Point Lobos Natural Reserve

Ahhhhhhhh.........Fresh Air!

There is nothing in life I enjoy more than the smell of the fresh sea air on a bright sunny day.

Crisp! Salty! Alive! We wasted no time getting outside once there was a break in the endless rain. Our destination was just down the road to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve just south of beautiful Carmel by the Sea.

Note a very happy Jenni on the coastal trail

 Rowan wasn't quite feeling like herself yet when we got started on our hike. She needed a couple of lady finger cookies to get her in the hiking mood (thanks, Nancy :o)

We had been on the coast trail for only a very short time before we spotted our first Southern Sea Otter having a little nap on its back. 
Otter info. from the reserve flyer: These otters were once found along the coast from British Columbia in Canada to Baja CA in Mexico but were nearly hunted to extinction for their dense, luxurious fur. Today, this threatened species is making a slow but steady comeback, with about 2,900 sea otters now ranging across more than 300 miles in central California. About 60-70 sea otters are routinely counted in the waters along Point Lobos. We looked for  them around seaweed beds, their favorite place to hunt and nap.

A little history about the Point Lobos sea shore: Evidence of mortars hollowed out of bedrock and mounds of shells indicate Native Americans gathered and prepared food here over a period of thousands of years. A permanent settlement was never established, because fresh water disappeared during summer and fall. Similar to the changing weather patterns today. Hmmmmmmm......... The Europeans arrived here in 1769. Point Lobos, at various times, was a pasture for livestock, the site of a waling station, an abalone fishery and cannery, a granite and gravel quarry and a shipping point for coal mined nearby. Chinese fisherman, Portuguese whalers and Japanese abalone divers all worked these lands and waters for a living. Proof that immigrants helped to build this country! 
In 1898, A.M. Allan bought the land and the area became a part of the California State Park system in 1933. The park today includes 554 acres. In 1960, 775 submerged acres were added, creating the nation's first underwater reserve.

The cliffs and coves are very dramatic

The rugged coast trail is covered with coastal live oaks, Monterey cypress and Monterey pine. The Monterey pine forest in Point Lobos is one of only three native stands of this tree. Considered the most important cultivated tree in the world today, the Monterey pine is grown for timber in extensive plantations in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

This photo was taken along the North Shore Trail

The live oaks along the trails are covered in Spanish moss (notice the tree to the left behind me). I couldn't resist putting some on to do my ZZ Top impression.

As we went south along the cliffs we merged onto the Cypress Grove Trail and Cypress Cove. This trail winds through one of only two naturally growing stands of Monterey cypress trees remaining on Earth! (The other grove is across Carmel Bay at Cypress Point).

Rowan standing along the trail under the massive Monterey cypress trees.

As we were standing looking out from Cypress Cove, we could see Gray Wales spouting off in the distance (impossible to get that in a photo). The wales migrate through here between December and May.

The scenery along the coast is so captivating it is hard to remember to pay attention where you are walking. It is critical to stay on the trails and out of the bushes. Poison Oak is one of the most plentiful shrubs in the Reserve. The oils from this shrub are evil! It gets on you and your clothes and spreads everywhere. You won't know you have even been exposed until 3 days after you have touched it. Suddenly, you will start itching and breaking out in blisters. This will last for about 3-4 weeks! Best practice is to stay out of the bushes and in the middle of the trail at all times. Strip your clothes off and wash them and you immediately once you get home. I am telling you this from my experience growing up in this region. You want to avoid the itchy and scratchy show :o)

The evil weed

 The view from the point of the Allan Memorial Cypress Grove

Our 3 hour walk took us further south along the South Sore Trail and Devil's Caldron, Sea Lion Cove, Sand Hill Cove and to Weston Beach and Hidden Beach where there are wonderful tide pools to explore.

The one thing you NEVER DO is turn your back on the ocean while you are exploring the tide pools. I stood near the oceans edge and watched the waves for about 10 minutes before I looked down to start exploring the tide pools. You can see how close the waves got to me in that time.

I backed up about 20 feet from here before I started looking down :o)

We got lost for quite some time looking at all of the sea life in the tide pools. I could do this all day! So much life in these little pools.

This little crab was having a bite to eat while is crab friend looked on

The rocks express their own beauty too. I am pretty sure this is an example of granodiorite rock which comes from molten quartz.

This is my favorite video of the tide pools.

I call it the hermit crab jamboree.

We came across this artist painting the coastline. What a wonderful way to spend this perfect sunny afternoon.

Just before we left the coast trail to hike back to the car, I looked down and saw this very alien looking face in the sedimentary rock (or could that be mortars where the Indians had ground their corn?). Seems the aliens have been following us since we paid that visit to Roswell, NM a few weeks ago.........Hmmmmmmm, Should I take this as a sign?

Oh, dear.............We found Nina like this when we got back to the house. I think it is a sign!!! I mean, haven't they already taken over Washington?

HA!!!!

More from the beautiful Carmel coast in my next post.