A small record of trails between Santa Cruz and Point Reyes. Which ones hold up after rain, where the wind turns, and which stretch is worth the early start.
The north approach from San Pedro Valley is mostly fire road, steep for the first twenty minutes and then steady. Above 1,200 feet the fog sits below you and the whole coast turns into a white floor with the Farallones poking out.
Bring a shell. The wind on the summit is constant and cold even in spring, and there is no cover once you leave the eucalyptus.
A flat twelve miles round trip out to the point, exposed the entire way. The tule elk are everywhere past the first gate and mostly ignore you unless you get between a calf and the herd.
Water is scarce out there. The last reliable source is at the trailhead, so plan accordingly.
Started at Bottchers Gap at six and still came back in the dark. The climb to Pat Springs is relentless, but the ridge after it is the best walking in the range — manzanita, granite, and no one else around.
Do not attempt this in summer without a very early start. There is almost no shade above 3,000 feet.
Based in the Bay Area. Most weekends are spent on foot somewhere south of the Golden Gate. One camera, one 35mm lens, and a notebook that gets wet more often than it should.