Trails Challenge Wrapup, November 30, 2012

For six glorious months in 2012, we had a solemn duty to run off to Point Reyes at every opportunity. We did that eleven times. We sampled at least one trail in each of the designated "Five Habitats" while also racking up 51 trail miles: In the process, we learned a little both about the territory and about our own current physical abilities and limits.

What stands out:
-Taking a familiar trail up Mount Wittenberg and coming down on a new one to us, the extra-lush Meadow Trail;
-The complex estuarine shorelines on upper Estero Trail;
-Finally getting past Bass Lake to the Alamere Falls overlook;
-The deep-woodsy stillness of south-end Ridge Trail;
-Maybe most of all, a quiet half-hour or so spent just sitting on a bench at the top of Bucklin Trail, taking in our surroundings. We've resolved to make "just sitting" a regular practice, whether out "in nature" or at home with Hanukkah or Shabbat candles.

After all this, we still may not be able to tell a crow from a raven, but at least we finally know our way around Point Reyes. At least Alice, the map maven (see October 21 "Bull Bleep" hike), does. I never used to be able to remember where Abbott's Lagoon was, or how to reach the Limantour Road, or the difference between the two roads that go northish from the Visitors' Center. Now I have all that in my head. And I even know which side of Creamery Bay Bull Point Trail is on.

We've also learned about some other parts of the park we want to see in future:
-We want to visit the burial place of Representative Clem Miller, the park's legislative sponsor, somewhere near Arch Rock.
-We found out there are actually some redwood trees within park limits--but apparently they're in the off-trail wilds south of Pablo Point.
-We learned the safe way to reach the Alamere Falls beach, via Wildcat Camp, and we want to do that.
-We want to climb Teixeira Trail, the one that we failed to get to twice. It starts out with a ford, so we'll plan to do it in the dry season.
-When the tide tables are favorable, we want to visit Sculptured Beach. If the tide tables are really favorable, we could see tidepools.

What we really want is to cover all 150 trail miles. No deadline, just an intention. On the face of it, we can't do it. There are places in the park we just can't get to, since our limit now is about eight miles a day and our backpacking days are over. But maybe we could still do ten miles on a summer day, with careful planning and pacing. And maybe we could still pack in for a campout if we didn't bother with a tent. We'll see.

Our trail summary, by habitat:

Ocean Shoreline: Limantour Spit Trail, Coast Trail (Palomarin to Alamere Falls)
Coastal Scrub: Abbott's Lagoon Trail
Estuarine Wetlands and Waterways: Estero Trail / Sunset Beach Trail; Estero Trail (loop including Muddy Hollow Trail / Glenbrook / Muddy Hollow Road)
Grasslands / Pastoral Zone: Tomales Point Trail, Bull Point Trail (two attempts before we found the actual trail)
Coniferous Woodland: Inverness Ridge Trail, Mount Wittenberg Trail / Meadow Trail, Ridge Trail from Palomarin.