Last weekend we camped at Wildcat, site #5 on Friday and Saturday.
I have to preface this post by saying that Point Reyes is pretty much my most favorite place in the world. It is endlessly beautiful and astonishing. This was our first time at Wildcat, and it is a top contender for our best camp yet.
We left Davis a little late on Friday, so by the time we checked in at Bear Valley Visitor Center and drove to the Palomarin parking lot it was nearly 5:30 and the sun had just dipped behind the horizon.
So we geared up, headlamps for all, and started on the 5.5 mile hike to Wildcat Camp. It was our first night hike and the boys were incredible – no complaining, and only minimal bribery with twizzlers and peanut m&ms. We had the fortune of a full moon, which when reflecting off the white trail rocks and onto the immense black ocean, was just amazing.
We made it to the campsite just after 8:30pm, passing many different micro-climates and little lakes along the way – using Coast trail. We had a little trouble finding site #5, since the sites are only marked on the bear boxes, but we were set up in no time.
Before we could roll out the sleeping bags, Ozi had fallen asleep perched up in the corner of the tent. The next morning was clear, cold and sunny. Just stunning.
We set out on a hike to Alamere Falls via Ocean Lake Loop and Coast Trail. Once the sun came out from behind the mountains, it was a perfect, warm December day. Ocean Lake Loop was a nice hike – with gentle climbs that lead to a mid-way overlook point with a fantastic view.
It was about 2 miles from the campsite to Alamere Falls; the last bit is an unmaintained trial, but it probably gets a lot of use so it wasn’t as hazardous as the trailhead sign suggested.
Once we got to the falls, it was totally unexpected and so pretty.
We hiked down to see the little falls, sat up on a flat spot and ate lunch. (Which reminds me to write a blog post about our various, yet-perfected attempts at bringing the right kind/amount of food).
After negotiating with Michael, we eased the kids (and ourselves) down the side of a makeshift, broken shale-covered “trail” to the beach about 40 feet below. It was quite a sight when you get down, because you’re right next to the waterfall.
The kids played there for a bit, throwing various rocks and beach debris into the waterfall.
We left the falls and walked back to Wildcat on the beach. We made ourselves a two-hour detour by stopping to play/sleep/be lazy on the sand. That’s probably the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon in December … laying on a nearly-deserted beach and soaking up Vitamin D.
We made it back to camp (about 3 miles total) and sat out at the cliff’s edge and watched the sunset. Pretty idyllic. (Check out more pictures)
Once the sun went down, it got pretty cold, but nothing that we couldn’t manage. Even though we’re on the coast, I did worry about it getting a little chilly. But no worries there.
We made dinner, got the kids some hot chocolate (can’t believe we didn’t think of this earlier), and after a massive freak-out from Ozi, we were all headed off to sleep.
The next morning we packed up and hiked out. Maybe it’s better to hike in the dark … or maybe in the dark you don’t notice that the trail is mostly down hill. But that 5.5 on the way back to Palomarin was pretty hellish. Mostly uphill, and at the beginning, which wears you down for the rest of it.
This was the longest hike we’ve done together with our packs on, and it definitely felt that way. But we made it, and now that I’ve slept off most of the shoulder pain, I’d certainly do it again.
norcalcampingwithkids 