California Dreamin': Point Reyes Headlands 11/29/20

[Joseph Berkovitz]

This is report on a paddle I did on Sunday in California with a couple of members of the Bay Area Sea Kayakers. Sorry about the formatting! The links go out to specific pictures and videos in Google Photos, which give a much better idea of the area than my writeup. Here's just one pic as a teaser though:

Point Reyes: Drakes Beach to Pt. Reyes Light

People: me, Franca Cioria, Damon Paxt

Launch: 10:20; Land: 14:50

Conditions: Sunny, air 50 F, water 52 F, swell 5 ft @ 13 s WNW

Tides: 

2020/11/29    Sun    09:20 AM    6.04    H

2020/11/29    Sun    4:34 PM    -0.23    L

Distance: 11.4 nm

Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/9cbc6b96c6b14955c1b37cce398b43c1/?layer=gaianoaarnc

Picture Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ji8v3WsLKeCpvFZA9

 

 

This was one of the most scenic trips I’ve ever paddled anywhere. Franca’s general idea was to launch from the well-protected Drakes Beach and paddle out to Chimney Rock at the east end of the 600-foot-high Point Reyes Headlands, then along the length of the headlands to the lighthouse. This is one of the most exposed places on the entire California coastline and is rarely a sane place to paddle because of the heavy swell, wind and fog that often occurs there. Yet for a couple of days we had a great weather window, so we took advantage of it.

 

10:15: The launch off Drakes was smooth and the ocean glassy except for the 3-foot dumping break right in front of us. Fortunately the very long period made it easy to time our entry and paddle past the break. The only challenge was picking a launch point without too much longshore swash and waiting for a big enough wave to seal launch the boats. Then we had a long calm paddle out to near Chimney Rock. As we paddled, many surf scoters were flying away from us with their distinctive whoop-whoop wingbeats. Video

 

11:00. Just inside of Chimney Rock there were coves with elephant and harbor seals hauling out. We encountered a sea lion while we debated whether to go on the inside or outside passage. (The inside was shallow and dicey and outside swell was breaking through—we took the outside as the water was still high enough that the shoals would probably not be an issue.)

 

11:15 A long traverse of the incredibly dramatic headlands to the lighthouse, about 3 nm. Swell kept wrapping in towards us, mostly very graceful and long 3-4 footers but occasional 6-foot monsters thrown in so we needed to be careful about reading rocks and ledges. The current was against us on the way out, probably about 0.25 kt at most judging from the difference in speed on the GPS track. At the beginning of the outside trek I indulged in some rock gardening as there were many deep slots and occasional tunnels in the tall rock ribs sticking out of the ocean. Along the way we encountered a sea lion cove and viewed the top of an underwater kelp forest.

 

12:25. We arrived at the lighthouse on its high bluff. Just before the lighthouse the wind picked up hugely as we neared the end of our lee and the undiluted western swell began to hit various points and kick up huge spray. The light is no longer in use and curtains are up to protect the lens; the actual light is a rather low-profile LED affair that is hardly seen in the daytime.  We went a bit beyond the point to gain a view down the west side of Point Reyes towards Tomales Point and Bodega Bay about 10 miles away. Out here the ocean was much rougher with some chop on top of the swell. We turned around.

 

1:30 we arrived back at Chimney Rock. On the return trip the swell seemed to be lessened although there were occasional big sets recurring. Here though because of the lower water level, the shoal extending east from Chimney Rock was triggering a line of breakers. We waited in front of the rock for a bit, observing and wondering what the best way back inside might be. To clear the shoals entirely would require a half-mile detour towards the G “1” whistle buoy. There appeared to be some gaps but we would need to scout them carefully. The area just adjacent to Chimney Rock seemed itself to be a gap of sorts, but we saw that the bigger waves were definitely breaking in that area. Damon pulled a little bit ahead to take a closer look while I suggested that we wait for one of the really big sets, then quickly punch through in a following lull. At that exact moment Franca yelled “outside” as one of the huge sets arrived. I did wonder if we were toast for a quick moment, but the approaching wave stood down slightly as it approached the rock and we easily backpaddled over it. I hoped Damon was OK, but after the wave approach he had backed towards our safer position again. Another two monsters roared through. Clearly that would not have been a moment to punch around the rock, but after the third wave I looked back and saw nothing coming for a distance. “Let’s go!” We very purposefully rounded the rock. Just after we came around some waves did come through but they would have been quite rideable. 

 

1:35-2:00. A chilly but gorgeous lunch break on a tiny pocket beach just inside of the rock as we desperately needed food. We shared the beach with some elephant and harbor seals at the other end — we landed in the opposite corner to avoid disturbing them. They did not seem to care and a large rock hid us from their view. Damon found some cool looking sea anemones.

 

2:55. We landed at Drakes in the building NW wind. The dump was much smaller on our return, though. A perfect wild California paddle.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Joseph Berkovitz

[Jim Snyder]

What a trip, great report Joe! 

[Inverseyourself]

What a landscape! Everything seems (is) so much bigger! Nice work on exploiting the weather window!

[PeterB]

Very impressive!  I've been along that coastline, and if seas are severe anywhere in that whole area,  which they often are.they're likely to be severe right there. Point Reyes is like a magnet for  conditions, especially this time of year.  How cool that you have gone and paddled there. 

[Alex Debski]

Amazing! I would love to paddle there some day.