Ringing in the New Year! Andrew Molera Loop: Bluffs, Panorama, and Ridge Trails - 8.8

To Ring in 2010 we chose to do the Andrew Molera loop in Big Sur.
I'd like to note that we've avoided Andrew Molera State Park in the past because Scott's coastal access guide said it was a bird sanctuary, and I hate birds...mistake of the decade! This hike was absolutely breathtaking, and lets you savor the beautiful views of Big Sur that are usually only a blur while driving along Highway 1.

We started in the parking lot and after about 10 steps realized we had to cross a rushing river (by foot) because the seasonal bridge had been removed for the Steelhead Trout migration. At this point I was ready to call it a day, and assumed Scott was too, but as I turned to head back toward the parking area, I saw him taking off his shoes and socks...I guess we're crossing the river!

Once we crossed the FREEZING river our hike was underway. After about a mile we came to a beach that was absolutely covered in birds (they weren't kidding when they said this was a bird watchers paradise)! Deciding to pass on "bird beach", we walked around a bend and onto the Bluff Trail. The name honestly says it all. You hike along the beautiful, massive bluffs you see all along the Big Sur coast.

It was pretty flat for a while, and we were making great time, when all of a sudden the Bluff Trail turned into the Panorama Trail, and we started going up...1,100 feet up, to be exact. We encountered a few switchbacks (which is when the trail basically zig-zags back and forth because it's too steep to tackle head-on. Needless to say, I HATE switchbacks), some mud, a few fake summits (damn it), and finally made it to the top.

There were a handful of people at the top enjoying sandwiches, beers, etc., and taking in the views. We joined them for a brief snack before making our descent down the Ridge Trail.

Since this is a loop, the trail down was completely different from the trails up. It was a pretty gradual descent, which means it would have been a very gradual ascent. That said, I like the way we did it, a quick uphill battle rather than a slow, painful, climb. Similar to the views on the Bluff Trail, it was amazing to observe the Santa Lucia Mountains the entire way down. You don't realize how impressive they are from the Highway!

It didn't take long at all to get down (about an hour, compared to a little over two on the way up), and once we were done we couldn't believe we had actually hiked in the new year (we didn't even have to battle a hang-over)!

NOTE: Scott got his first case of Poison Oak on this one while he had his shoes off to cross the river (I dodged the bullet by wearing my shoes through the river). Maybe we should have gone back to the parking lot, after all :).

This brings our 2010 total to: 8.8 miles.
http://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_moleraloop.html