Another beautiful day for a paddle. We’ve just finished a Santa Ana season; the winds have ended, but it is still warm. I even wore short sleeves (after slathering on the sunscreen of course). This time we headed north to Tomales Bay. Tomales Bay lies along the northeast boundary of Point Reyes; it also lies along the San Andreas Fault. If you look at a satellite image of the San Francisco Bay Area you can practically lay a ruler along Tomales Bay and the Crystal Springs Resevoirs down near us along 35 and 280.
The guide books break Tomales Bay up into several options. The lower part of the bay comes with several tidal mud warnings and the northern end of the bay has surf and shark warnings. We’re a little tired of worrying about getting stranded in the mud by a forgotten tide and though the shark warnings did not specify whether the shark attacks included attacks on kayaks, we wanted a simple, straightforward paddle this time out. We decided to put in at Heart’s Desire Beach which is part of Tomales Bay State Park. We paid our very reasonable day use fee* and were there early enough to get a parking space right by the beach.
The water was very calm and clear. Under the water we could see anemones and old oyster shells. Throughout the paddle we saw jellies drifting on the tide. We headed south-ish toward Inverness. We stayed on the south/west side of the bay, often in the shade of the cliffs. Around Pebble Beach we saw a creature swimming around, but as we neared it dove. We’re pretty sure it was a river otter. We saw another (or the same one) a little bit later near Shallow Beach, but again were spotted long before we could confirm.
When we reached Inverness we crossed over to the other side of the bay where we paddled over extensive patches of sea grass. About halfway back we crossed again and returned to Heart’s Desire which had become much more crowded while we were out. After packing up, we drove around the end of the bay and up to Marshall to dine at the Marshall Store. John had bbq oysters while I had a nice roast pork sandwich with carmelized onions and roasted red peppers. The Tomales Bay region is home to oyster farms and just about every dining option focuses on these critters. The Marshall Store is a great place to get ’em.
One thing that struck both of us is how different the land was on each side of the bay. One is gentle rolling hills covered with grass and only the occasional tree; the other is a craggy with many trees. Is this a geologic effect or is it evidence of the impact of human usage? Tomales Bay is part of the San Andreas fault so that would give credence to the geologic argument. However, it is said that California lanscapes have been heavily shaped by human usage particularly mining and cattle ranching. There’s been a study that shows that cattle inhibit tree reproduction by eating seedlings and compacting the ground. Historically the Tomales Bay area is home to many ranches with dairy being a big industry as well as oyster farms. But the side of the bay we started on is granite bedrock; you have to go 300 miles southeast to find its companion on the other side of the fault. That favors the geologic explanation. It is probably a combination of both, the geologic differences helping the human use to flourish.
* Folks whine about paying fees for using the parks. Even worse are the ones who park on the roadside and walk in so they don’t have to pay a fee. They’re happy to use the amenities though (toilets, garbage collection, general upkeep, etc.). It is cheaper than a single movie ticket, get a grip and do your part to help preserve these spaces!