2013 - Big Sur: McWay Falls to Partington Cove and Back

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, CA – December 28, 2013

I spent the last Saturday of 2013 hiking in the Big Sur region of California’s Central Coast.  The steep slopes of the Santa Lucia mountain range end with sheer cliffs dropping directly into the Pacific Ocean, creating a gorgeous setting ripe for exploration. 

The warm, clear day started along Highway 1 near McWay Falls.  McWay Falls, and the remaining foundation from the “Waterfall House” overlooking the Falls, is spectacular.  I read the history of the Park and its benefactors while enjoying the spectacular view from where this mansion once stood.  I strongly encourage anyone passing through the area to see McWay Falls as it is easily accessible from the highway.
 

From the Falls area, I ascended the steep Ewoldsen Trail through one of the southernmost groves of towering coastal redwood trees.  The forest was tranquil before entering a hot chaparral environment which offering spectacular views of the blue ocean and white rocks way below.  I traversed a steep slope via the seldom used Waters Trail before arriving at an unmarked trail ascending towards the site of the Alta Vista cabin. 
 

The Alta Vista cabin, or what is left of it, captured my imagination.  The cabin and barn were destroyed by the Basin Complex Fire when it swept across the area in 2008.  5 years after the fire, only the foundation, root cellar, and impeccable view from this 1932 homestead remain.  The site is ~2,500 feet above the sea and reachable only by foot or horseback.  This site offered its inhabitants a tremendous place to enjoy.  Click here for pre-fire photos and history.
 

More striking than the site of the cabin is the power of wildfire.  After navigating through the dense brush that has grown back around the cabin site, I followed the Tan Bark Trail into another impressive stand of redwoods.  The redwoods bear fire scars no less than 60 feet above the ground.  I can only imagine what this area would have looked like during the fire…

 

The next stop was Partington Cove where I descended to the ocean to eat lunch in the sun and watch the waves crash.  After lunch I visited the a few of the vantage points on the rocks above the sea before following the Partington Creek back up the mountain.  Once I re-crossed the Waters Trail, I descended the other portion of the Ewoldson Trail that remains under construction post the Basin Complex Fire.  There I confirmed my suspicion that the redwood boards for trail bridges are hewed from on-site redwoods.  Someday I hope to catch the builders in action and see the saws they use to cut the boards so elegantly.
 

The day ended admiring McWay Falls after 18 miles of hiking and 5,300 feet of climbing.  This was another wonderful day on the trails in a region I look forward to exploring more.