California's Central Coast

ski3pin

ski3pin

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There's something out of order in your photographs: The sun is rising on the wrong side of the beach!

I'm seeing the Miguelito Shale is more or less a lateral equivalent of the Monterey Shale. It certainly shares the lithology--highly siliceous and deposited in deep basins offshore of the radically deformed and uplifted Franciscan Assemblage. The first and only time I saw the Monterey Shale up close was on Santa Cruz Island. I had not done my homework before spending part of a day out there on the island, and I thought for sure it was a tuff, so bright was its color in outcrop.

Come to think of it, Santa Cruz Island might be a fine place for a backpacking couple seeking solitude, salt air, and incredible views to engage in some non-vehicle exploration. There are backcountry campsites high up on the ridgetop, miles away from the passenger ferry landings, and I'd guess midweek finds them devoid of other campers.

Thanks for the tour of the spectacular California Coast. I'm looking forward to more!

Foy
 
Ski, Another awesome TR. I wish retirement would be start tomorrow so I could make the drive and spend a month in California. What a wonderful place to spend 2-3 nights. Can't wait for the next part.

Counting the days until we walk the beach along the Texas coast on Galveston Island, sand between our toes one month from today. I'm ready to load the camper.

jd
 
Outstanding! I hope I'm fortunate enough to have such nice weather in about a month while driving the coast southward.
 
Foy said:
<snip>

Come to think of it, Santa Cruz Island might be a fine place for a backpacking couple seeking solitude, salt air, and incredible views to engage in some non-vehicle exploration. There are backcountry campsites high up on the ridgetop, miles away from the passenger ferry landings, and I'd guess midweek finds them devoid of other campers.

<snip>
Click to expand...
Foy, do you know how long the Lady's list of places to visit is becoming? :) The longer, the better! Santa Cruz Island looks like a great addition! Thank you!

Everyone, thanks again for such nice comments. As ever they are much appreciated! :)

Please be patience for the next two installments. I'll try to make them worth waiting for. I'm one of the instructors at an avalanche class this weekend so "spare time" is gone. Foy, you would love the layering in a snowpack and the temperature driven metamorphism that takes place! :)
 
ski3pin said:
Foy, do you know how long the Lady's list of places to visit is becoming? :) The longer, the better! Santa Cruz Island looks like a great addition! Thank you!



Please be patience for the next two installments. I'll try to make them worth waiting for. I'm one of the instructors at an avalanche class this weekend so "spare time" is gone. Foy, you would love the layering in a snowpack and the temperature driven metamorphism that takes place! :)
Click to expand...

Dunno why I hadn't mentioned Santa Cruz Island before. The longtime concessionaire for boat trips out there is Island Packers and they run out of Ventura harbor and maybe out of Santa Barbara. They run an 80' catamaran with a big diesel in each hull and she makes 20 knots even through choppy seas. That makes for exactly an hour's cruise each way out of Ventura. I'd read about the hiking trails before going out there so I mapped out two loops which we could cover in our short day at the island (stepped off the boat at around 0930 and reboarded around 1500). The NPS website for Channel Islands NP was my primary source for info on the hiking and that's what led me to look (longingly) at the backpacking potential. The boat crew and the NPS folks on the island all commented on how very clear the skies were on the day we were out there. I recall the summit of one of our hiking loops was around 1,400' above sea level and we could see the entire section of mainland coast from the cape south of Santa Barbara to Point Mugu and beyond. The next day, we drove to Big Caliente hot spring above and over the ridge from Santa Barbara and were able to see Santa Cruz Island from the knife-edge El Camino de Ceilo at around 3,000'. What a spectacular setting. Looking forward to more of your explorations, as always.

Foy
 
Great first installment Ski. Looking forward to the rest.

I spent the first 21 years of life in that area fishing off the rocks with my father.

I think it was all those hours looking at the folded and tilted rock that lead me to becoming a geologist.

Great photos!!
 
Thanks Ski.We enjoyed our trips there also.We managed to go during the week so not many people.
Last spring while camped at San Simeon we drove down for the day.
Lots of wild flowers were out.We haven't camped there since 2010 at that time they were improving the end area of the campground. We had a nice spot,#16 in the first meadow area.
Waiting for more.
Thanks
Frank
 
Thanks for the great TR's. We have not been to Morro for years now, but it is back on the list. It certainly is a great place.
 
I am enjoying the report. Very nice photos of the surf and setting sun from the bluff. Morro Bay was the site where our dog Rocky got his first taste of salt water (he was very surprised!). The background photo on our blog commemorates the moment and the day. It was on the inaugural trip with the new camper after picking it up from ATC. Good memories! Thanks for bringing them back to mind. Looking forward to the last episode.
 
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