San Simeon Point & Cove Trek

Today a contingent of El Ejercicios met up in Cambria, CA.  After walking the full length of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve (formerly known as the East-West Ranch) bluff-top trail (and back) we proceeded to head up to William Randolph Hearst State Beach and park and walk out to the end of San Simeon Point. We saw no gray whales today but did see a seal. Below is what I saw.

A fog bank lurked just beyond the point.

San Simeon Pier

An old Hearst-era structure.

There is an idyllic and enchanted quality about this scenic and tranquil cove.

Trail out to the end of San Simeon Point.

This wave angled into the cove in precisely the correct angle such that it broke upon the beach simultaneously across the entire length of the shore within the cove.

A most remarkable cluster of eucalyptus trees such as I have never before seen.

From the main trail this appears as one giant tentacled tree but is actually four such trees with serpentine boughs.

An unposed image of Blake Burgess, Jonathan Garcia, Kameron McMeekin, and Tanner Smith.

I like the way the trees framed this scene with the pier in the background.

A posed image of Blake Burgess, Jonathan Garcia, Tanner Smith, and Kameron McMeekin.

This angle brings to my mind the mental image of a mythological kraken.

Perhaps the most scenic scene here.

San Simeon Point looks a lot like the coast further north in and around Carmel, CA.

Kameron (left) and one of today's guest hikers.

This rock formation is actually greatly undermined by the ocean which surges up under it creating cavernous explosive noises as water surges up into the caves it has carved out of this rock.

Half our party elected to watch from the bluff-top the other half whom climbed down onto the beach.

Blake and Kameron climbing atop one of the picturesque rock mini-seastacks.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).