San Simeon Point
Catherine Ryan Hyde
This morning I left the house about 7:30 and hiked up to the tip of San Simeon Point and back. It's not hugely different from the hike I like to do up to Ragged Point. It's not nearly as far up the coast, but I don't arrange a ride, so it ends up being in the same ballpark. Close to 17 miles instead of 21.
The other difference is that I feel more inspired to walk out onto the bluff trails, which make the trip a lot longer. The 21-mile Ragged Point hike pushes so close to what is achievable (for me) in one day that I'm often loathe to add even another mile.
Last time I did Ragged Point (just a small handful of weeks ago) I eyed San Simeon Point longingly, but did not trudge all the way out to the end of it.
Instead, I promised myself a hike that would focus on The Point. And I promised I wouldn't wait too long.
Nothing like that Phantom Ranch (bottom of the Grand Canyon) reservation in early December to make sure I don't rest on my...laurels...too much.
One thing I love about coastal hiking is that it's rife with wildlife. You'd think I wouldn't even bring a camera, because anything I wanted to photograph would already be in one of my online albums. But when a seal pokes his head out of the water and watches me much the way I watch him, or when I'm sitting on a log eating my lunch at the tip of The Point and a white heron lands on the kelp below me, I'm glad the camera is there.
Here's a look at San Simeon Point for those who haven't seen it.
And, by the way, if you're in the San Simeon area and want to see it for yourself, you don't have to hike 17 miles. Because you don't have to do the hike from my house. You can park at William Randolph Hearst State Beach and cut about 7 miles off the hike in each direction.
Hope you enjoy the photos half as much as I enjoyed taking them. I'll update this blog with a short video as soon as I have that together.