February? Winter? REALLY????

Thoughts of snow, ice, cars sliding on Slurpee - covered roads and highways...that's been the past week in America, at least that's all we see day after day on the news. So for those of you experiencing such conditions, let me tell you how we in NorCal suffered over Super Bowl weekend:

It started with me getting out of the house at 9 AM Saturday. Expecting the usual low 40's of winter, I found instead a thermometer reading 68 degrees. It was 70 by 10. No clouds. No fog. Sabbath and I left a couple hours later for Saint Mary's College and a fantastic event for young people as well as old farts such as myself. After an afternoon of inspiring speakers and enthusiastic attendees, as well as Chris Major's incredible energy and leadership, we made it to McKeon Pavillion to sit on the floor as St Mary's (that's 20 - 4 SMC) put a whuppin' on Loyola Marymount. But Saturday was just a warm up.

Sunday morning came too quickly. We hemmed and hawed about where we'd go when Gina and I came up with the perfect solution - Pt. Reyes National Seashore. It would be a wonderful day (almost 80 in sunny Livermore) featuring unchecked visability - would we see the Farallons today? I was more interested in the great herds of elk that roam Pt. Reyes. We even had a trail in mind, one we'd partially finished a couple of years ago - Tomales Point Trail just above McClure's Beach.

The drive was sensationally easy, as most of the sedentary world was pre - filling up on Super snacks well before the kick off. We had no allegiances in the game so had no concerns about missing it. Arriving at the historic farm buildings at the Tomales Point Trailhead, we found it was already 2 PM. The sun was high and bright, though, and the cool (60) air cruising sedately over us from the sea to Tomales Bay created perfect conditions for a fine day on the trail, or to sit on a hillside and watch the waves.

We started off northbound on this perfect trail, rolling over soft dirt mixed with assorted rock on a level path. If a hiker stopped every few yards to look around, he or she would find a complete change of scenery with the movement along the path. It was easy to stop and take it all in on this spectacular winter day, too. The cool air tempted a good pace, and with each slight downgrade I coasted along the trail effortlessly taking it all in.

One of my favorite features of this trail is the short drop to a saddle followed by a long but fairly gentle uphill. It wasn't the grade that made this stretch a challenge as much as the ruts and narrow sections where I had to balance the chair on thin ridges of soft, sandy support. There was no danger unless I wished to take the more difficult parts. But the hill seemed unending; there was a summit point, but with each turn it moved farther away - it was a bit like watching parts of "The Shining", those parts where the hallways stretched out more and more.

This was not a hill that would have me breathing hard, either. It was just long. I stopped a lot, mostly to keep an eye out for the whales that cruise past this time of year. I had barely a few hours over our rainy winter to get some trail time in, so to say I reveled in this long roll is probably an understatement.

Gina and Sabbath had taken residence on a grassy hillside overlooking the beach and a beautiful feeder canyon where seasonal streams ran. Lest I forget this part as I froth over the wonderful day and trail, we watched a large (maybe 3 dozen) herd of elk munch fresh vittles as they grazed along unruffled by human observers. Elk were everywhere - my only outside disappointment was the lack of raptors riding the breeze. But I know I can expect them soon on the Bear Valley Trail as the ospreys nest. Gee, a reason to go back...what a tragedy!

This day was quite literally one in a thousand. Mother Nature might well have been sitting in my lap for the warmth I felt. And she's a loving Mom, too, tossing out a few early wildflowers as well as elk and deer by the dozen during the drive home. We were glad it was such a long, sedate drive from the trailhead to Highway 1. Although we all had obligations today, had this been a Saturday night we might have stayed in one of the many wonderful inns or B&B's in Olema or Pt Reyes Station. The day had been surreal, beauty at every turn and green being the Color of the Day - extending, we found on the drive home, to the football game that dominated America.

So for all of you in the Midwest and East, we're sorry we had no snow and 80 degree weather around the Bay. We apologize profusely that as we laughed in short sleeves along a coastal trail, you may not have had electricity and are huddled around the fireplace trying to keep warm. Mom Nature was riding the trail with us, and we didn't want her to be disappointed. For you, let's hope you thaw out soon, that you have ample firewood in the meantime and soon can think of a Spring that will be here shortly. And as you read news reports and headlines and wonder why we who are California natives love our state even with all its issues, look no further than a long coastal trail in a large national seashore...then wonder no more.