I recently led a hike to the Gaviota Caves at Thanksgiving. But it has been almost four years since I led a hike beyond the caves. So last month I led a Humanist Society hike all the way out to the Gaviota Pass Overlook. Here are my photos!
Climbing that first grassy hill is a bit of a slog. In the past, someone tried to make a trail with switchbacks, but people kept short-cutting them. The result is a primitive path that goes almost straight up! Here is how it looks from a distance.
And here is how it looked as we climbed it. As you can see, we had a happy group!
At the top of the hill we stopped to enjoy the view at that first overlook and to pose for a group photo. The Gaviota Tunnel is beyond us.
At this point I flew my little drone to take in a panoramic view of us in this scene!
We continued on up the trail to the first cave. A big cave, with multiple chambers. Some of the group posed in there.
As we continued on up the eroded trail we got a clear view of the Wind Cave, with blue sky shining through!
Climbing up to the Wind Cave is a bit of a challenge. Straight up, without much to hold onto. Still, much easier than going down!
Once people were inside the Wind Cave I was able to get a nice shot of some of the group from below.
John Anderson brought his son Isaiah and they posed together in the window of the Wind Cave.
At this point we got a view of our faraway destination: The overlook at Gaviota Pass. Notice the antenna out there, which you can see from Highway 101.
The biggest challenge to get out to the Overlook is a connector path from the ocean side that cuts back to the fire road to the antenna. That connector path can be very overgrown. Notably, with thorny thistle and nasty poison oak! John Anderson said that he had scouted this in November and it was completely impassable. But some trail fairies had kindly cleared out the trail and here we were at the junction with the fire road.
After that it was clear going on the well-maintained fire road.
There were also some beautiful wildflowers along the fire road. Earlier than usual this year! These are Indian Paintbrush.
And Shooting Stars.
At the Gaviota Pass Overlook, Martin Donohue took this nice photo of me.
An Amtrak train came across the trestle at Gaviota State Beach as we were at the Overlook. Perfect timing!
The group hung out near the antenna and people had their lunches and snacks.
John and Isaiah sat with their friend Andy on a rock outcropping. I joined them and flew my little drone one more time. Taking in us along with the sweeping view out toward Gaviota State Beach…