Point Reyes

[NewMexican]

Hello,
I'm going to be in the point reyes/tomales bay in May. What specific areas should I not miss.
charlie

 

[DREW WILEY]

I go there, along with the adjacent GG lands and Mt Tam almost every weekend from May thru Sept, except when I'm in the mtns. May and June can
be magnificent for wildflowers, but each year is a little different. The yellow lupine and poppies tend to be heavy out toward Abbots Lagoon and Tomales Point that time of year. Given the rain this year, flowers should be spectacular, but perhaps a bit later in the month. Different kinds of flowers bloom on the hills and shore all through the season. The wind also tends to die down some in May, but you always want a windbreaker in your daypack and might need to be patient waiting out the wind with longer exposures. One learns. I'd stay away from the crowded visitor center area on the weekends. The Bear Valley Trail there is really best in winter rather than Spring; but if you head exactly the opposite way from there, toward the Rift Zone trail, there can be wonderful flowers in June. But the road which leads past Inverness toward Tomales Point tends to be the most productive if
flowers are what you are after. There are also lots of lush drippy cloud forests up on the ridges if you like to hike six or seven miles. Just so so many
places to go out there, most of which are not crowded. The Lighthouse area and nearby Chimney Rock trail are also best avoided on weekends, when they typically require you to take a shuttle bus, but are quite scenic, with seals too, if you have a telephoto. If you want to photograph elk, the Tomales Point area is the best spot. Don't break the herd perimeter, however. Use that telephoto. If you want a long beach hike without the crowds
of North Beach, South Beach, or Drake's Beach. Limantour sand spit is nice, or the beach at Abbots Lagoon, which is an easy level mile from the
parking lot. Stay clear of Muir Woods unless you want to be trampled to death or run over by six hundred tour buses. There are plenty of wonderful
trails in that area too without going to the 5% of the area with 95% of the tourists.

 

[rorye]

If you're at Point Reyes Station check out Marty Knapp's little gallery, he also knows lots of cool locations.

 

[dasBlute]

hard to amend what drew said, but I'll try

pierce point ranch has some cool old buildings and cypress

the oyster farm and drake's estero can be interesting and depending on the tides/weather, pretty moody

north beach is one of my favorite places to go, for peace of mind if nothing else, its big, often with thunderous waves

and don't forget the little bookstore in pt reyes station, a gem.

 

[grahamp]

Because of the ridge along the fault line, the weather in the valley from Olema-Pt.Reyes Station-Tomales Bay is not always a good indicator of conditions on Pt. Reyes itself. It can be foggy, windy, and sometimes surprisingly cold. It can also be very bright and warm on clear days. Much like most of the coast around here! Travel prepared. It's a great place.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The fog varies with the time of day, but tends to be much heavier in June than May. It will bank up against the coastal side of the ridges till about noon, slowly burning off, then often return somewhat toward evening. That fog can do wonderful things for the lighting, like a natural softbox. But
in the woods you can go from a relatively soft contrast situation to twelve stops of contrast the sunny part of the day. So either pack a very versatile
film or a choice of them. And always a sweater or windbreaker. No matter where you go out there, you will have wonderful photo opportunities.
It's hard to say if there will be any berry crop before July, but I always gorge on wild blackberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, raspberries, even
wild strawberries and feral plums during the summer. Hopefully you'll stay clear of poison oak, nettles, and the ticks in the brush and weeds.

 

[NewMexican]

Hello,
I'm interested in pretty much clichéd stuff; wet rocks, surf and perhaps people working with boats or oysters. Plus I am somewhat mobility questionable. Any advice?
charlie

 

[btaylor]

For the gorgeous cliche landscapes, just stay along the coast. I especially like highway 1 north of Pt Reyes Station. Wet rocks are often just a few feet from the highway, so not a lot of mobility required. There is so much beauty there, just drive around and the visual opportunities are everywhere. If you're in the town, I second the recommendation for the bookstore, Marty Knapp's gallery. Visit the Bovine Bakery for a delicious treat and the Cowgirl Creamery for a taste of local gourmet cheese. You will have a blast.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Samuel Taylor State Park is also only a few minutes away, allowing you to drive right through streamside redwoods, with at least some turnouts usable for photography. You can drive right up nearby Mt Tamalpais for classic views of meadows overlooking an ocean of fog, or the ocean itself,
and across to SF. Most of the oyster farms have shut down; and the remaining oyster beds require some hiking. But directly opposite Tomales Point,
on the other side, up along Hwy 1 is Bodega Bay with boats etc. Somewhat inland, but only about 15 min from Pt Reyes Station, is the quaint little
town of Nicasio. Going south down Hwy 1, you've got Bolinas Lagoon with lots of herons etc, the quaint town of Bolinas itself, then passing thru
Stinson Beach, a high winding road with classic cliffside views of surf and ocean and numerous pullouts, then down to Muir Beach, then back up
and over toward Golden Gate Rec Area and Rodeo Beach with lots of old WWII era architecture. Really, it's damn difficult to even think of any direction to drive in the Pt Reyes area that isn't lovely and distinctly photogenic much of the day. You can't go wrong, even if you get lost.

 

[btaylor]

Getting lost-- that's the best!

Yea, there was a big stink about one of the remaining oyster farms, it has since been shut down, so not much there. Plenty of other opportunities with boats on the water though. There is a landing right next to the highway at Nick's Cove with a nice view across the bay and Hog's Island. + 1 on the Nicasio side trip, BTW, beautiful country to drive through.

Just a note, be sure you have your accommodations worked out. The area is well traveled by tourists. One reason it is so gorgeous is because of strictly regulated development which limits the number of places to stay. When we travel to the are we make our plans well in advance and lock down our reservations. There are some very cozy small hotels in the tiny town of Inverness, a little off the main road that I would recommend. One year my wife thought we should just "wing it" on a trip up the coast. We drove many miles inland to find a place to stay off the 101 freeway.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The "big stink" was that these were some of the freshest oysters anywhere due to the exceptional water quality. A lot of local restaurants depended on them, or you could buy them right there. But a high level Park official deliberately falsified water quality data to force them out, a potentially
criminal act. They have Historic Dairy Ranches in the Park, and a Historic Morgan Horse Ranch, but didn't like the idea of a historic hunt club, so shot
all the white deer and fallow deer (though their hybrid white offspring from native blacktails are starting to pop up), and they wanted Drakes Estero
classified as an official underwater wilderness. So despite public input and the rather blatant facts of research fraud, that longstanding oyster operation was doomed, simply because it was based on a specific lease time from the Feds, with no legal guarantee or renewal. In other words, if
the Park Service didn't deliberately give them a fresh lease contract, they were out regardless upon expiration. But it's a very pretty bay to hike around from either side, and lots of the old pylons and so forth are still there. It's an exceptional wildlife area in the winter too. I did a big loop hike
out there about a year ago with my 8x10, and am due for another one. Am also salivating about printing a few of my numerous 8x10 color negs from
there. It's a magical area.

 

[NewMexican]

Thanks to everyone,
I'm looking forward even more now to visiting the area. I'll be staying with an old friend (50 yrs +) so that isn't a problem. My first stop will be the book store. Now my problem is which system to take with me; 4x5, Mamiya 330 or even the dreaded D nikon. Please keep the tips coming.
charlie.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Keep in mind that it can be breezy anywhere but in the forest. You'll need a bit of patience and something like a clothespin to keep your darkcloth
from flapping around. I'm merely hinting. But this time of year, your 4x5 will be highly rewarded. And of course there are all kinds of opportunities
like old building and driftwood that don't move int the wind. Shooting straight down off the cliffs can be more challenging if there are gusts of wind.
You might want something more portable as backup, preferably with a telephoto for wildlife. I personally just time the wind gusts. I you want to stay
close to Pt Reyes itself, when you drive past the little town of Inverness along Tomales Bay, the road soon splits. The right hand fork goes past
Abbots Lagoon and Kehoe Beach (both easy walks), then ends way out at the old farm at the start of the Tomales Bay trailhead. Very photogenic
buildings and ordinarily a riot of wildflowers in May. The point itself is a 7 mile round trip walk; but if you merely walk down the level section of
the trail 1/3 mile you get a nice view of the steep terrain ahead. There is often an elk herd in the area too. If you take the left hand fork of the road
instead, you go past the Mt Vision road (worthwhile), the old cemetery, oyster farm, and toward South, North, Drakes beaches. Beyond that things
get even better. But do this on a week day. On weekends they make you take a shuttle bus. Then clear out at the end, the road forks again, with
one brief branch going to the lighthouse, with great views right down the cliffs from the turnouts, seals, and sometimes whales; and the other little
fork going toward Chimney Rock, with equally rewarding turnouts, cliffs, and a short trail overlooking the Rock itself. You'll have a wonderful time!

 

[wiltw]

In 1972, President Nixon signed into law "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." According to a National Park Service draft, Tomales Bay Environmental History, the first Tomales Bay oyster beds were sown near Millerton Point in 1875. In 1913 a group of SF businessmen purchased Morgan Oyster Company’s Tomales Bay holdings, officially renaming the fishery Tomales Bay Oyster Company (although company website claims they have been on Tomales Bay since 1909). So oyster farming long predated the GGNRA and its control of the lands and uses. Oscar Johannson, hired by Tomales Bay Oyster Company’s parent company in 1926, managed growing operations at the Tomales beds, eventually, he gained ownership of the farming side of the company. He continued to cultivate the tidelands with his son until 1988. TBOC’s 1987 Use Permit granted the company the right to a limited retail operation, but it put the focus on a wholesale farming operation. It is the terms of the 1987 Use Permit, which makes no mention of onsite oyster consumption, that TBOC will now be forced to adhere to. Marin Co. residents complained about traffic and safety concerns. In 2014 Drakes Bay Oyster Co. closed, although it had been oyster farming only since 2004; now Tomales Bay Oyster Co. is in trouble, too. TBOC was ordered on September 2015 by the Marin County Community Development Agency to significantly reduce its hours open to the public and to remove all existing picnic tables and BBQ grills. It is reminiscent of folks moving into homes near the airport bitching about airport noise...who was there first?!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Or should a company be allowed to make a profit off public land? Why should sheep herders graze on BLM land and infect the indigenous Big Horn sheep so that the herders can get a free lunch on the public dole? Why should Claven Bundy get to graze his cattle on BLM land at all?

 

[DREW WILEY]

There are endless arguments. Who was there first has nothing to do with it. Sir Francis Drake claimed it for Queen Elizabeth long before oyster farms. There is a famous bronze plaque up at UC which proves it (until it was itself proven to be an elaborate hoax planted by grad students in
the sands of Drakes Bay in the 20's - but there is plenty of other evidence Drake was actually there). For hundreds of years prior to that, the Miwok claimed it; and people were probably there thousands of years before them. But today, under current law, the whole Drakes Bay area is officially under Park control. They have the final say. Tomales Bay is a somewhat different subject. Not long ago that was a giant enterprise operated by
Spenger's, an extremely lucrative longstanding restaurant empire that largely collapsed during an inheritance feud. The Restaurant is still there, though their parking lot is being torn up by a feuding family member and due for highrise development (the lot alone sold for 56 million), and the whole private fishing fleet and oyster gig has been liquidated. I know a thing or two about it, because it's a stone's throw across the tracks from my office and I've interacted with these folks for three decades myself. The remaining oyster operations might have been around quite awhile, but are
tiny by comparison. Marin County, just like this town, can be pretty contentious over these things. And oyster farming in general is seriously
endangered due to rising pH in the ocean due to climate change. It is very difficult for the tiny oyster fry to build enough shell thickness to survive
early life. It takes very little increase in acidity to attack the necessary thickness of calcium carbonate. Some of these farms are already resorting
to importing small oysters before planting them in the beds, much like most "wild" salmon are now hatchery raised. The canary in the coal mine
isn't doing too well.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Sirius - this whole question has ZERO resemblance to that Bundy fiasco. Those guys were not only claiming squatters rights to Federal land and engaging in anarchistic activity, but were deliberately blocking access to a proposed major addition to the Park system containing some spectacular
natural and archeological features which they might have had intention to either loot or vandalize to preempt their protection. The Refuge they allege
was stolen from the "people" was put under protection by Teddy Roosevelt over a century ago in the name of the people. It's a stunning area. But
those martyrs whose imprisonment they were "protesting" had set range fires on federal land to "accidentally" destroy their big game poaching
shelters and blinds. By contrast, I can't think of anything illegal going on with farms or oyster operations in Marin county other than the falsified water
data by one Park official. I was a contest of philosophies. I have my own opinion. That particular official was so ecologically politically correct that,
in another instance, he wanted all the non-native dune grasses removed, so sent bulldozers into a sensitive area, causing horrible damage to that
immediate ecosystem. Or when they kicked out the sheep operation on Tomales Point and introduced fenced-in elk, the elk overpopulated and caused far more erosion than the sheep themselves. In these inter-agency disputes, egos and rank always come into play. Closer to here, there are twelve different agencies having partial control over where the Bay Bridge intersects with the Bay wetlands, and some of these agencies and cities are suing each other over conflicting rules and priorities. That's right, TWELVE of em. But given the fact we have more parks and open space per capita than any other urban area in the world, somebody must be doing something right, above and beyond the inevitable bickering.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Don't want to get too far off track, but to supplement the distinction a little bit more, some of the guys currently under arrest have probably been under scrutiny for quite awhile in relation to domestic terrorism. Not too far back, live bombs were planted at certain Forest Service and Fish & Game
facilities in Nevada, death threats were made to federal employees etc. No doubt the FBI needed time to adequately infiltrate and monitor these networks. What is going on here in the Bay Area is a dispute about oyster as filter feeders (cleaning the water) versus oysters going potty in the
water; cuisine against hypothetically making things look like they did two centuries ago; culling out introduced species versus animal right activism;
private lawyers versus public agency lawyers, on and on, but basically the Park service holds all the aces regardless. I wasn't at all amused when
they chopped down all the beautiful old cypresses above Rodeo beach while, at the same time, restoring the very WWII bunkers these trees were planted to protect from the wind. But when they did, I took 8x10 shots of the stumps, not as a protest statement by any means, but because the
huge old stumps and even the chainsaw marks across the growth rings was something beautiful in its own right. What is illegal all around there
is the way taggers have spray paint vandalized almost every inch of concrete everywhere. I don't think that kind of activity is what the Park Service
had in mind setting aside this beautiful area to begin with.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Drew et al my point is that who was there first is no longer important. Other issues such as public land use for private profit and environment concerns out weigh who was there first. If one really wants to get into the who was first, most of us would have to leave the continent and give the land back to the Native Americans and First Nations.

 

[RobC]

Drew et al my point is that who was there first is no longer important. Other issues such as public land use for private profit and environment concerns out weigh who was there first. If one really wants to get into the who was first, most of us would have to leave the continent and give the land back to the Native Americans and First Nations.

Now there's a thought. Problem is that half of you would come to England (the other half to mexico) .

 

[DREW WILEY]

Gets way trickier than that. Who were native Americans? Mostly people who pushed other native people out of the way at some point in prehistory.
Then there were people long long before them, whose closest relatives genetically might be on another continent for all we know. I studied this field
a great deal in my youth, and am still sometimes sought out by researchers. Even more ironic, I daily boarded a tiny schoolbus loaded with Indian kids. Now, after they've grown up, one of them has become the head of a "tribe" with a giant casino, named after a tribe his ancestors actually genocided a couple centuries ago, while his full blood brother, raised in the very same cabin, is now head of a competing casino allegedly representing a completely different tribe. All that matters is how the Bugsy types lurking in the background make or break the rules, or go broke attempting to do so, including someone running for president at the moment who ripped off some of my childhood friends pretty bad. But I obviously can't say who that is. Nobody would ever guess. From time to time I stumble on an arrowhead or spearpoint out at Pt Reyes; and right where I'm sitting right now once had coastal shellmounds started long before the Miwok in any historical sense arrived; but these mounds were carted off for fertilizer in the late 1800's, while most of the remaining artifacts are in a UC museum up the street. So it's really all about who is in charge. And at Point Reyes it's the NP Service. If it wasn't for them, a lot of this would be under concrete and asphalt by now. The local PBS station periodically runs an excellent documentary at how close much of it came to being lost. In interact with the various Park and GG people on a regular basis with regard
to their restoration projects, and also have good friends in the system. Like any other agency, every now an then the ambition of one or two individuals makes waves, but overall, they're great folks.

 

[NewMexican]

Hello everybody,
The outpouring of information has been astounding. In addition to fresh seafood I'm looking forward to stunning possibilities for photos.
I'll be there from May 20 to 28. Anybody want to meet up?
charlie
bty I shoot exclusively B&w

 

[rorye]

I'll be there from May 20 to 28. Anybody want to meet up?
charlie
bty I shoot exclusively B&w[/QUOTE]

I'll be around for sure. I can show you a nice spot on Mt. Tam if you like.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I was out at Pt Reyes a week ago. Stunning swaths of yellow, plus unusually large Calif poppies near the shore. Each year is somewhat different. Additionally, the yellow lupine was just starting to bloom. The whole month of May should be great. The interior of Marin County is still vivid green, with some wildflower patches. But this past Saturday was my wife's birthday, so we went over to SF for the food. Got in a couple beach walks in between meals. I didn't carry a camera, and it was windy as heck; but on the Land's End trail there was a sampling of native flowers, though wind-shaped trees dominate there. Of course, that is a much more crowded area than Pt Reyes, but a pretty walk nonetheless. I haven't been up the
Cataract Trail on Tam yet this year, though it's a possibility next weekend. A nice knee workout with the 8x10, plus all those little waterfalls.

 

[takilmaboxer]

I grew up out there in the sixties and seventies, and I can't overemphasize the importance of previous advice to be ready for cold weather! Here in New Mexico cold means below freezing and windy, but the wide open spaces in Pt. Reyes allow the sea breeze to whip right through your clothes!