May 29, 2004
Point Reyes National Seashore: Limantour Beach Loop (from Muddy Hollow Trailhead, Muddy Hollow Road, Estero, Limantour Beach, Coast, Fire Lane, Laguna trails: 10.5 miles)
Today's route begins by heading north on Muddy Hollow Road
The wide trail winds north through an area heavily damaged in the 1995 Mount Vision fire
Sticky Monkey Flower blooms on the hillsides
A Bishop Pine destroyed in the fire will soon be dwarfed by healthy new pines
Two small lakes to the west of the Muddy Hollow Trail
Now on the Glenbrook Trail, looking back down to Muddy Hollow
Glenbrook joins the Estero Trail, which crosses Limantour Estero
Looking back to Limantour Estero (click on image for larger version)
View of Drake's Bay from the Estero Trail
The Estero Trail narrows as it drops down to cross another part of the estero
View from the footbridge that crosses a stream fed by the estero
New summer grasses wave in the wind as we look north across the estero
Small panorama with the pond near the junction of the Muddy Hollow and Limantour Spit Trails
Interesting patterns on the tidal marsh
We join the Muddy Hollow Trail out to Limantour Beach
Marshland just south of the Muddy Hollow Trail
We walked a short way along Limantour Beach before crossing the dunes to join the Coast Trail
Beautiful, empty (on a holiday weekend!) Limantour Beach
A white Egret flew past us on the Coast Trail (hard to catch with a slow camera!)
Sculptured Beach and Double Point in the distance
Looking east as we ascend the Fire Lane Trail
A final shot of the ocean from the Fire Lane Trail
Nearing the end of our walk, on the Laguna Trail
A gopher snake suns itself near the Youth Hostel; it bears a scary similarity to a rattlesnake