Hiking the Glorious Coastline of Garrapata State Park

Date: September 3, 2023

Place: Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California

Coordinates: 36.452108, -121.925669

Length: 2 miles

Level: easy plus

Nearing the end of a very busy day Pappa Quail and I made the time to squeeze yet another activity - a short hike at Garrapata State Park. The second day of our Labor Day weekend outing started with a whale watching cruise and continued with a hike to the beach and on the hills of Andrew Molera State Park at the north end of the Big Sur. On our drive back north we stopped at the south parking area of Garrapata State Park, right below Soberanes Point and went on a hike. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS. The GPS started recording about a third of a mile into the trail. 

A low cypress near the trailhead provided a perch for our first sighted wildlife on the hike, and Pappa Quail captured it beautifully. 

Butterfly

 What grabbed my attention immediately was the magnificent view of the coastline. By the time we arrived at Garrapata State Park only a handful hints of clouds remained and both sky and ocean were brilliant blue. The coastal cliffs formed coves and points, and an ocean band off shore was strewn with jagged rocks, pinnacles, and islets. It looked both wild an beautiful, inviting and dangerous at the same time. 

Garrapata Coast line, view north

On the south loomed Soberanes Point - a cone-shaped hill covered with chaparral, between Highway 1 and the ocean. My navigator showed a trail surrounding the hill and we debated whether to hike around the hill on that trail. 

Soberanes Point 

The other option was to go on an in-and-out trail to the north side of the park. After a short conversation we decided on the best option - we'll hike both. Starting with the north trail spur we turned right and started moving northward. As always, I turned my attention to the local vegetation. 

California Blackberry, Rubus ursinus 

To see off season bloom the coastal area is the best bet. There weren't lots of wildflowers, but there in Garrapata we saw more bloom than on any of the other places we've visited that weekend. 

Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus

From the lip of the cliffs we had a great view down below, and it looked beautiful and scary. The ocean danced between rock pillars that protruded from the surface. I love being in the waves but I don't think I could have survived even 5 minutes in these currents (not even considering the water temperature).

Whirlpools

The rock pillars were a calm and perfect sanctuary for the sea-faring birds. Pappa Quail quickly found what he was looking for, and started photographing. 

Brandt Cormorants and Western Gulls

Outside the off-shore rock islet area the water was much calmer. I was lulled into a near hypnosis by the movement of the the slow incoming waves. 

Enjoying the rise and fall of the ocean pulse were a few sea birds, and Pappa Quail soon focused his attention on them. 

Western Gull

The swimming gulls remained afloat the entire time. The cormorants  in the water would take a plunge every now and then, to go hunt for fish. 

Brandt Cormorant

The trail took us away from the cliff and near Highway 1 where the north parking area of the park was, hidden behind a grove of dark Monterey cypresses. The path was flanked by California buckwheat shrubs, and they were in bloom. 

Trail

The California buckwheat has a long bloom season. The pinkish-white flowers patterned nicely with the rusty post-bloom fruiting heads. 

California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum 

Past the north entrance of the park we walked down to the cliffs again. The view of the coastline north of the park was no short of stunning. The beauty of the rugged, sharp rocks, both connected and off the shoreline gave the entire coastal strip a wild, outlandish look. The Pacific Ocean was reasonably peaceful but I could see the power of the waves gnawing constantly at the land, forming this marvelous landscape.

From the coastline view point we moved more t the north along the cliff. Pappa Quail was looking for birds but wasn't opposed to photographing other winged wildlife.

 Butterfly on Seaside Golden Yarrow, Eriophyllum staechadifolium

Pappa Quail also photographed for me some dudleya plants that were blooming far away from my camera's wide lens' reach.

Sea Lettuce, Dudleya farinosa

We passed through the cypress grove and reached the north end of the trail where we had a nice view f the cove below us. I was hypnotized  by the motion of the kelp heads as they bobbed up and down in the waves. 

As it turned out, not all the brown bumps bobbing up and down in the water were kelp. Pappa Quail identified one of them as a sea otter, and pointed it out to me. The otter dived every few minutes, then resurfaced and rolled on its back to eat what it brought from the bottom. That was an exciting sighting. 

Sea Otter

After some time we turned south and started back down the same trail we came on. Off shore along the south coastline were a few islet rocks, and the barks of sea lions carried over from them. 

Once again we passed through the cypress grove. My eyes took a few seconds to adjust and in those seconds the canopied path looked very dark, like a deep tunnel. 

Without much verbal exchange, as if reading each other's mind, Pappa Quail and I continued straight away to the trail that surrounded Soberanes Point. We passed the trail junction and continued on the west, circumventing the hill counterclockwise. 

 Soberanes Point.

For a while, the trail kept us very close to the cliff edge. From there we could look right down the coves below. 

On top of the cliff bloomed more wildflower species than I've seen on the north side of the park. Many of them were composites, like the California asters, which were numerous along that part of the trail. 

California Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense

Seaside daisies were also a common sight along the Soberanes Point trail, at least on the west side of it, in reach of the ocean misty, salty spray. 

Seaside Daisy, Erigeron glaucus

From the south side of the park we got as close as we could to the off shore islet rocks. I kept hearing the sea lions but I couldn't see them with my naked eye. 

Even with using the full strength of his birding lens, Pappa Quail got and image of only dark, sleek spots on the rock. These were the sea lions, calling in the wind during their siesta. 

Unable to see the sea lions without the air of powerful optics, I returned my attention to the vegetation at hand.  

Island Morning Glory, Calystegia macrostegia

Ericameria bushes were blooming, forming large yellow patches on the hillside and on the cliff top extended from the hill. Butterflies and bees were active around these bushes. 

Mock Heather, Ericameria ericoides

less conspicuous were the wirelettuce plans, wearing their delicate, pink blossoms along nearly naked gray stems. 

Rod Wirelettuce, Stephanomeria virgata

A flock of pelicans flew overhead. Pappa Quail didn't bother raising his camera, but I took a few photos. 

Pacific Brown Pelican

The coves on the south side of the park were much narrower, like channels cut into the rock. The waves crashed into the narrow gaps, splashing almost as hike as where we stood, then receded gently back, only to come in again in an endless rhythm. 

Cove

As it turned out, Pappa Quail was interested in the pelicans after all. He simply focused on the birds that were sitting on a far away rock, not on those that were flying.  

Pacific Brown Pelican

Above us to the east loomed Soberanes Point. The hill itself looked nicely green and on its summit grew what looked like a pine tree. We could see the main trail somewhat above us - that was the trail we needed to connect with in order to complete the loop around the hill.  

Soberanes Point 

The trail wee were on continued for a bit longer along the cliff edge and from where we stood it looked like there would be a way to connect with the main around trail further on, so we resumed walking south along the coastline.  

In that area I spotted a patch of milkvetch in bloom. Milkvetch plants can be very local in their range, and this ne was no exception.  

Loco Weed, Astragalus nuttallii

It looked like most of the milkvetch plants in that patch I saw were already past their peak bloom, and were well into their fruiting stage. 

Loco Weed, Astragalus nuttallii

Further down the trail the view to the coastline on the south opened up more. It didn't look as rugged as the coastline on the north. The cliffs were not sheer and platforms of dark, sun-baked rocks extended from the bottom of the cliffs into the ocean. 

Pappa Quail pointed out to me something on those dark rock platforms below. It took me a long while to see what he was pointing at - a small group of oystercatcher birds were standing there, perfectly camouflaged despite their bright red bills and their loud calls. 

Black Oystercatcher

Eventually the trail curved eastward and we followed it into the thick chaparral. The path narrowed considerably and soon we found ourselves rubbing and even pushing through the vegetation. That alone wouldn't have been too much of a challenge, but much of the vegetation we had to push through turned out to be poison oak. me, being sensitive to this plant, tried my best to around contact and failed miserably. One other problem we faced was that was that the place where the path we were ascending on had once connected with the hill surrounding trail had eroded and collapsed, and we had to push through an overgrown narrow makeshift path to reach the main Soberanes Point Trail. I did like the erosion pattern though, and I photographed a bigger one that was visible on the slope opposite of Soberanes Point. 

Soberanes Hill reminded me of a cinder cone. It isn't a volcano though, despite its almost perfect conical shape.  I could detect a few people on the summit and wondered if we should go up there too.  

Soberanes Point 

It was hot though, and both Papa Quail and I were already tired. It has been a long day already. I did raise the suggestion but without much conviction, and Pappa Quail shook his head - it was getting late and he was ready to get back to our lodge. 

Trail

We did slow down a bit, despite being close to the trailhead where we had parked. I kept on the lookout for any bloom and the yellow patches off the trail caught my attention. It looked nice and lively between the rusty and grayish appearance of the other chaparral species. 

We made it back to the first trail junction and I paused to take one more look at the beautiful coastline to the north. I would never get tired of seeing it.  

I got one last bonus before closing the hike - a hedgenettle plant in bloom. The plant itself ooked very dusty, probably because of the many hikers that raise the dust on a regular basis there. the flowers however, looked bright and vibrant. There were many hedgenettle plants in that place, but only that individual was blooming, obtimistic on its chances of getting pollinated. 

Hedgenettle, Stachys sp. 

This hike ended our very busy second day f our Labor Day weekend trip. Yesterday we hiked at Fort Ord National Monument, which was very dry. This day we opened with a very rewarding whale watching cruise and continued with at Andrew Molera State Park. Tomorrow we would be driving home, but we had one more hike in planning before heading back to the Bay Area - the Salinas River unit of Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. 

Late Summer Exploration at Andrew Molera State Park

September 3, 2023

Place: Andrew Molera State Park, Big Sur California

Length: 3.9 miles

Coordinates: 36.287166, -121.843549

Level: easy plus

On the last Labor Day weekend Pappa Quail and I went on a romantic long weekend, just the two of us. It was Pappa Quail's idea to revisit the Monterey area and his main desire was to go on a whale-watching cruise. On the first day of our trip we hiked at Fort Ord National Monument, and on the morning of our second day we went on a 4-hours whale-watching cruise. The cruise was exceptionally successful. We got to see not only the humpback whales that were in the Monterey Bay that time, but also the resident pack of orcas, a huge pod of common dolphin, sea lions, flying fish, and many sea birds. 

When we were done with the boat tour we still had much daytime left and we decided to drive a bit south to Andrew Molera State Park. We've been there many years ago, and hiked a little, but had only very view memories from that time. This time we wanted to hike a bit more. 

 

 The parking area was full but we managed to find a space. After looking at the options we decided to walk down to the beach and maybe go on a loop hike on the hills overlooking the ocean. We didn't have any maps and the park attendant had none to give us. All we could do was to take a photo of the large map in the kiosk display, a map that had no size scale. We estimated roughly a mile to the beach and a five plus something miles loop up on the hill that we considered going on after the beach. 

Finding the trailhead we wanted took some time too because the large kiosk map wasn't clear about that either. The dilemma was resolved with the help of the nice attendant in the entrance booth, and soon we were on our way to the beach. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

Following a short dirt road we reached the trailhead to the beach. The trail was another dirt road that was gated for vehicles and we passed around the gate post along with other beach goers. Almost immediately we came upon the Big Sur River and crossed it on a makeshift bridge of wood planks.  

Big Sur River

Right after crossing the wet river we crossed a dry river bed. It looked to me as if the Big Sur River had an alternative route to flow when it overflows. Crossing with us were a few other individuals and family groups heading to the beach, many carrying heavy beach stuff such as folding chairs and shaders, and coolers. It appeared that not everyone was appreciative of the mile's walk just to get to the beach. 

Pappa Quail was already far ahead so I increased my pace, leaving all the stragglers behind. It didn't take long however, before I found myself slowing down again - this time to check out the bloom scene along the trail. 

Whispering Bells, Emmenanthe penduliflora 

There wasn't a lot of bloom, but there was some. Generally, when looking for off season bloom in California, it is best to go to the coastal areas. The frequent fog supports plant life there throughout the year, even in the long absence of rain. 

Coastal Bush Lupine, Lupinus arboreus

Away from the river, other than the trees and bushes, most of the lower vegetation was fairly dry, as it was on the hills east of highway 1. The trees and bushes however, did make most of the trail side vegetation, and the dr patches were relatively small. 

Beach Trail

When I caught up with Pappa Quail he was busy listening to calls that were coming from a mound of dry vegetation off the trail. When he spotted the caller, he pointed him out to me, and also to everyone else who happened to be nearby. The caller was a male California quail, standing guard over his covey, which was well hidden in the brush. 

California Quail, male

A few steps further down the trail Pappa Quail saw a turkey vulture circling the sky. He might have passed on photographing it but I convinced him that the vulture too deserved documentation. 

Turkey Vulture

The vulture hanged in the air below the only blue patch of sky where the clouds were parted. Everywhere else the sky was overcast and gray. On the east, the clouds had touched the mountain top. 

As we progressed along the trail the vegetation closed in on us, and we welcomed the shade and the protection from the wind.

There were more wildflowers on bloom in the cover of the larger trees and bushes. The sticky monkeyflower is also one with an extended bloom season, and always nice to see.

Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus

I was also very happy to see the yerba buena in bloom. This unassuming native relative of the mint makes great infusion. I didn't pick any on this hike, but I loved seeing the tiny, almost unnoticeable flowers.

Yerba Buena, Clinopodium douglasii

Most state park trails are not open to dogs. Some people get creative about that and find interesting ways of bringing their pooches along without literally breaking the rules. I thought it was really cute.

A Pooch in a Pouch

Further down the trail the trees receded and two tall walls of willows encased in blackberry vines flanked the trail. I looked for any late season berries but found none.

Not all the berry bushes were blackberry though. Here and there I identified the much less prickly thimbleberry, and I was surprised to see some of them blooming still.

Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus

Close to the beach the trees grew taller again and the blackberry vines dangled down from high branches. For a short distance it looked like we were walking through a jungle of a sort.

Beach Trail

I love seeing pretty spiderwebs. In the afternoon most of the delicate orb webs are damaged or gone to rags. The webs that I saw mostly intact were the cradle webs. Usually they  are very dusty at this time of day, so I was surprised to see a few that were still beaded with dew drops, appearing like a piece of lace hanging from the vegetation. The spider itself was nowhere t be seen. 

In that same jungle-like area I found some black nightshade in bloom. Its small berries were still green - unripe. 

Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum

We stepped through the vegetation and found ourselves on the beach. Much of the sand was covered with driftwood and rotting kelp. The pungent aroma of rotting kelp, so characteristic of the north California coast in the fall, filled my nostrils. Some people find this smell offensive, but I inhaled it as perfume. People who reached there ahead of us had moved to the north side of the beach which was more clean of that.  

Andrew Molera Beach

Of the coastal strand vegetation, the first thing that captured my I was the blooming sand verbena. The beautiful yellow orbs shone like little suns nestled in their salt-covered leaves. 

Yellow Sand Verbena, Abronia latifolia

Adjacent to the verbena bloomed the silver beachweed. This one is wind-pollinated and its flowers are noticeable only by those who look for them. 

Silver Beachweed, Ambrosia chamissonis

Above the north side of the beach was a large patch of blue sky. To the south however, the sky was still overcast and the scenery more gray. Much of the driftwood on the beach was piled by humans into pyramid-like structures, like ready to lit bone fires. 

Andrew Molera Beach

As soon as he stepped on the beach Pappa Quail was scanning the water. There weren't very may birds around, but there were a few. 

Double-crested Cormorant

None of the birds we saw that day were new, or particularly rare. Neither of them was also busy with anything, They simply floated gently on the surf. 

Surf Scoter, female

Even gulls, which we normally see in multitudes on the coast, were few, and the individuals we did see looked subdued. 

Western Gull

Pappa Quail was disheartened. He was disappointed with how few birds he saw on the beach. He didn't even look at the flock of pelicans that swooped in from the south, so I took their photos through my wide lens. 

Pacific Brown Pelicans

There was another plant blooming on the outskirts of the beach, near the verbena and the beachweed. This one however, isn't native to California. It is quite interesting though, and has a nice bloom. 

European Searocket, Cakile maritima, non-native, invasive

During the time we were on the beach the clouds slowly parted, and by the time we were heading back out, bright sunlight lit the trail. 

We made it back to the trail junction before the beach access, and started up the hill, intending to hike the loop trail, or at least part of it. Up on the hill the vegetation was mostly chaparral. There were no trees shading the path, and now that the sun was out, we got really hot really fast. 

Where the trail was close to the cliff we had a nice view of the ocean below. Without the clouds above, the Pacific Ocean was blue once again. 

Pappa Quail spotted a butterfly and took a photograph of it. When I approached the butterfly took off, circled around a little, then vanished in thin air. 

I focused on less flighty things. Golden yarrow shrubs were blooming in small patches, glowing in yellow through the green and reddish chaparral. 

Seaside Golden Yarrow, Eriophyllum staechadifolium 

The asters were a bit harder to see. Their inflorescences were smaller and usually hanging low between other bushes. I did see those that bloomed right by the trail. 

California Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense

Morning glory was also blooming here and there. Not in large numbers, but a few open flowers were visible on the vines that outgrew the blackberry brambles. 

Smooth Western Morning Glory, Calystegia purpurata

The trail meandered along the coastal cliffs, going uphill in a steady, mild slope. Occasionally we stopped to hydrate and to assess our progress. It was clear by then that we wouldn't hike the entire loop but we still thought we might reach the far arch f the loop trail, where there supposedly was another beach access. 

View north on the Andrew Molera cove

The heat however, was building up more than we could tolerate. After a good hour of walking we took a break under the measly shade of some coffeeberry bushes that grew somewhat taller than the rest.

California Coffeeberry, Frangula californica

Looking at the photo we took of the kiosk map we tried to estimate how long we had until we reached the next beach access., and came to the conclusion that we had between a mile and two to get there. Dripping sweat and tired we decided to turn back. As soon as we started heading back we came across a buckeye butterfly resting on the trail. 

Buckeye Butterfly

Pappa Quail pointed out to me more flowers. When I approached I saw that these were no longer blooming. The plant was completely dry now. The bract leaves below the inflorescence harden and remain after the seeds are already dispersed, making the plant look as if it is still blooming. The plant's name reflects this appearance of continuous bloom - everlasting. 

Pearly Everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea 

The next blossom Pappa Quail pointed out to me was truly blooming - a small bull thistle by the side of the trail.

Bull Thistle, Cirsium Vulgare, non-native, invasive

We walked faster on the way back, and not only because it was downhill. I looked at the ocean below again. It looked as if the chaparral flows over the cliff and spills into the water. 

 

On the inland side of the trail, the visible hills were covered with oak savanna vegetation. and they looked dry. The green chaparral grew lower, and closer to the ocean, as if springing from the bottom of the hill. 

I didn't take as many photos on the way back, but even going the second time on the same trail can yield new sights, and certainly new points of view. 

California Scrub Jay

It was only on the return path that I saw the blooming poppies near the trail before coming down to the Beach Trail. Somehow I missed them when we were heading out. 

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Back on the Beach Trail we turned right away east in the direction of the trailhead. There were fewer people walking there now, as if the heat had settled the other hikers either on the beach or back in their vehicles. 

Beach Trail

Back by the Big Sur River I stood and waited for a new group of hikers that were crossing on the wood planks bridge before taking the photograph that I didn't on our way in. 

Once again I paused in the middle of the bridge, balancing on the narrow plank, to take a photo of the creek, in the other direction, in sunnier illumination. 

Big Sur River

We left Andrew Molera State Park and drove north on Highway 1, in the direction of Monterey. There was plenty of daytime left and still, so we looked for another place where we could to a short walk and sightseeing. I suggested a short walk at Garrapata State Park so there we went next.