Objectively, this was hard. This past weekend was my last weekend as Trail Patrol in Point Reyes National Seashore. I’ve spent hundreds of hours and hiked hundreds… Read more “Goodbye Point Reyes, My Love, My Home”
Tag: Point Reyes
Note to Self: Vacations Are Supposed to Be Relaxing! (Weeks 1 & 2)
Okay, okay, if you know me, you’re probably saying something along the lines of “but you don’t even know how to take a ‘real’ vacation!” to which… Read more “Note to Self: Vacations Are Supposed to Be Relaxing! (Weeks 1 & 2)”
Point Reyes Trail Guides (Part 2)
Besides sharing my (mis)adventures with everyone here on this blog, I, however surprising it might sound, also try to be actually helpful from time to time. This… Read more “Point Reyes Trail Guides (Part 2)”
Point Reyes Trail Guides (Pt 1)
Besides sharing my (mis)adventures with everyone here on this blog, I, however surprising it might sound, also try to be actually helpful from time to time. This… Read more “Point Reyes Trail Guides (Pt 1)”
The Dawning in Point Reyes | One Photo
I took this photo what seems like ages ago now. It’s perhaps my very favourite photo from Point Reyes. Given that I’ve taken thousands of pictures all around Point Reyes, this statement has a bit of weight.
This barn is right at the beginning of the road that leads to Bear Valley Visitor Center, and also right across the road from the park headquarters. That means I’ve seen this building more times than I can count, and it’s always been one I looked at with adoration. It’s the first one I see when I come to the headquarters early in the morning, and the last one I look at when I leave at night. I saw this barn when I finally came back to Point Reyes 18 months after the pandemic began, and it felt like coming home—just as coming to Point Reyes always did.
On the cold morning when I took this picture, the land was covered in the typical fog that pays a visit to this beautiful piece of paradise in the fall. Autumn-colored leaves were about to start dropping from the trees, and a cup of coffee warmed my hands as my breath materialized in front of my eyes. It was October 20, 2019, less than four minutes before 8 a.m. and I stood at the crossroads, taking in the beauty before I headed to the headquarters to get my radio, maps, and other equipment for the day. The parking lot was still empty and I had to unlock the cache myself.
By the time I checked out the items and visited the bathroom (the mirror in which has a mustache glued onto it—never tell me that rangers don’t have a sense of humour), a few rangers and one of our medics arrived and we wished each other a good morning and a good day. I said hi to Julia and Travis and headed out to start my trail patrol.
That morning, for whatever reason, sometimes still visits me in my dreams. Words cannot describe its absolute beauty, and so I, too, shall stop trying and let you enjoy the serenity of the day’s coming.
One-Photo Series:
Point Reyes, Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair
Point Reyes is an amazing place with its geological past and future, Tule Elk, endemic to California, nesting Sowy Plowers, and Elephant Seals. And yet, it still brings more with its wide variety of plants that bloom in all the colours of a rainbow all throughout the year.
I’ve photographed quite a few of these in the years I spent hiking in Point Reyes and would like to share a few of them with you today, in all their majestic beauty. I shall even try to correctly identify them. (Please don’t take these identifications at face value. I’m not that good with plants. There’s a non-negligible chance I might be wrong.)
I will keep trying to improve my identification skills and update this post if/as it needs be.
Montbretia
Observed: Jul 14, 2019 · 12:28 PM PDT
Location: Sky Trail (Lat: 38.027046 Lon: -122.826271)
Brass Buttons
Observed: Jul 13, 2019 · 4:01 PM PDT
Location: Abbotts Lagoon (Lat: 38.118782 Lon: -122.953308)
Pine
(Don’t know which species exactly)
Observed: Jul 14, 2019 · 12:29 PM PDT
Location: Sky Trail (Lat: 38.027046 Lon: -122.826271)
California Poppy
Observed: Jul 6, 2019 · 12:00 PM PDT
Location: Tomales Point Trail (Lat: 38.236282 Lon: -122.990906)
Cobwebby Thistle
Observed: Jul 6, 2019 · 11:42 AM PDT
Location: Tomales Point Trail (Lat: 38.230461Lon: -122.986198)
Rabbitfoot Grass
Observed: Jul 13, 2019 · 4:01 PM PDT
Location Abbotts Lagoon (Lat: 38.118782 Lon: -122.953308)
Variable Linanthus
Observed: Jul 6, 2019 · 11:02 AM PDT
Location: Tomales Point Trail (Lat: 38.216686 Lon: -122.975685)
Coastal Bush Lupine
Observed: May 11, 2019 · 3:43 PM PDT
Location: Tomales Point Trail (Lat: 38.194775 Lon: -122.963013)
Tidy Tips
Observed: May 11, 2019 · 3:37 PM PDT
Location: Tomales Point Trail (Lat: 38.197056 Lon: -122.963539)
Forget-Me-Not
(Don’t know which species exactly.)
Observed: Apr 14, 2019 · 3:07 PM PDT
Location: Earthquake Trail (Lat: 38.041569 Lon: -122.797531)
No Idea.
Please help me identify this one. I know it’s not the best photo for identification but wanted to share anyway because I really like it. 🙂
Location: UC Berkeley Point Reyes Field Station Research Institute
Marigold
This is a guess. In fact, I have nearly no supporting evidence. Feel free to help me identify it in the comments 🙂
Observed: Apr 14, 2019 · 2:34 PM PDT
Location: Point Reyes Station (Lat: 38.068233 Lon: -122.804779)
A Day in My Life as a Trail Patrol Volunteer
I’ve been volunteering for the National Park Service in Point Reyes for three years now, though one of them probably doesn’t count, since all volunteer activities there… Read more “A Day in My Life as a Trail Patrol Volunteer”
Three Semi-Strange Stories from My Trail Patrolling Days
I’ve been a volunteer for the National Park Service for some time now, and, while out there, patrolling the trails, I have collected a few stories I… Read more “Three Semi-Strange Stories from My Trail Patrolling Days”
How (not) to Survive the Night With a Predator in Your Campsite
Back before the world was upside down (or, well, was less upside down), I used to spend every other weekend volunteering in Point Reyes. And because I… Read more “How (not) to Survive the Night With a Predator in Your Campsite”
Foggy World | One Photo
Point Reyes is one of my favourite places in the world. Or perhaps it’s the favourite place in the world for me. I came to Point Reyes… Read more “Foggy World | One Photo”
Hit the Road with Me 