By Louie Ferrera

Yesterday was as picturesque a bluebird sky day as there could possibly be, the temperature Goldilocks perfect. Summertime, and the livin’ is definitely easy. It was Multiples of Eight Day (8/16/24), a day not to be repeated for another hundred years! Carol, Denali and I celebrated this momentous occasion by driving out to Point Reyes for an adventure. We parked at the Coast Trail trailhead, laced up our hiking boots and headed out. Whenever I enter the mystical forcefield that is Point Reyes National Seashore my body buzzes with anticipation as magic always seems to be at foot. The light here is different than anywhere else and the air is always tinged with possibility.

We began our hike along a narrow, sun-splashed trail that offered little shade. Our path was lined with coyote bush, lupine, wild cucumber, blackberries and delicate, orange monkey flowers. A few bay laurel trees provided the occasional pool of shade. A soft breeze cooled the sweat on our bodies. After the initial climb we crested a hill and were rewarded with sweeping views of the endless blue Pacific a mile or so to the west. Being midday, the birds all seemed to be taking their siestas, save for the ubiquitous turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks riding the thermals high above us, describing slow, lazy circles against the azure blue.

Down, down we went, the breeze becoming stronger and the whitecaps more visible the closer we got to the sea. The trail ended at the bluffs overlooking the southern end of expansive, crescent-shaped Limantour Beach. It was an easy scramble down to the sand where we plopped down and immediately tucked into our Jersey Mike’s sub sandwiches. A group of Heerman’s Gulls were our companions, they plied the surf line digging for creatures in the sand. This is a handsome bird; two-toned grey with white stripes on its black-tipped tail feathers and a ruby red tip to its beak. White gulls with black wing tips wheeled overhead. The surf was gentle, the vibe sublime.

After cat naps we decided to continue our hike. The view along this stretch of the Coast Trail is breathtaking! The dun colored hills above the beach standing in perfect relief against a cloudless sky, the sweeping curve of Limantour Beach visible all the way to Chimney Rock, the westernmost point in the park. We took our time and enjoyed the view. Denali heads back to school this week so we wanted to have one more outing with her before she took off. Not every 20 year old wants to spend time with their parents but Carol and I have nurtured a close and loving relationship with both of our kids. A day like this is the reward for that nurturing.

In a half mile or so the trail veers away from the bluff and begins to wind gradually uphill and inland. We enter a short section of deep forest and deeper mystery. The tree cover is dense, the color mint green and soothing, the wind moving through the leaves like a whisper. We spy a large, round hole about ten feet up the trunk of a trailside snag.  I bet if we staked this tree out, an owl would fly out at sunset. We emerge from the forest to the stunning sight of montbretia (falling star) flowers growing along one side of the trail. With everything so far being muted browns and greens, the brilliant scarlet of these iris-like flowers literally vibrated. Any hike I do at Point Reyes is always a journey, complete with some kind of wondrous and unexpected event thrown in. We had ours today at a tiny pond at the end of the flower patch.

The murky, brown water of the pond was ringed with duckweed, tiny water striders skated across its surface. All around was the green of the forest. Carol spotted what she initially thought were fish. Upon further investigation these “fish” turned out to be California Newts, lots of them! We watched in wonder as these creatures glided just below the surface, rising occasionally to nip at an insect then just as quickly disappearing again. Newts move awkwardly on land but in water they are graceful swimmers. We were mesmerized by this newt ballet. There were many tiny fish swimming about as well. Of course eagle-eyed Denali spotted the snake, a tiny reptile about three inches long and as thin as an earthworm. It zig-zagged its way through the water to the shore where we picked it up, taking turns holding in the palm of our hand. Snakes are shy and elusive so a  close encounter like this doesn’t happen very often. This was a classic Point Reyes moment where time seemed to stand still. We bid goodbye to the newts and the snake and continued on our way.

The last mile of the hike was a slow ramble, the trail widening and opening up as we climbed out of the forest. At the end we saw a laminated sign tacked to the trail sign. It described in detail how one month ago a mountain lion had killed a deer at the Coast Camp (we walked through the camp on our way to the beach). A stark reminder that Point Reyes is a truly wild place in more ways than one.