We relaxed at the car for a bit and prepared for a beautiful drive home.



We stopped at Rocky Point for our post celebratory hike drinks - a ritual of which Bill strongly approved. The view from the deck was amazing with Bixby Bridge in the background. It was definitely a day to remember and just what we both needed.


Lessons Learned: Bring a stick when crossing a river. A day in Big Sur in spring can cure all.

Whiskeytown Falls - Redding CA

Whiskeytown Falls
3.6 miles
Unknown elevation
Hiking time: 1.5 hours
Driving time: 1 hour
Hikers: Nick and Julie
Drivers: Sue and Ed

While up in Redding, my 19 year old nephew Nick and I decided to hike up to Whiskeytown Falls. My dad was going to look for mushrooms at the trailhead and mom decided to come along.

I had done this hike last year to the waterfalls and I remembered that time I was alone and pushing to get there and back for dark. I knew we had gone up a windy dirt road to get to the trailhead and I wondered if there would be snow on the road since the mountains around Redding were snow covered.

Mom was our trusty driver and we loaded into the car, getting a little later start than we anticipated. We stopped and looked at the boat ramp above Keswick Dam.
When we got to Whiskeytown I went in and talked to the rangers. I asked how long the hike was and they said 3 hours. 3 hours!!!! I knew it hadn't taken me that long. I asked if the road up was open and they said no problem.

We got back in the car and headed towards Brandy Creek. When I looked at the map and trail instructions I realized that they had us starting at a point on the opposite side of the lake.

Mom was doubtful that we knew where we were going since it didn’t match the directions on the map. Between Dad and I we directed her to a narrow dirt road above Brandy Creek. It was 2 ½ miles to where the road was closed and we hoped that was also the trail head. Mom isn’t used to driving on these kinds of roads.

The further it went the worse the road got. It didn’t help that dad was a front street driver – calling out suggestions such as “to the right, go to the right – watch out for that puddle, speed up, slow down – watch out for the edge!!!!” I gave words of encouragement from the back seat “It’s okay mom, you’re doing fine…” Nick just took it all in and clutched the side of the door.

Finally we made it to the trailhead. It was now 3:00 p.m. and once again we would be pushing sun set on the hike. Mom and Dad were going to stay close to the car and go down to the creek looking for mushrooms.

Nick and agreed that we would turn around at 4:00 p.m. regardless of how far we had gotten.

We started up the trail. It’s all uphill with a gradual grade through a forested trail. We came to the first bridge and there was a giant snow bank on the far side.

The road narrowed and we crossed several creeks. Part of the trail was covered in snow. Both Nick and I were wearing tennis shoes, not hiking boots. We passed two girls who were having trouble with a stream crossing. Then an older couple was coming down the trail with their dog. They warned us that the creek was full, the falls rushing and the rocks slippery. There is a bench at the Lower Falls, but being on a tight schedule we headed right up to the falls.

They were indeed gushing. There are iron railings built in some of the trickier areas. We crossed a board bridge to the other side and then climber up to where we could see the top of the falls. There was one more river crossing – but it looked to tricky to risk. We enjoyed the view then headed back down. I was climbing down a rock, but didn’t realize a stream was running down the rock and I got my butt very wet. It was cold for the rest of the hike down.

We stopped at the board bridge at the bottom and I briefly soaked my Achilles in the ice cold water. It felt great. We headed back down the trail and made it out in record time. Dad had moved the car and was sitting in the driver seat. He drove us out – very uneventfully. No front seat driving comments for were directed at him.

It was quite an adventurous little drive/hike and Nick was a great sport about it all.

Lessons Learned: Front seat driving suggestions are not always helpful. Keep your butt dry.