September 9, 2013
Well, I made good on my promise to visit Wilder Ranch sooner rather than later. I met up with a friend I've known since we were 11 years old. I love that we've been friends for over 30 years. She said the bluffs at Wilder have been beautiful lately. She was right. The sea breeze was minimal, so it was unusually comfortable hiking along the coastline, something I haven't done since my first visit to Wilder. The coastal geology reminds me of Montaña De Oro State Park, which is 130 miles southeast as the crow flies. We were chatting quite a bit (yep, I was one of those I usually despise on the trails), so I wasn't paying too much attention to individual items to ID. Although, we did see a bobcat on the trail! This is only my 3rd bobcat sighting (1st at Los Padres Dam, 2nd at Palo Corona Park). My friend didn't believe me and thought it was a house cat. "No way! Look how big it is! Wait until it turns to see if it has a tail." Sure enough, a bobbed tail. And, yes, it's pumpkin time. Wilder Ranch is the southern boundary for an area along Hwy 1 up to Half Moon Bay that I like to call "Pumpkinville" for the plethora of pumpkin farms. I am so looking forward to autumn this year.
