Point Reyes National Seashore
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Tomales Point Point Reyes National Seashore |
September 30, 2016
Autumn traditionally is elk-rutting season. Friends Linda, Dave and Eileen have come over here to watch them do just that. Unfortunately, it might be a bit too late in the season to view any jousting.
Getting started at the old Upper Pierce Ranch
The barn is empty
The weather is good, albeit windy as expected. The trail rates to be soft sand pretty much all the way.
This Woolly Bear Caterpillar will become an Isabella
Tiger Moth, if it stays off the trail
It isn't long before a small group of elk appears.
All these guys appear to be females
Cow Parsnip
Hairy Gumweed
McClures Beach is inviting
The animals seem relatively unconcerned with our presence, but they are constantly vigilant anyway. They also are farther away than they appear in these photographs.
The ocean views are great
One of many unnamed and relatively inaccessible beaches
There is some climbing to do
Common or not, these Buckeyes are beautiful
Overlooking the San Andreas Rift
Yes, a major earthquake right now could leave us stranded on a
little island — if it were to remain above water at all.
That's Bodega Head in the distance
California Poppy
Bull Thistle
Just a couple miles to the north, albeit nearly forty miles by road, is a typical coastal community.
Dillon Beach
In the lead, Linda and Eileen veer off on a spur trail toward a rocky
prominence. This proves most serendipitous, because otherwise we
would have missed out on the best photo-op of the day:
This is why I go hiking
Those rams actually are several hundred feet away; but that's what a
fast zoom lens can do. As a comparison I am using two different
cameras today. My new Panasonic TZ-70 has a whopping
30× zoom; but so far its results are not as sharp as than those
achieved by my beloved Olympus Stylus-1, which I just had
repaired after bending its battery compartment door out of whack.
Looking north toward the tip of Tomales Point
Bushwhacking back down to the trail
Presently we encounter a nice pond that is barely discernible on the map.
Lounging around the lake are a number of elk
Lounging in the lake are a number of mallard ducks
This appears to be the area's social hotspot.
At the time, no one noticed the Great Blue Heron in the group
After taking a couple dozen photos of that scene, we proceed downward toward the pond, where the views are even better.
This seems to be a stag party
Of the nineteen animals in view, all but one have antlers. Go figure.
What a life
A threesome from the Washington, D.C. area is here, having flown over for a week of vacationing. Apparently, after touring San Francisco, they had considered a drive up to Lake Tahoe; yet visiting something such as Yosemite Park was not even on their radar.
The greater mystery, though, is that these folk, who spend their daily lives on the Atlantic Ocean, would come all this way just to gravitate toward another ocean. Clearly they had not sought guidance at Ted's World, or they would have headed directly for the mountains.
A great place for a lunch break
Although we are but two-thirds of the way to the end of the trail, our mission has essentially been accomplished; so we call it a day and start back.
Southward view
As Linda is telling us about snakes, and how a northern-state park occasionally is closed due to an overabundance of rattlers, we run right into this guy casually sunning itself on the warm sand:
A two-foot Coast Garter Snake
Allowing plenty of time for photographs, the guy doesn't move until we actually begin to walk right up to it.
Close-up
Hog Island in Tomales Bay
The name Hog Island reportedly came from a bizarre 1870s incident in which a barge carrying a load of pigs caught fire and was grounded on the island to avoid sinking. The pigs escaped onto the island until they were rounded up again.
Most of the females are hanging out over there
McClures Beach is occupied
My companions don't look much the worse for wear
A closer view of Hog Island
The Inverness Yacht Club hosts an annual sailboat race, in which the boats sail from the club, around the island, and back to the club again.
Back at the ranch
§: Well, I had a great time today. This was the best
wildlife-viewing of any hike I can remember. If you don't
care whether the male elk are fighting, one can visit at most any time
of year. The animals will be here.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Wildlife |  |
| Solitude | |
Here are a few more shots taken by my alternate camera:
