Backpacking Point Reyes with Spenser and Holly

Your mom and I got quite bold and agreed to a backpacking adventure with our friends Holly and Spenser. They lent us some good equipment, including a tent and some nice sleeping pads, and we invested in some decent sleeping bags. We'd been camping, sure, but this was the type of thing where you had to trek a long way from your car to a campsite and fit everything you'd need for the whole weekend on your back! Thankfully this is something Spenser and Holly do regularly, so they showed us the ropes.

The entirety of our supplies for the weekend. I was honestly intimidated by the prospect, but it was also thrilling in an adventurous kind of way. 

Our last taste of civilization for the weekend was in Point Reyes Station, where we got Bovine Bakery goods and some coffee before heading into the woods. The nearby giftshop and market, Toby's, has a resident cat named Gemma who decided to join us. The chill was setting in and a warm kitty on the lap reminded me of home and made for a wonderful treat. 

We picked up the camping permits at the visitor center, a place we'd never visited in all of our time in Point Reyes National Seashore. Inside were some really nicely done animal and nature dioramas! 

We parked the car at the trailhead and made our way. The first mile or so was uphill, and as we got used to our loaded backpacks, I started to get a sense of what we were getting into! Here goes nothing... 

The trails has quite a few big ol' slugs slipping slowly around. We had to keep an eye out for them to make sure we didn't squish them on the hikes. 

Nearing the campsite, we were ready to get the packs off our back and settle in. 

Thanks to our Fridays off, we were the first to arrive, so we took our time getting set up and having a dinner. The dehydrated food packs we got from REI really hit the spot out there! 

Your mom took this incredible photo of the sun setting from the nearby campsite. The quiet set in, and we awaited the arrival of Spenser and Holly and a few others of their friends who do this type of thing. They trickled in, set up tents, and we huddled around the picnic table and gabbed the night away. 

Sky Camp #4 was our spot. The next morning was chilly and damp, and we knew there was a good chance we'd get rained on, eventually.

We planned the day hike, making our way from the campsite to the beach and looping back. 

The pros. Spenser and Holly made this possible for us and we were really grateful. We learned a lot and can now saw we have legitimately backpacked. 

As we set off in the morning, we ran across a park ranger checking things out on her horse. She asked us to make a mental tally of the downed trees, and it turned out there were a lot! Some parts of the trail required some pretty sneaky moves to get by. California has been getting stormed on a lot lately, and the evidence was clear. 

The air was cold but we stayed warm as we hiked up and down the hills. The landscape was ever-changing, too, and it was a peaceful walk. 

It was iris season on the trail! 

We made it to the beach! We kicked off our shoes, had some lunch (more yummy dehydrated goodness), and enjoyed the scenery. 

But of course! : ) 

Your mom and water have always had a special connection. She feels it strongly, every time. 

The views of the coastline on the way back were splendid. We were outrunning the rain, but we got enough time to relish the sights. 

The wind picked up as we were getting chased by rain clouds. The atmosphere of it all was breathtaking. 

We stayed dry on the hike back, and the fog set in, making for some wonderful views. It got quieter, too, and a bit eerie. 

A misty trail... 

We made it back to camp and the clouds started to open up. We were beat from the hike, so your mom and I eventually cuddled up in the tent early in the evening and stayed in there until the morning listening to rain plop on the outside of the tent. 

We'd done it! I felt pretty accomplished, actually. We trekked back to the trailhead where our car was probably feeling abandoned.  

That morning was gorgeous. Wintertime and early Spring in California is fantastic.

Women's March on Sacramento!

Your mom and I joined our friends Kelley and Spenser for a march and rally through the State Capitol to support women's rights. The Women's March began as a small event planned in Washington, DC, but it quickly grew to involve many cities and towns throughout the country. The inauguration of the new President, Donald Trump, which had just happened the day before, has sparked a lot of concern and protests because of his record for being classically chauvinistic and callous towards women and essentially all minority groups. We already miss President Obama and his progressive, reasonable approach to politics. Trump seems to be a childish, impulsive, spiteful man, and much of the sentiment during the rally was strictly anti-Trump. Your mom and I couldn't agree more.

The march began in a park south of the Capitol Building, and I think many more people turned up than the organizers were expecting. The park was packed! And it took a while for the massive bunch to make their way onto the march route once the go-ahead was signaled. 

Each sign was unique and feeling. I loved this guy's dedication to his wife. Your mom is certainly the driving force in my life, and I hope that when we've been married 53 years, we can say a lot of these rights issues have become obsolete and resolved. 

The pink, woven cat ear hats were a staple throughout the crowd, as were signs lending support to other groups which Trump has targeted for rolling back their rights, particularly the LGBT community. 

The crowd was lively and your mom and Kelley were fired up! It was a powerful blend of protest and acceptance. You could tell you were surrounded by compassionate and motivated people sending a strong message but not getting violent or aggressive with it. 

As we paraded down the Capitol Mall, I was reminded of our March in March for education we did back in 2009. There'll always be a cause to support, and I was glad I came out for this one today. 

My favorite simple sign. It's really quite simple, after all. 

We listened to some powerful speeches which touted some classic cliches which bared repeating, anyways. I think almost 30,000 people showed up for this. It ended up being a landmark day with huge marches taking over many big cities. Supposedly over a million people showed up in Los Angeles! 

When the rally ended, we got some coffee and headed back to Spenser's place. In the coffee shop the protest feeling could still be felt all around. 

We celebrated that evening with some darts at the Bonn Lair, a wonderfully authentic English-styled pub near Spenser's home. We reflected on the day, discussed the precarious political situation the country seems to be in, and had some fun. All in all, it was a fantastic day which mobilized many. 

The Floating Home in Sausalito!

Your mom and I spent the weekend visiting the beautiful home belonging to the mother of one of her London program students. She's obviously very generous and lets people stay at her home when she's away, and it's amazing because the place is truly incredible. It made for a wonderful weekend away!

The community of floating homes is in Sausalito, a mostly ritzy part of the North Bay just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. These homes sit on the water and float, so they oddly go up and down with the tides. You could leave in the morning and come back eight hours later to a house that's nine feet higher then when you left!

She is more and more stunning every time I turn around.

This is the place, cutely appointed and modern, and warm and lively inside.

The community all chips in to keep their shared walkway adorned with plant life, almost all varieties of succulents, which must love the moist air because they were all thriving and lush.

I'd never seen anything quite like this community of floating homes.

I stayed enamored with some of the decorative succulents I'd never seen before.

The view was spectacular across the community. When we first arrived and the sun was getting low, the dusk hours had a wondrous, peaceful glow.

And all the homes were unique in shape and color.

At night you could just see the lights of San Francisco and the lights of the Bay Bridge glowing in the distance.

Sunrise was another spectacle. I'd never enjoyed such an incredible view from a bedroom window!

Saturday was shaping up to be genuinely epic. We rose early and hopped in their kayaks to paddle around the bay for a bit. Your mom knew right where to go to see some wildlife!

It'd been years since we kayaked together, and it was a blast.

A particularly curious and friendly seal popped up nearby to check us out as we headed to where the lot of them were sunning.

This one's contented smile made it my favorite. Relaxing like a pro!

While others were a bit more wary.

Mister Friendly actually came up and took a whiff of your mom's hand. She said as soon as her hand touched his snout, it shot back like it was totally shocked by the smell or something!

After our kayaking adventure we had it in us to go hiking a bit. We drove to nearby Tiburon, another mostly ritzy type town where we could catch a ferry to Angel Island.

It was a really quick ride to the island's pier, but we still got to enjoy some new views of the Bay. The best by far, though, was yet to come.

We've put a few miles on our hiking shoes lately, and we were starting to feel more comfortable with it. This was going to be a 2.5 mile hike up to the top of a 788 foot peak.

The island has had a lot of functions over the years, and some old buildings from previous uses still remain here and there, though now they appear kind of eerie to me.

The island was busy but the trail wasn't crowded at all. It was also decorated with many hints of bizarre life and cool colors arranged in contrasting ways.

I loved this high energy green on top of practically black undergrowth.

And one stretch was covered along the side with hundreds of these webs. I cringed a little as I imagined the hundreds of spiders hidden who were responsible for these constructions.

As the woods cleared, we started getting good views. This is of the North Bay with Tiburon close and Sausalito behind. A group was enjoying a fancy picnic on a big tree stump table.

The trail was wife with photogenic details, so of course I kept snapping away.

Then at the peak we were treated to an incredible, expansive view which covered the entirety of the San Francisco Bay in 360 degrees. It was spellbinding!

Seems like we always get to see some deer on our hikes, and to our luck, this was no exception.

 

We got back appropriately tired and enjoyed a nice dinner while we relaxed and the sun got low again.

The next morning we were treated to a foggy sunrise. We took our time getting ready, as it was hard to leave this majestic place.

Until our next adventure!!