After a month and a half of incessant rain, we finally experience what spring is like. In good time too, I was about to pick up kayaking :-P And so, it's time to visit
Point Reyes again.
After a 3-hour drive, I elected on a very easy ride this late afternoon: Coast Trail from Point Reyes AYH Hostel. The signs indicate a distance of 2.9 miles to Coast Camp (beyond which the trail is illegal to bicyclists). This is a good trail to introduce beginners to mountain biking. The terrain is mainly gravel, interspersed with sandy sections. Apart from the obvious ruts, hazards are non-existent. There is very little climbing too. As for the scenery... well, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
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Map of today's ride. 598 track points (blue diamonds) laid by the
GPS unit.
TOPO!'s elevation profile.
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'Chose not to park by the trailhead. There's better parking a 1/4 mile ahead by the Laguna trailhead. I like my vehicle level. That, and you only need to experience what it feels like to have your vehicle stuck in mud, sand or gravel on a soft shoulder once.
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Coast trailhead. Current temperature is a very pleasant 62 F (16.7 C).
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The trail is mainly hardpack, gravel and sand, flanked by greenery on either side.
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The trail goes over a bridge here. This creek drains the watershed between the two ridges. After the bridge, the creek meanders, inundates the ground, eventually turning the area into marshland.
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The area after the bridge is curious: on the left of the trail is is a steep slope, on the right is the marsh.
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Shortly after, the trail opens up to the coast (looking back). If I have to capture it in a phrase, I would say the trail resembles a dry creek bed.
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A wider view.
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Heading east, Coast Trail parallels the beach in this section.
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Getting closer.
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Closer still.
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Father and son on a deserted Santa Maria Beach. At one point, the Dad was performing cartwheels, much to the amusement of his kid, who ended up chasing him.
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Coast Camp: a Boy Scout troop was camping here. I watched as the Scout Master demonstrated to his young charges how to set up and light a camping stove.
More about
bike camping in the SF Bay Area.
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I really wanted to get to the rock outcrop but alas (see sign).
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Although the picnic tables at Coast Camp are sheltered from the wind, they are also blocked from a view of the ocean. Unacceptable. And so, I postponed an already late lunch and, while riding back, searched for a better spot for lunch.
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Found one: a sand dune with a partially excavated top. It gave me the best of both worlds: gorgeous views and yet, shelter from the cold easterly winds. (Yes, I'm greedy like that).
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Lunch at 6:11 PM.
Location:
N 38 degrees 1.286 minutes
W 122 degrees 52.069 minutes
6:32 PM: *Burp!*
All packed and ready to go!
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Heading back.
Epilogue:
Total distance: cyclo-computer 7.2 miles (11.52 km) /
GPS 7.36 miles (11.78 km) /
TOPO! 7.17 miles (11.47 km).
Total elevation climbed: Altimeter 580 ft (176.8 m) /
GPS +
TOPO! 367 ft (111.9 m).
Temperature range: 53 F to 62 F (11.7 C to 16.7 C).
Fluids consumed: 0 fl. oz. of
CytoMax, 8 fl. oz. of hot Apple Cider (lunch).
Ride conducted solo.
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