Hikers Guide
Video: Learning About the Kortum Trail in Sonoma
Hiking the Coast from Hostel to Hostel
Jessica Gauvreau provides notes on her 2008 walk of the CCT north to San Francisco with a day pack and hostel stays. There are a fair number of hostels along the California coast, and many hikers have taken advantage of them as they have walked the CCT. In winter of 2008, Jessica Gauvreau hiked most of the Trail from…
Read MoreSaving the South Coast: Heal the Bay
The huge human population of southern California lives there in large part because of the mild desert climate and warm, inviting coast and ocean. The 4000 square miles of Los Angeles County alone hold a population of over 10.5 million. Several feature articles in this book discuss the results of historic, persistent abuse by government…
Read MoreImpressions of the California Coastal Trail – Two experienced backpackers take on the CCT
Impressions: The California Coastal Trail – San Francisco to the Oregon Border Like an addiction, the urge to merge and exchange the very essence of our being with our surroundings became the guiding force that propelled us out our front door and into the classroom of life. A few weeks in a box to contemplate and bring…
Read MoreAnswers to Commonly Asked Questions about the California Coastal Trail
by Bernie Krausse A common question that is asked about the California Coastal Trail is whether one can hike the entire 1,200 miles of coastline without a support vehicle. The unanimous answer is a resounding yes. Every year many people either hike the entire coast from border to border or section hike their favorite regions without…
Read MoreThe Monterey Bay Aquarium
Complementing the wonders of the immense Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the world’s great aquariums and interpretive centers. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, located at the end of the last hike in this book, presents a living representation of the many habitats in and around the bay in more than a hundred innovative…
Read MoreWatch Out for That Wave!
The waves we see dashing against the coast start hundreds of miles offshore. As winds blow across the ocean’s surface, they create waves of various sizes.A wave’s size depends on wind velocity, duration and the distance the wind blows across the open ocean. Waves break, showing a churning crest of foam along their leading edge…
Read MoreThe Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Monterey Bay holds the closest-to-shore deep ocean environment in the continental U.S. and one of North America’s largest submarine canyons, but it was the threat of offshore oil development that in 1992 led to the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the nation’s largest. This huge preserve covers 5312 square miles including 360…
Read MoreThe California Brown Pelican
You’ll see them all along the California coast, crashing into the ocean and gracefully gliding just above rolling waves. They, along with the less common white pelican, are the biggest flying critters on the coast. Brown pelicans boast a wingspan up to 6½ feet, with white pelicans reaching an astounding 9½ feet. The browns breed…
Read MoreThe Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989
If you had been walking the Santa Cruz coastline at 5:04 P.M. on October 17, 1989, a powerful earthquake would have jolted you from your revelry with nature. The strong quake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, shook the entire central California coast. It hit during the third game of baseball’s World Series between San…
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