Soft, orb-shaped clusters of white flowers saddled the horizon as I broached an opening in the thick brush- and tree-covered hillside I was climbing. There were also red paintbrushes, purple and white lupine, orange poppies, and a smattering of other wildflowers, but those yuccas were my favorite.
All along Highway 1, yuccas held empty stalks, but above the highway and tucked back in the chaparral-coated wild, they bloomed bright with the ocean as their backdrop. It was about 3 p.m. on the Saturday of Easter weekend, and I was heading up the Buckeye Trail and into the Silver Peak Wilderness. The low-lying brush switched to bigger, bushier trees as I approached a fence line and a fork in the trail.
I turned around and inhaled sharply. The leviathan that is the Pacific Ocean’s coastline reached southward, carrying Highway 1 along its cliff sides.
I’d wanted to see that sight for months now, but my weekends had been full. It was my first weekend off in months, and it was my second hike of the day. Both hikes were new to me, which was a huge plus, and the next day I hiked Bishop Peak—another 4 miles. It was a great way to spend the weekend.
I didn’t go all the way up to Buckeye Camp, but I cruised about a mile and a half up the trail before turning around. The sun was inching toward bed, and I wanted to catch the sunset on my favorite beach: San Carpoforo, which is the first large stretch of sand south of Ragged Point.
I snagged some beverages and snacks at the Ragged Point Inn’s convenience store before hitting the sand. The beach was vacant, as I had hoped, and I got to sit and relax with my dog as the sun made its way into the unknown.
Earlier that day, I was in Montaña de Oro, with friends, heading up to Valencia Peak. It had been a foggy morning—surprise, surprise—and we trespassed through clouds as we hiked toward the summit. It’s 3.7 miles round-trip, and although we didn’t get the 360-degree panoramic views from the 1,347-foot peak, it was still beautiful.
Mist hovered around our heads as we circulated an ammunition can filled with notebooks between us, and we each left a little note for future hikers to read. We left it next to the summit sign as we headed back down into a fog that was starting to burn off.
We were heading for the bluffs below to watch the waves crash and explore the coves and beaches along the coastline. It was exactly what I needed.
Staff Writer Camillia Lanham is always on the move. Catch her at clanham@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2014.