Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Southern California - Jerry Schad - Страница 21

HIKE 8

Point Dume to Paradise Cove

Location: Malibu coast

Highlights: Panoramic ocean vistas and superb intertidal exploration

Distance: 2.1 miles (one way)

Total Elevation Gain/Loss: 200'/200'

Hiking Time: 1½ hours

Optional Maps: Trails Illustrated Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or USGS 7.5-minute Point Dume

Best Times: All year (passable during low tide)

Agency: SMMNRA

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Use: Good for kids

Like the armored bow of an icebreaker, flat-topped Point Dume juts into the Pacific about 20 miles west of Santa Monica. Just east of the point itself, an unbroken cliff wall shelters a secluded beach from the sights and sounds of the civilized world. Below the sometimes-narrow stretch of sand east of Point Dume, a strip of rocky coastline harbors tidepools and a mind-boggling array of plant and animal life.

A pleasant walk anytime the tide is low, this trip is doubly rewarding when the tide dips as low as negative 2 feet. Some of the tidepool inhabitants include: limpets, periwinkles, chitons, tube snails, sandcastle worms, sculpins, mussels, shore and hermit crabs, green and aggregating anemones, three kinds of barnacles, and two kinds of sea stars. Extremely low tides occur during the afternoon two or three times each month from October through March. During the summer, you’ll have to get up early to catch the rare negative tides. Consult tide tables to find out exactly when.

To Reach the Trailhead: From the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) on Malibu’s west side, 0.4 mile west of mile marker 001 LA 54.5, turn south onto Westward Beach Road. Drive down Westward Beach Road to the road’s end at Westward Beach (which is open daylight hours and charges a parking fee). Alternatively, you may park for free along the roadside before reaching the pay station, and then stroll 0.7 mile southeast along the beach to Point Dume.

Description: Starting out at Westward Beach, you have a choice between two routes: over the top of the point or around the end of the point at sea level. The shorter, much easier route (and the only practical alternative during all but extremely low tides) is the first one, the trail slanting left up the cliff. On top is an area popular for sighting gray whales during their southward migration in winter and a state historic monument. Point Dume, you’ll learn, was christened by British naval commander George Vancouver, who sailed by in 1793.

As you stand on Point Dume’s apex, note the marked contrast between the lighter sedimentary rock exposed on the cliff faces both east and west and the darker volcanic rock just below. This unusually tough mass of volcanic rock has thus far resisted the onslaught of the ocean swells. After you descend from the apex, some metal stairs will take you down to crescent-shaped Dume Cove.

The alternate route is for skilled climbers only (and definitely inappropriate for small children). During the very lowest tides, you round the point itself, making your way by hand-and-toe climbing in a couple of spots over huge, angular shards of volcanic rock along the base of the cliffs. The tidepools here and to the east along Dume Cove’s shoreline have some of the best displays of intertidal marine life in Southern California. This visual feast will remain for others to enjoy if you refrain from taking or disturbing in any way the organisms that live there. (Warning: Exploring the lower intertidal zones can be hazardous. Be very cautious when traveling over slippery rocks, and always be aware of the incoming swells. Don’t let a rogue wave catch you by surprise.)

The going is easy once you’re on Dume Cove’s ribbon of sand. Signs posted here warn against nude bathing and sunning. This was once a popular nude beach, much to the chagrin of some of those living in the cliffside mansions overlooking the area. You may see the Zeus, a sailboat shipwrecked at the cove, partially buried beneath the sands.

When you reach the northeast end of Dume Cove, swing left around a lesser point and continue another mile over a somewhat wider beach to Paradise Cove, site of an elegant beachside restaurant, private pier, and parking lot (the public is welcome for a hefty parking fee unless they spend at least $20 at the restaurant). If you’ve parked a bicycle or second car here, then your hike ends here. Otherwise you can return the way you came or wend your way along the residential streets of Point Dume to return to Westward Beach.