Postcard From The Peace Factory

It’s certainly wonderful to be home, but pardon me if I dispense with the trivialities of being back from our fantastic four-day Highway 1 Getaway and get right to what was one of several highpoints of our trip: Big Sur’s Mill Creek Trail.

The Mill Creek Trail was a revelation — even moreso as it was something of a substitute for the Limekiln Trail that was to have been our farewell hike on our last day in Big Sur yesterday, but we were disappointed to find it closed from damage due to last year’s horrific Basin Complex Fire, which burned across five weeks last summer consuming more than 160,000 acres.

With the fog still pushing in from the sea, Susan and I entered at the hike’s entirely unassuming roadside trailhead wondering if the hike ahead would be worth the walk. But after winding our way inland on the narrow trail along the western wall of the canyon, eventually we descended down into the cooler air under the forest canopy  to the floor along Mill Creek where we basically stood among towering pines young, ancient and in-between and found pure beauty and serenity. If peace and tranquility are manufactured, then we were touring the factory.

Oh. My. God.

Or let me put it another way: I’ve found where you can scatter my ashes after I check out (click for the bigger picture):

millcreekpines

Seriously, If I wasn’t getting humbled and awe-struck chills from the verdant and aromatic magnificence then I was literally tearing up from it. Or both.

And as a super bonus (in this unfortunate day and age of loud-mouthed disrespectful trailjackers), we had the entire place to ourselves. Literally. The only person we encountered along the entire out-and-back hike, was a solitary gentleman and that was just inside the trailhead as we were coming out, as if it were a relay.

It’s great to be home, and there will of course be more pictures and words and such, but until then I just wanted to check in with a post and urge you to put the Mill Creek Trail near the top of your list should you plan a trip to Big Sur.