Over the holidays Katelyn and I tried to fit in as many hikes as we could, balancing weather and her work schedule. We did a total of 7 hikes, not counting Helen Putnam, our favorite regional park. This blog is the first in a series to summarize the hikes for you.
First of all, this hike had absolutely amazing scenery. You could see the ocean almost the entire time, and most of the time we were hiking through fields that were mostly grass, but there were interesting rocks and trees, and we came close to the forest and saw some really cute cows!
We learned something new with each hike. On a prior hike, we had learned to pay attention to the map, both before we went and as we were hiking. Conveniently, halfway through the hike there was a "reminder map", so we took a photo. Then we promptly forgot to "pay attention to the map as we went". We intended to do the "coastal prairie loop" but ended up continuing down the hill on the "wildflower loop trail", walking right by the "closed" signs. Luckily some other hikers caught us halfway down the trail, and we turned around. Otherwise we would have gotten all the way down to Jenner and then figured out we had to hike back up the hill or brave the treacherous (by foot) Highway 1. We were pretty worn out by the time we finished but I definitely want to go back and try the Russian Gulch Trail or hike further on Sea to Sky.
In the map above you can see the Sentinel Point. There is actually a telescope mounted there, and a slight platform. We took a few minutes to catch our breath and eat a snack and enjoy the view. Highly recommended, especially because we saw whales spouting while we were sitting there. So exciting! See if you can spot it in this video...
After that it was a fairly easy uphill trail, with some interesting trees. When you walked close to this one you could see the ocean through it.
We continued along a rocky road until we reached the Red Barn. Just before the barn was a bunch of naturalized narcissus.
One had a huge bumblebee on it. Another bonus for this hike! Maybe that's why we missed the closed sign after the red barn. Or else we were distracted by the cute cows!
One of the things I noticed on this hike and others is that they have a very creative way of allowing hikers to cross fences while keeping cows in. Where I grew up, there would be a gate and an unaware city slicker would inadvertently leave the gate open, allowing the animals in where you didn't want them. Clearly, they're used to city slickers here and came up with this clever solution.
For this part of the hike we were heading down the hill on Wildflower Trail. We saw this herd of cows and later learned they are a breed called "Belted_Galloway ".
Our kids called them "highway patrol cows" or I've heard others call them "oreo cows". Whatever you call them, they're cute!
After the excitement of turning around and heading down the hill AFTER the red barn as we were supposed to, I was interested to see the place on the map called "treebeard". Admit it, that caught your eye on the map too, didn't it!?! Unfortunately, there were some other hikers there so we didn't get to fully explore it, but it was a huge tree, growing over a rock, and all underneath it was this natural playhouse that would have been a great time when you were a kid. We'll have to go back!
After that the hike was pretty uneventful. The trail wound down the hill, and we approached Highway 1. Some enterprising folks actually parked in a turnout and hiked backwards from the direction we took, so that's a good tip if the parking lot is full. You cross a creek and head back up the hill toward the parking lot. By now we definitely didn't want to hike UPHILL but luckily there was one more stand of narcissus to distract us.
All in all, this was a great hike. It was definitely a good idea to take a snack break and drink lots of water. On a hot day this might not be such a good hike because there is very little shade. But bonus points for a nice bathroom near the parking lot.
We went on a holiday, and even though we were there fairly early it was a bit crowded. But most of the trail allowed for easy social distancing so it wasn't a bit deal. We ended up parking down the road since the parking lot was full, but it was an easy trek back to the beginning of the trail.
We have a new tradition, which is to treat ourselves to a delicious meal after our hikes. For this one, since we were driving back through the town of Sebastopol we stopped at our favorite cafe http://www.eastwestcafesebastopol.com/ . Katelyn greatly enjoyed the Macro Bowl.
I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of this hike, along with the surprises we experienced. What we are finding on each hike is that there is always new learning and unexpected bonuses along the way. Stay tuned for the other 6 hikes!
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