Thursday 23 August 2018
O and I are in no hurry this morning. It is only 4.3 miles to Coast Camp,mostly downhill. We rehydrate our matzah brei and sip 2 cups of coffee each. We are not on the trail until almost 10:20. I think I have packed more efficiently today. My gear fits in my Gregory pack much better.
We begin today’s hike through a tall tree and brush “canyon.” We cannot see much beyond the trail’s edge. After a bit more than a mile we descend down the Woodward Valley Trail. In two miles, we reach Coast Trail. By 12:40 we have arrived at Coast Camp, site 5. From here we can hear the ocean surf clearly. The vegetation around our site is tall brush. There is no shade as we set up Nemo. Today we are seeing more blue sky than we have seen since our arrival at Point Reyes. We slather sunscreen on face and neck. The rest of us is protected by clothing.
After lunch we walk back along the trail to find Sculpted Beach, 1.5 miles away. Along the path we see song sparrows, white throated sparrows, lizards, deer and a garter snake. We finally find the way down to the beach and descend some steep steps. On the beach is a giant bleached whale rib. Someone has constructed a little shrine here with flowers and shells. The beach appears to have gotten its name from beautifully eroded rocks and pillars. While we explore O watches a small fleet of fishing trawlers off the coast. There are many pelicans and cormorants here also interested in fishing.
As the afternoon wears on we return to camp where we spy an osprey soaring overhead. Black tailed deer stand on the main path and stare into our campsite as if wondering whether we have anything good for them to eat.
Dinner is finished, dishes are washed and stored in the food locker. We will have time to wander down to the beach before sunset. We sit close to the water’s edge daring the waves to chase us away as we watch trawlers at work beyond the kelp. A few times we see a furry face rise above the swell eyeing the beach: a seal, perhaps looking for a sandy bed for the night.