Lunch on the Beach

Some of us were eager to break from the usual and explore territory farther afield; we settled on a coastal hike at Wilder Ranch State Park. Knowing this would fill the better part of a day, only five of us were up for it.

There was interest in going the distance to Four Mile Beach; I had a grasp of the best way to map that out, having hiked some of the trails along the bluff just a few months ago.

As if the views aren't spectacular enough, I am always filled with awe to be hiking along the very edge of a continent.

With the beach in sight, our challenge was how to reach it. That trail snaking near the center of the photo looks like the obvious route ... until you discover that it descends rather too steeply. We found a less-treacherous (albeit rocky) alternative, through some brush—but we were comfortable scampering up the steep bit to the main path later.

We'd passed a surfer with her gear (and dog) on the way to the beach; returning, we found her furry friend perched high above the waves, focused on the tiny humans in the water far below.

Two of my hiking buddies braved the trek down to Strawberry Beach, climbing over debris from the winter storms. In the process, my phone slipped out of my pocket; I discovered that almost immediately, due to my photo-snapping habit, and luckily found it. [Important lesson learned.]

As before, there were shorebirds (long-billed curlews, as well as a lone snowy egret).

We were pretty well spent after completing more than eight miles, opting for a direct route back rather than extending our trek through the fern grotto area.

If you were wondering why our lunch spot was called “Four Mile Beach” ... well, do the math.