2003 Coastal Trail Expedition

~Tom Maxwell Distance:Four miles, longer or shorter as you like.Location:Port Hueneme State Beach and Ormond Beach are just south of the city and port of Port Hueneme in Ventura county. Hazards:Watch for unexpected high waves coming over the dike or onto the beach.  Avoid stepping on least tern and snowy plover eggs. Do not go beyond…

September 22, San Diego County The Last Day. Congratulations Walkers and Volunteers YMCA Camp at Imperial Beach to the Mexican Border. 4.1 miles We accomplished our goal! The ten of us, hand in hand, reached the border as we had left the state line with Oregon: together. With us were some 40 other hikers who…

September 21: San Diego County Coronado Ferry Landing to YMCA Camp at Imperial Beach. 11.1 miles We gathered at the San Diego side of the San Diego – Coronado ferry and got onto the ship’s first trip for this Sunday morning. The ride took us across the harbor, gliding past the pontoon barrier separating the…

September 20: San Diego County Ocean Beach Pier to Broadway and Harbor. 11.7 miles There is a buzz of anticipation in the air. It is not so much that we will soon be done, but that we will soon have done it. We can mentally see the end coming nearer and nearer, even if we…

September 19: San Diego County La Jolla Shores Beach to Ocean Beach Pier. 14 miles This was to prove to be a transitional day. As the day progressed, we entered more and more dense urban areas befitting a metropolis of some 1.2 million people. We left our camping spot at Scripps Institution of Oceanography by…

September 18: San Diego County San Elijo State Beach to La Jolla Shores Beach. 13.5 miles We began today on the beach, and with the exception of using bridges to cross waterways, our walk kept us on beaches for the entire day. Leaving Elijo State Beach, we passed through Cardiff State Beach, Fletcher Cove Park,…

September 17: San Diego County Carlsbad State Beach to San Elijo State Beach. 7 miles “And the days dwindle down, to a precious few” It’s the end game now, we’ve been chasing that king all over the board, constantly pushing him south, and now his back is to the wall; there’s little room left for…

September 16: San Diego County Oceanside Harbor to Carlsbad State Beach. 8 miles For many of us, today was a day of great disappointment. Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, some 130,000 acres in all, is situated here in northern San Diego County. Its lands run from the sea to many miles inland. It is a…

September 15: San Diego County San Clemente State Beach to Las Pulgas Road. 11.7 miles Steve Kononenko has taken over as hike leader, a position he will hold for the entirety of San Diego County. The weather has been our friend for this entire trip, and this was again true this day. High overcast and…

September 15: San Diego County Meet the Hikers: Steve and Hélène Steve Jones, 67, is a real estate agent and property manager from Rohnert Park. Steve has been active with Coastwalk since the mid-1980’s and has been on all of Coastwalk’s county walks except the Backbone Trail hike in Southern California. Steve has served on…