“The ocean is a mighty harmonist”

The mountains in the background had a mysterious haze to them. The wind was calm and the hues of the water were brilliant shades of blue and aqua. A perfect January Sunday. Families were strolling with their young kids, stopping to look at the otters playing in the kelp. Older couples walked hand in hand, taking photos of the waves crashing against the rocky coast. It reminds me that the outdoors has something for everyone-and that’s what I love most about it.

In the parks wide range of walking trails, I walked 7 miles of them. Every small stretch of coastline, every turn around a bluff, there was a new detail I did not notice before. At first it was the striking colors of the rock in comparison to the water. The deep oranges looked saturated artificially, and the blues of the ocean looked like it had been transplanted from the Caribbean seas. Though, the pacific swells set it apart. The winter seas sent sprays of white a few dozen feet into the air from the black rocks in their path.

I noticed the succulents that clung to the cliffside, and the forests of kelp that blanketed the top of the deeper blue waters. A few curious seals noticed me on the cliff, and quickly darted away when they realized I was taking pictures of them. Camera shy.

Red moss clung to the coastal trees like a fine dust. It was as if someone had splattered paint over half of the trees. A red tail hawk, who quietly flew between the trees, stopped to view me for a moment before moving further down the canopy.

Due to the many people along this trail, there were few moments that I spent in solitude. I started to see the interactions of others along it, many of them walking with their loved ones and families. Some, like me, came alone. A few to photograph the wonders that I saw, and others who I noticed would stop to meditate to the sounds. The harmonies of the ocean.

Point Lobos State Nature Preserve is located on highway one just south of Carmel-by-the-sea and the start of the magnificent coastline of Big Sur.

If you have traveled HW1 before, you may have noticed Point Lobos on your drive down for having lines of cars on the highway before and after the entrance for the preserve. With only 150 parking spaces, Point Lobos yields an annual visitation of more than a million visitors annually (2017) from around the world.

Take only pictures. Leave only footprints.