caryn hewlett

adventuress. photographer. writer.

January 5, 2020

Hike More, Worry Less {Big Sur 1/2020}

Happy new year, everyone! It’s officially the first weekend of 2020, and I am so excited about it! We usually hike on the first of the year, but we had a much-needed restful day at home. So, with the first Saturday of the year, we packed a lunch and headed down to Big Sur with only one spot on our minds: Andrew Molera State Park. The drive brings us through multiple beach towns such as Monterey and Carmel, then OpenSSL to the most beautiful scenic drive. You’re on the edge of a mountain overlooking the massive blue ocean. It’s invigorating! When we arrive at the state park, we unload and get started on our hike, passing by a sweet barn that always makes me think of green gables, and then there is a small fork, which we turn right to go toward the beach. However, in order to do this, you have to cross over the Big Sur River, which is normally ankle-deep at this time of year and in summer has a bridge. To our surprise, the river was deep, and I mean knee-deep for Andrew and mid-thigh deep for me! We braved the river, despite it being ice cold! It was well worth the adventure though, as it led us to our trail, and our hike truly began… The light peeking through the trees was heavenly, and the whole experience felt like a gift. I had said ai wanted more adventure this year (it’s even my word for 2020!), and here I was on my first adventure for the year, and it was beautiful. When we arrived at the beach, we found that the height of the river had deterred many other hikers, so we shared the beach with maybe 10 other brave souls! We explored where the river meets the sea, and looked at all the beautiful rocks and driftwood that had come ashore. A lot of driftwood collects here, and people make giant structures out of them! We took shelter in one to have our lunch, and it provided a warm spot away from the wind. I was so happy to explore with my love! It was a great adventure. Our pants dried just in time to cross the river again to get back to the car, but it was worth every bit to have a special day together.