1/9/10. Tomales Point Trail - 9.5

Scott and I have been to Point Reyes and Tomales Bay (for oysters) countless times; however,we have yet to hike in this region. I got to pick the hike so I chose the Tomales Point Trail.

It was pretty cold the day we went, so we wore way too many layers (better safe than sorry, but I got hot after about 5 minutes, so I got to lug my down jacket around for 10 miles. Awesome.). The trail started out relatively easy. The views at the beginning were breathtaking. We were able to see Point Reyes and mile after mile of the Point Reyes Sea Shore. Something that always amazes me about California is the sheer cliffs and the rocky coastline. I always make a point never to get too close because one misstep and you're a goner (and I misstep often).

It didn't take very long to realize that the hike I picked, because it looked easy, was in fact the opposite. There was a pretty consistent incline with some steep moments mixed in. This trail wasn't a loop, so while it's exciting to hit the patches of trail that descend (my lungs really appreciate the break), it's also troublesome as these patches will be the uphill portion on the way back.

We read at the beginning of the trail that we may see some Elk...and boy, did we see Elk. The first group we saw was really close to the trail, so of course I convinced myself the male was going to charge us and got out of there as fast as I could (I was responsible for Scott's Flip video camera, so we obviously didn't get any footage. Oops.). The second group of Elk was a little farther away so we slowed down a bit to observe them, but I was still pretty terrified!

The latter half of the hike still had ocean views (rough life), but the landscape was a bit more barren, and I was starting to get tired (which means I stop appreciating how beautiful nature is and remembering how comfortable the heated seats of my car are). Once we saw the sign that said "Tomales Point" we knew we were close to our destination, so spirits lifted a bit.

We walked all the way to the end of the point. I was actually a bit nervous to be so close to the water (the book says, and I quote, "...a tiny path drops straight down to the tip of the point, but I don't recommend this option"), but the views were worth it. We saw thousands of starfish clinging to the rocks, hundreds of birds, beautiful tide pools, and a small coastal town we think was Dillon Beach.

The way back was a bit more difficult than the way there. The incline seemed steeper, which may just be because we were exhausted. We saw the same Elk on the way back, but I was too tired to be scared so we just walked past like they weren't even there. It wasn't until we approached the first group of Elk that we saw what I consider to be the highlight of my hiking career: two Elk mating! I was shocked (we do have photos, but I'll leave them off the blog)! I've only seen animals mating on Discovery Channel, and even then I wonder how they catch a moment like that on film. Even though I was tired, all I could think (and giggle...really mature) about the rest of the way to the parking area was the "Elk 'doing it'".

We had a fabulous time, but we did realize that 9.5 miles is pretty exhausting. We didn't eat enough to fuel a hike that length, so moving forward we'll be sure to stuff our faces before we tackle something as challenging (if that's not a good reason to pig out, I don't know what is)!

This brings our 2010 total to: 25.5 miles.