Wildflowers and Wildlife at Chimney Rock

With the transitioning of the seasons comes the blooming of wildflowers and the beginning of the northbound Grey Whale migration to Alaska. In April and May, they pass through the waters just off the coast of Point Reyes, setting the stage for spectacular whale watching from Chimney Rock and the Lighthouse. A short hike out to Chimney Rock makes for a lovely morning filled with spectacular wildflowers, breathtaking views of Drakes Bay, the Farallon islands, the Lighthouse, migrating Grey Whales and hauled out Northern Elephant Seals along the secluded beaches below.



View of Chimney Rock from the Trail
Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011. All Rights Reserved

 The weather has been calm and sunny out here in Point Reyes for several days, so I decided it would be a great morning to go check out the flowers and see if I could catch a view of a whale or two. I should have checked the weather, however, because the wind was whipping across Chimney Rock, threatening to knock me to the ground. The choppy wind waves in the ocean prevented me from sighting any grey whales, but the spectacular wildflower bloom was worth the trip. Pink checkerblooms and red Indian Paintbrush add some patches of color to the sea of deep green grasses and brilliant purple Douglas Iris. As the season continues to progress, more and more wildflowers will begin to blanket Chimney Rock in a sea of vibrant colors.



Checkerblooms and Buttercups
Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011. All Rights Reserved.

 Northern Elephant Seals occupy the beaches near Chimney Rock as they give birth, breed and molt in winter and early spring. They have not always prospered here, however. In the early 1800's Elephant Seals were hunted nearly to extinction for their prolific amounts of blubber that was used to make oil. Thought to have been extinct for years, a small population of Elephant Seals was discovered off the coast of Baja California in 1892. By the early 1930's, the Mexican government gave protection to the struggling seals and the United States government soon followed suit. For the next 50 years, Elephant Seals grew in numbers and began repopulating former breeding sites along the coast of California. By the 1976, the first pup was born in Point Reyes. Today the population numbers more than 1200 seals during the high season.

Young Elephant Seal makes its way towards a group of females
Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Grey Whales can be seen from Point Reyes twice a year: during their southbound migration in December and January or their return migration in April and May. The annual migration of the Grey Whale exceeds that of any other mammal. Each year they leave their summer homes in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska and travel south to the warm lagoons of Baja California to breed and give birth. Then, in the spring they pack up the new babies and migrate back home to Alaska, traveling over 12,000 miles round trip in one year. During their northbound trip in April and May, they are easier to view because they are traveling slower due to the opposing current and the slower moving calves they have with them. They are also traveling closer to shore to keep the calves safe from potential predators at sea. Grey whales feed differently than other baleen whales. Rather than gulping up large amounts of water then filtering out krill and expelling the excess water, grey whales use their baleen to dredge the bottom of the sea then filter invertebrates out of the mud. They have much smaller sets of baleen than other whales because of this difference.

Blooming Lupine
Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011. All Rights Reserved/.

April and May are great months to hike out to Chimney Rock. Get out there and enjoy the scenery before the elephant seals leave and the whales finish their migration.

Coast Trail to the Beach Hike



Coast Trail along Drakes Bay
All Rights Reserved Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011



Spring is well on its way, and providing a multitude of beautiful sunny days to hike in Point Reyes. On Sunday the sun was shining and the weather was warm; a perfect day to go out and explore. I decided to head out Limantour road to the Youth Hostel where I could jump on the Coast Trail and take a walk out to the beach. Before departing, I took a detour out to the daffodil field tucked away near the hostel. Once an operating Daffodil farm, the field continues to bloom in great numbers each year. After a tricky creek crossing, I hopped up a small hill and was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of yellow and white daffodils. Although the flowers were numerous, I could clearly see where several visitors had picked flowers and left large bare patches in the field, which was a bit disheartening. All in all, however, the daffodil field was beautiful and well worth the effort to get there.

 

Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011. All Rights Reserved


After I had my fill of daffodils, I moved on to the Coast Trail. Even though it was a magnificent day, the path was not as crowded as I might have expected. Coast Trail consists of a graded fire road that follows a creek down to the coastline before turning south and meandering along the low cliffs. The north side of the trail is lined with coyote brush broken up by spectacular bunches of Douglas Iris, Indian Paintbrush and Buttercups.

I continued to make my way down the trail, stopping occasionally to snap a picture or bask in the warm sun. As I reached the bottom of a hill where the trail crosses the creek, I turned the corner and in front of me was a long deep puddle. After stopping for a moment to assess the situation, I realized there is a shallow sandbar along the north side of the puddle that I could carefully maneuver to avoid taking water inside my boots. The puddle covers a low point in the trail and gradually accumulated more and more water during all of the stormy weather that pounded Point Reyes over the winter, but should dry up in no time if the weather persists. The puddle marks the low point in the trail, and after crossing it I began to climb a gentle slope in the trail until I reached the ocean. The trail travels parallel to the beach, but there are several offshoot trails that offer beach access.

 

Hillside lined with Douglas Iris and Indian Paintbrush
All Rights Reserved. Photo byRosy Woodruff 2011



After taking a relaxing lunch break on the beach where clear skies provided incredible views all the way out to the Farallon islands, I continued along Coast Trail until it collides with Fire Lane Trail which eventually connects with Laguna trail then heads back to the parking lot. This section of the trail is a bit of a steep climb for a bit, but if you stop and turn around while catching your breath, the views are absolutely awe-inspiring. As the trail reaches the top of the crest, one can see where the Inverness ridge is recovering from the 1995 Mount Vision fire, which decimated acres of Bishop Pine forest, but gave us a great deal of insight into fire ecology. Soon after the smoke cleared, fire-thriving plants that had not been spotted in Point Reyes for years began popping up everywhere, their seeds having laid dormant for decades underneath the thick canopy of Bishop Pine; waiting for the day when a surge of intense heat would allow them to open.



Remnants of the 1995 Mount Vision Fire
All Rights Reserved. Photo by Rosy Woodruff 2011


All in all, it was a marvelous day for a hike, and the Coast Trail is definitely worth checking out as the seasons change and continue to provide us with more and more excellent hiking days. This trip can be done backwards starting at Laguna Trail and finishing with Coast Trail to avoid the steep incline near the end, or Coast Trail is an excellent option for a leisurely bike ride down to the beach and back.