Hiking in Big Sur (Day Two) AKA Nightmare Hike From Hell

On Sunday we planned to go on the Molera State Park Loop. This is an 8 mile hike that has view of the ocean. So we packed up camp and headed over to the park.

We should have known better when all the ranger said to us when we entered was “The trail is very overgrown with poison oak. Be careful.” We asked him a few questions about the trial but he didn’t tell us anything except for the fact that we should be careful of the poison oak.

We figured he was just an idiot, so we got our stuff together and headed out on the trail. The beginning of the trail was awesome. You have to cross over this little river on a wooden plank bridge. As soon as we got off the bridge we were greeted with a sign that gave a choice of paths: beach trail or river trail. So of course we had to look at our map and try and figure out which one to go on and the map was so horrible because it didn’t tell us which one would take us to our trail.

So we had to hike back to the stupid idiot ranger who pointed us in the right direction.

So we are on the trail and it seems like a nice trail. Our spirits are high, excited to be going on this great hike in such a beautiful area.

The poison oak was everywhere- fields of it. I have never seen so much of it in my entire life. Luckily we were wearing long pants and boots. Plus, the trail was wide enough it didn’t worry me too much.

Suddenly the trail started to climb, and as we climbed we left the really lush valley and got into a dry, hot hillside. Pretty steep- and the trail shortened drastically. Now you may be thinking, “Linsey are you sure you were on the right trail?” Yes, I am SURE we were on the right trail.
So, about then I was thinking- “hmmm I hope that this trail gets prettier..….. I want to see the ocean!”

Then I was interrupted by my own scream as a RATTLESNAKE crossed the trail! AHHHHH! Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps.
Now, I have seen rattlesnakes before, but never on a trail so narrow that you have turn sideways to get by and never when I was literally surrounded by poison oak. So now I am trying to keep my cool and I can’t because I suddenly remember the sign at the park entrance that said “Beware of poison oak. Beware of rattlesnakes.” AHHH! All I can imagine are rattlesnakes everywhere, waiting to strike!

We decided to be brave and keep hiking, after all, we had already gone like 2 miles and we had been looking forward to this hike for a long time. We knew if we just kept going we would soon be out of the crappy part of the trail and onto the picturesque parts we had read about.
Both of us were on edge now and neither of us were having fun. My hiking buddy was cursing at the trail and I was jumping at every lizard I saw. Finally we got to a nice shady part of the trail and I figured we would now enter a new pretty portion of the trail.
I was wrong. First, part of the trail was damaged- a bridge was broken and poles were sticking up out ready to make us human shish ka bobs. Then we rounded a bend and saw the trail wind ahead of us- more of the same- if not worse.
After a good discussion and some more cursing, we decided to turn around and head back, not wanting to go any further into the crappy trail before us.

Finally we made it down the trail and decided to walk to the Beach Trail so we could get a view of the ocean. The beach was very pretty but by this point we both decided we had enough of hiking and decided to go to Monterey and hang out on the wharf. Much safer.
I look forward to running on pavement with no rattlesnakes or poison oak.