Logan-SLC-Reno-Point Reyes-Reno-SLC-Logan

Get ready for an ultramarathon of a post...remember how I used to post really long posts way back in the early days of blogging? Well, I am resurrecting that tradition again...at least for this post.

My friend Lindsey took me to the crappiest national park I've ever been to. There was so much scat on the trails that I kept expecting death from hoards of coyotes, horse and small critters with every step I took. Below is a sampling of the stuff...although one picture isn't of poop but of a crap mimic. Can you tell which one?

So one day I get a message from Linds with a crazy fun plan to take a mid winter backpacking trip somewhere warm where you can see the sky and feel the sun. I thought it was a worthy plan. I sure needed a break from the long dreary inversions that have plagued Logan and SLC this winter. And I most desperately needed to go hit the trails with an overloaded pack and lots of laughter.

With miles of road ahead of me I gave a hearty endorsement. Which meant one day I left Logan for SLC to throw a few supplies in my pack and pick up a few audio books at the library. Then bright and early the next morning I was on the road. I took a quick stop in Elko to visit a favorite missionary companion and another pit stop to chat with a friend on the phone while I stretched my legs (FYI there is NO cell phone reception along most of I-80 in Nevada). The trip went decidedly well and I got two more books finished towards my goal of 50.

Anyway, I pulled into Reno right on time. Within a few hours Linds and I were on our way to Point Reyes. We stopped to get snacks outside of Sacramento and for some reason forgot to purchase our food for the trail. Such a silly oversight, don't expect to find flavorful bread and cheese at the mini market near the Park entrance.

We slept in Lindsey's minivan in Point Reyes Station along a shaded quiet street near the police/fire station. It was one of the best sleeps I've had in ages...I am now an avid supporter of minivans. I want one. I want one something bad. And I also want a baby to put in it but that is another story.

We woke up and lazily wandered the town. We stopped at the local grocery store and bought dry flavorless extra sour dough bread, bland swiss cheese, some candy, and a blah avocado. We opted to eat the eclectic assortment of foods I brought from my pantry for the rest of the trip. Obviously food wasn't the purpose of this trip because if it was then we failed. This was obviously a trip about being out in nature, seeing the coast, backpacking, getting away, being warm, seeing the sky, feeling the sun, breathing fresh air, finding clarity, and rekindling positivity.

We bought breakfast at the local Bovine Bakery. The food was divine and indulgent. Linds had a chunk of berry pie and I had a mushroom/goat cheese/artichoke crescent thing. We noticed that this town was rather innovative with their community planning. There was a huge hay barn with a side room literally sandwiched between an attached landscaping supply lot...guess what was in that side room. A yoga studio complete with Himalayan prayer flags to set the mood and help you forget the beeping of forklifts and sweaty swearing men.

Enough long-windedness. Let's get to the pictures.

Here at the trailhead is a group of starlings. There were many more at one point but they got scared by my camera. They were enjoying the cracked wheat I was being generous with.

Here is the start-line. We are fresh and eager. The trail is wide and hard packed. And our bags are heavy...yet not even close to as heavy as they could be.


We were amazed by all the green things we saw. It's January! Lindsey even saw molding poop!!! That would be hard to find in Utah. Molding poop! Who ever heard of such a thing?



Had to stop and take an artsy photo. The trees were so tall and happy...we were happy too.

The evidence of fire.
Finally after 4 miles we spy the coast. That is where we are heading. Yup, right down there to sit in the sun and read books.


This is exactly what we were hoping for. Notice there are no footprints? We were relatively alone on this beach...relatively speaking...and only for a little while.



Second thing we saw on the beach was a dying crab.

He blew bubbles to express his annoyance. Poor guy. It's warm out and the birds look hungry.


At one point in during our relaxing phase the sound of pounding hoofs greeted us as horses ran past us in the surf. How romantic for this couple. I snapped a shot of them casually walking by on their return.

Then it was time to explore the only spot on the beach with "tide pools".

A star fish...but it looks more like a pink blob.

A muscle.

Sea anemones.


Kelp.

The view.

A kelp bed.

Then it was time to set up camp and hurry back to watch the sunset. BUT we got distracted by a rope swing. A ROPE SWING! In a National Park!



But we still made it to the beach and watched the sun set into the sea. How very nice.


Night came next and we slept...or rather tossed and turned. Boy was it cold that night. And the dew came with a vengeance.

Morning took its time coming so I got up and wandered down to the beach in the dark. The tide had come in. Sorry, no wild and crazy stories to tell.

This is what I looked like once the sun came up.

This is what camp looked like. Each campsite was enclosed with bushes so it felt rather private. But we did have neighbors: young Herm (we couldn't tell if he was a her or a him) and two other girls, the guy with the box of wine and the cool brown tent, Snoring man and his buddy (they each had their own tent but I don't think that helped the buddy sleep better because we could hear the snoring way over at our campsite so I imagine his tent walls weren't much of a sound barrier...they should have just brought one tent), a pack of scouts, the strange guys who drug wood around on the beach, and the (single?) mom who biked her son (Aldo or Aldin) and a bike trailer down to the beach.

We packed our stuff and headed on down the coast. We had about 13 miles to cover before the day was through. My greatest regret was that we missed the trail down to Sculptured Beach. I don't know how that happened seeing as all the trails were CLEARLY marked. It looked like the beach had an arch...it would have been so pretty to look at.

But we did walk down to this beach. Where I washed my hair in a small waterfall. And we saw a random art installation.


Look at this sky!!! Look at the breaking waves. Look at the clarity that comes from a jaunt to the beach. I see clarity EVERYWHERE.



Then we headed to Arch Rock where we spent a bit of time watching the waves crash into the rock walls on a hidden beach below.


This is me in the afternoon.

A view from the top of the look out with a rather friendly seagull.

See, this is a very friendly seagull. Tickle, tickle.

Time for meditation.



A look down the coast.


This was a happy moment. See these two little flowers. SOUR GRASS!!! I grew up eating the stalks of this plant. I miss it. So it was a blessing to see these two little beauties. Sorry guys, we ate the only two sour grass stalks I saw in the whole park. Whoops.

Then we made it to our other campsite. We set up the wet tent and laid out our wet bags and clothes to dry while we took a late afternoon jaunt 3 miles down the beach to see the much talked about waterfall. Hmm, seemed a bit less than grand. It was here that we encountered the most people on the whole trip. Lots of young fresh people on dates. I guess this is a popular day hike.


Later we were buzzed by a plane.

We got to watch the sun set into the ocean again. Very pretty.


Then back 3 miles to our campsite. It was uphill the whole way back but Linds and I pretty much ran because at sea level we had the strength of a hundred horses.

This is what I looked like on the last day. Since I didn't have a mirror I relied on my camera to make sure I was not offending anyone with my homely appearance. The bandanna was extremely necessary at this point.

This is the hike out. Good-bye greenery.

The because I am such a sucker for a fun hike I stayed in Reno overnight to hike up the little hill behind Lindsey's house in the wee hours of the morning.


Afterwards I drove back to SLC after stopping in Elko for a second brief visit with the ol' mission pal. And then after sleeping in my bed for a few hours I was off to Logan for work. Quick whirlwind trip. I need to do this more often...where should I go next month for a good little 3 day backpacking trip?