At the tip of Tomales Point

I’ve had the good fortune to go on whale-watching boat rides a few times in my life. On nearly all of those times, the number of nauseous people on the boat has far outnumbered the number of whales that have been spotted. Two weeks ago, I was on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico and spotted a few dolphins. No whales though.

Which is why I was pretty much stunned to see whales off the coast at Point Reyes last weekend. OK, I think they were two whales, and all of my fellow hiking colleagues also saw them and agreed, so I’m taking that as definitive proof that it happened.

If you head to Point Reyes and drive north about as far as you can, you’ll eventually hit the end of Pierce Point Road and the start of Tomales Point. It’s also near the parking area for McClure’s Beach, a very windy stretch of sand that’s perfect for getting away from the world. It’s far too windy and rough to swim, but staring at the water isn’t a bad way to pass the time.

I headed out to Tomales Point last weekend a bit skeptical. It was a hike I had completed a year ago, it’s a straight-line hike (4.7 miles out to the top and then 4.7 miles back), it was very windy last time, and I wasn’t sure how this one would differ. Well, it was great. For one, the weather was perfect. After weeks of on-again, off-again rain, this was a mild day with hardly any clouds in sight. If I were the type to smartly apply sunscreen, this was the day to do it.

At the start of the trail are the buildings of the Pierce Point Ranch, which stopped operation about 35 years ago. The National Parks Service, still my favorite government agency, took it over and has turned the buildings into exhibits showing how a working dairy ranch operated. Given that the drive out to Point Reyes goes by several actual working dairy ranches, it seems a bit odd to see a defunct one sort of frozen in time, but I suppose there’s educational value in the effort.

Once out on the trail, given the recent rain, the footing was soft and even muddy in parts. That would usually be a drag, but it forced me to hike a bit slower than my usual being-chased-by-the-cops pace and enjoy the scenery.

Here’s what there was to see – elk, specifically, tule elk. I’ve written about these animals before and they were out in force along the trail. Absolutely majestic to see them sauntering along the grass, with each male being followed by about 30 females. Also spotted were cormorants, an egret and the aforementioned whales.

Even if the wildlife weren’t there, this hike is worthwhile. On the left the whole way north to the tip of the point is the Pacific Ocean, and on the right is a view overlooking Tomales Bay and Dillon Beach. As we hiked down a path or ridge, we would emerge into clearings right on the cliffs by the ocean or deep in the grass by the bay. If this were summer, this would be a brutally different – and difficult – hike with no protection from the sun, but for a semi-cool day in early spring, it felt great to be so exposed to the open air.

This is one of the sweeping scenic views that if it’s foggy, you’ll probably feel like you wasted your time driving all the way here (the Tomales Point trailhead is about 30 minutes past the Bear Valley Visitors Center so it’s a trek), but if you’re lucky enough to get out there on a sunny day, be prepared for miles of ocean.

As I enjoyed a post-hike beverage in the town of Point Reyes Station, I encountered a stranger who hails from the same place as me, 3,100 miles to the east. He’s been out here 20 years, I’ve been here almost 2. We swapped stories over drinks. Are there things we both miss about ye olde hometown? Yes. Are we in a spot that’s pretty amazing? A bigger yes.

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