Sumêg State Park Exploration Loop (aka Patrick's Point) & James Irvine Trail (incomplete)

When I hiked this trail, the name of it was different than that in the title. Instead of Sumêg State Park Exploration Loop it was Patrick's Point Exploration Loop. As I found out later, on September 30th the park officials renamed the park. "This is the first park name change as part of the state’s Reexamining Our Past Initiative and is a momentous step to heal relationships with Native Americans in working together in recognition and honor of indigenous cultural and linguistic relationships." said Director of California State Parks in an announcement posted on the official website.

There are multiple trails within the park, but I chose this one as it goes along the perimeter. Unfortunately, the fog was overwhelmingly thick, and I did not get a chance to see the water. It did add to the mysterious feel of the forest!

But let me begin with the breakfast and this amazing crepe that I had at Renata's Creperie. This was by far the best breakfast I have had in a while!

Now onto the trail... The start was so foggy that you could barely see a few feet ahead.

I hoped that the fog would burn off, but the density of it was too significant for the sun to manage it this morning. As I got to Ceremonial Rock, I was able to see some blueness in the sky and captured this:

Believe it or not, this picture is not edited at all, and here is the proof:

There were a few other spots that were particularly fascinating.

Foggy chipmunk

I left the park and continued driving north to get to James Irvine Trail. I didn't have much time since I had to drive back home that day (Kitty situation), but I wanted to see the redwoods. The forest did not disappoint! The whole trail is about 10 miles round trip, but even if you walk just a few miles, you get the pleasure of being among the giants that are hundreds of years old.

Mushrooms

I would like to come back to do the trail fully, but not sure when this is going to happen before I move. In the meantime, I had a great experience hiking in this area! Such a treat!

Fern Canyon Scenic Trail

Fern Canyon Scenic Trail is a definition of "scenic" and "peaceful". On the day I was there, few people joined in so I had a chance to be alone in nature.

The entrance to the park is $10, and the trail is just a few minutes away from the booth. There is a small parking lot accommodating maybe 8 cars or so. On a weekend, I can see people having to park further away and just walk to the trailhead.

Most of the trail is under the canopy of pine trees. There is a sense of protection from the forest that you get almost as soon as you get there. The "mountain lion spotted" sign did not discourage me to continue. I have yet to see one in the wild. Water is everywhere - you can hear it, smell it (well, maybe not water), feel it on the skin. It makes the hike cool and moist.

My pink see-through ear tells you that sun barely peeks through the forest

There are bridges over creeks, dozens of them! I love the sound of hiking shoes against the wooded surface. It is soft, but noticeable, muffled to a point, yet echoes in the forest where sound mostly comes from animals and flowing water.

The trail loops after the first 2 miles and continues in the Pygmy forest where trees that are hundreds of years old are the size of a petite young birch. As the trail loops back to the original trail, the tall trees prevail yet again.

It is a long trail that some might consider boring. This is because they don't listen to the surroundings. I see people with their headphones in trying to "entertain" themselves continuously. They are so missing the point of hiking. This is one of those trails where you really want to be consumed by the overwhelming power of nature; it's a great place to meditate or do a walking meditation. The trail is long but not very difficult. I would definitely come back here.

Kortum Trail

Kortum Trail is one of those dream trails: moderately flat, open fielded with an ocean view during the whole hike. You just can't go wrong with it! The parking lot where I started (and where the Alltrails app says the trail begins) is insanely small fitting at most 5 cars. The good news is that just nearby (well, maybe not exactly nearby 1-2 miles from the beginning of the trail) is Shell beach which has a much larger parking lot. I actually hiked another trail just across the road from that parking lot.

Regardless where you begin, the views are incredible.

Yes, the trail is this wide for most of the length of the trail

I did say "for the MOST of the trail", didn't I?

If you are lucky, you might find a condor warming up in the sun...

The last part of the trail goes up and quickly descends to the beach. The trail continues all the way to another beach, but I decided to just enjoy one of them.

This is a "must go" trail, especially for travelers. It shows so much what California has to offer in one place. 

Tennessee Valley Golden Gate Loop Trail

Tennessee Valley Golden Gate Loop trail was an average distance hike that overlapped with another trail I hiked not so long ago. It was quite a bit shorter, but still had lovely views of the ocean, especially on a clear day like today.

The length of the hike was just under 6 miles with about 1,300 ft elevation gain. Some sections were pretty steep (stairs) and others merely "rolling hills". This is one of the more popular trails. It was pretty crowded and the parking lot filled up pretty quickly in the morning. Several school buses were waiting as students hiked to the beach just a mile or so away.

What I loved about this hike is watching the fog from above. If you are lucky and there is some fog by the beach, you might be able to feel much further up than you really are!

Overall, a pleasant hike by the beach with a bit of cardio.