Heavy fog

This morning I woke up early to the sounds of cawing seagulls. a heavy fog, the same fog that rolled in yesterday evening, lingered. I remember this cold fog from my days living in the Monterey Bay area (1996-2000) and I hated that cold wetness, but this fog also accentuates the aroma from the many cypress trees that dominate the landscape here.

I showered early at the fitness center, recognizing Ms Sandy from my days when I was stationed at the POM. She didn't recognize me until she asked me for my last name, and then she recalled the years she and I exchanged paperwork whenever a battalion needed reservations for a gym or raquetball court date. She's been working as a swim instructor since 1994 but said that even after 26 years in the civil service, her base pay of $900, after taxes, could not support her here. "I'll have to keep on working unless I can find another job" she said.

The high cost of living here, and the heavy state taxees, kept me from making this place my forever home, too. I like it here, but I think the disadvantages of being here for the long run would force me out again. Yes, the landscape is beautiful and the flora is amazing, but the taxes and this constant evening cold would depress me all over again.

The cold fog changed my morning plans of hiking in Carmel Valley, so I used the weather as an excuse to wash cllothes at the 24-hour laundromat next door to the Bagel Bakery I frequented so much during my stay here. I didn't order a "toasted plain bagel with Swiss cheese" and instead ordered a double shot of cappuccino ($3.41) which the young man steamed too hot that it scalded my tongue. I was able to access the WiFi from the laundromat and was able to continue my email as the first load dried. The clothes didn't look that much cleaner than before, though, but at least they smelled clean.

I finally left the laundromat at 10am when I realized the fog wasn't going away and I wasn't doing anything else productive. I headed south on Hwy 1 to Carmel, then Carmel Village on county road G16. The trailhead for the Los Padres Dam/Carmel River trail was 16 miles away, through the old paved road that surely was once a farmer's road in Steinbeck's days. The narrow, curvy road didn't allow for fast speed.

We made it to the trailhead at 11:21am and proceeded toward the dam. For a "river trail" this was a hot hike at first, walking along a wide but exposed maintenance road to the dam. Then the trail continued to the north of the dam along a high ridge, through mostly sunny stretches for another mile before I reached the trail intersection for Big Pine and Bottcher's Gap that led uphill. I took the other route to the left, or south, toward Carmel River Camp. This was a single track through shaded forest of live oak and manzanitas. I had done this trail years ago, but this section didn't look familiar.

I am glad I took the guide book with me, as we lost the trail after the first creek crossing across Danish Creek. Here the trail looked less maintained. We crossed another creek shortly thereafter, but here a massive former flood zone had washed away the trail. The bad thing about using old trail guides (mine was from 1998) is that it's not always accurate! We walked around in the shallow creek for a bit, but I opted to turn around as the trail was lost. Sadie enjoyed the cool wetness but also seemed glad to go back.

We probably didn't hike more than four miles in what was a hot and humid hike. What a contrast to Monterey, which was still shrouded in fog when we returned to the peninsula at 4pm. I drove up to the Veteran's Memorial Park to hike the Huckleberry Hill hike (1.8m) to at least say we got our six miles in today.

The Huckleberry Hill Preserve of Monterey Pine is a small tract of land that borders the Defense Language Institute. I had taken troops up through these woods for hill training, but since 911 access to this preserve is closed from the military post. The trails are really maintenance roads for the California Water Company, and today the upper trails were nestled in fog. On a clear day one can see the ocean.

The rest of the day was spent quietly with Sadie. I stopped to get ice for the food I bought yesterday at Trader Joes. The marine layer was moving back in over the peninsula and the chills returned; time to put on the layers again!

I returned to the laundromat to download photos and answer email as once again Pacific Grove was shrouded in the evening fog.
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