The Trail of Reflective Eyes

Miya

Because I am able.
Joined
Dec 31, 2017
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Bobbi and I went on another adventure yesterday. We are really trying to be in shape for our hike in May, which will partially take place along the coastline. We have been hitting the gym with 40lb weighted vests, but decided we needed to do a beach day hike to get the full effect.

Tomales Bay Point Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. 9.4 miles (there and back).

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We got started at the trail at 0600. It was pitch black, so we attached our vests (only 28lbs for this hike), backpacks, and headlamps and started our journey. This was our first hike in the dark. We got to see a little fox nearby, watching us intently. If I had been alone, all the glowing eyes would have terrified me. Since this is an elk reserve, it is just smothered in Elk. Hundreds and hundreds of eyes watching us from the ridgelines. It wasn't till around 0700 till there was enough sunlight for us to really see them.

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I was hoping they would let us get a little closer since it is a pretty popular trail, but they kept their distance.

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This is where hiking in VERY soft sand started, while going uphill. I felt like we weren't moving, but we made it through.

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I have never done any hiking with flowers all around, and it was definitely special to see so many different wild flowers along the way.

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We made it to the end and stopped for snacks at 0837. We enjoyed the scenery, got cold and headed back at 0920, with the goal of reaching our cars at 1145. We figured we would be faster going back, since we had already stopped and taken pictures of the elk. However, we actually ended up running pretty low on steam and the way back had a lot more uphill walking.

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I love little itsy bitsy flowers.

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Our trip back provided beautiful clouds and a wonderful rain, which I had really hoped for. Work has been a strain lately, and nothing makes me feel better than hiking in the rain. Looked like this raven (or crow, I am not sure) enjoyed the rain as much as me.

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Nothing as beautiful to me as clouds. I was mesmerized by this one, it kept me motivated to keep up a fast pace.

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Big ol' slug.

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We made it back to our cars just at 11:45. I was desperate to get the weighted vest off of my shoulders. I wandered around for a couple minutes to check out the Pierce Point Ranch (dairy ranch from 1858). I took a couple shots, but my knee wanted to sit and go home. Overall, a really perfect day. Bobbi and I were very proud of our day and are happy to see ourselves getting stronger and more comfortable carrying weight.

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Really like those old barns. As a farmboy myself, barns and any old buildings are fascinating. Bit of backstory: The house I grew up in, along with the barn and a couple other buildings on the place, were built with wood hauled to the farm site in a horse-drawn wagon.

I've seen quite a few strangely lit-up eyes on hikes. Most turn into deer around here. Once one turned into a skunk that walked into my campsite for a short standoff that ended with the skunk moving on. One set of eyes also turned into a very unhappy badger (are badgers ever happy?)

Nice trip and that's pretty dedicated to hike with weight vests on.
 
Yeah, as sore as I was, I love to take photos of wood. I had to find my way in there. Definitely lots of history there, sounds like your childhood house had a lot of history too. :)

Oh! I think skunks are so cute! I have only seen one while hiking, and I was surprised how scared I got. Begging the heavens to not get sprayed! Hah

Packing and unpacking our backpacks everytime became too much hassle, especially wearing them to the gym. I wouldn't be surprised if people think we have bombs strapped to us for a split second. :cautious:
 
thanks for sharing this, it's nice to see some thing so far out from the norm here. i really liked the silhouettes of the elk.
 
thanks for sharing this, it's nice to see some thing so far out from the norm here. i really liked the silhouettes of the elk.

Cool! Definitely want to make sure we have scenic diversity on here :p
 
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You are an awesome photographer Miya. I can’t wait for your Lost Coast Trail report. I thought about doing it a few years ago and ordered the info kit with the maps and tide tables but it never panned out. Great report, thanks.
 
You are an awesome photographer Miya. I can’t wait for your Lost Coast Trail report. I thought about doing it a few years ago and ordered the info kit with the maps and tide tables but it never panned out. Great report, thanks.

Thank you! I keep trying to practice and learn new things about photography and hiking, so it has been a fun couple years. :)
I have some apprehension about the LCT, but mostly the southern portion and transportation. Wish you had done it first though, then I would have someone to bug with all my questions :p
 
Thank you! I keep trying to practice and learn new things about photography and hiking, so it has been a fun couple years. :)
I have some apprehension about the LCT, but mostly the southern portion and transportation. Wish you had done it first though, then I would have someone to bug with all my questions :p

my girl friend and i did it two summers ago, feel free to ask if you've got any questions.
 
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