Andrew Molera State Park

We almost didn't get to explore Andrew Molera State Park because the bridge was out. First, we spent a fair while trying to find a trailhead. Then we spoke with the volunteer park ranger who told us that we would have to ford the river as the bridge had washed out earlier in the fall. Then we stood staring at the deadly rushing waters before deciding that they weren't all that deadly or even particularly rushing.

Then we had a lovely walk down to the beach and an even more spectacular walk along the headlands. With the great blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the warm chapparal of the mountains to the right, we followed the coastal trail admiring the views. It was probably the high point of our hiking experience in the Monterey - Big Sur area, and we nearly missed it.

California State Parks are in bad shape. The Ewoldsen Trail at Julia Pfeiffer is completely closed. Other trails are closed due to landslides. The web sites aren't all up to date, but we can report here that the trails at Andrew Molera are open, at least for the dry season.