I left San Francisco behind today taking the BART system (underground) [$2.90] to Daly City, then the 110 bus [$2] to Pacifica and finally the connecting 294 bus [$2], which drops off at the Montara lighthouse driveway ;) So all in all very good value and took around two hours to complete the 25 mile trip.
The Montara YHI is excellent in both amenities and location with coastal and mountain walks available on its doorstep as well as stunning views out across the Pacific Ocean and coastline. Arriving early it meant that I could drop bags off and head out onto the trails straight away… opted for the easy coast trail for today. That said it is a winding route along very narrow trails right at the edge of the cliff… probably not ideal if the weather is inclement. However, the sun is out and the trail is dry, so I soon make it Seal Cover where I get to see and whole group of seals basking in the warm sun along a small stretch of beach which had been coned off to stop visitors from approaching them. They all seemed happy as I looked down on them from my cliff top vantage point. Moving on along the coast I come to the distillery café perched once again near the edge of the cliffs and offering several options for lunch…
Heading inland and back on the loop to the Montara post office I find that I am forced to walk along roads without any footpaths - hardly ideal, but by now I have got used to looking the right way when crossing the roads ;)
There are several interesting buildings on route and a small well used airstrip. However, most of the journey takes you through suburban zones - little boring… The end of the road leads to the ‘Farralone cut off’ a short trail which in turn leads to the main mountain trails… Hope to complete these on another day…
Back towards the hostel and a quick stop for a bite to eat at the best coffee shop in town ’café Lucca’ (marked with an Italian flag - always a good indication of quality coffee and I am not disappointed). The tiny shack by the side of the road serves some wonderful coffee (in mugs if you like) and also has a glorious range of oat cakes/biscuits to fuel the hikes. Great place and on route to the trails. Perfect.
Back at the hostel I check in [$26/night] and find that I am in the dorm room facing directly out to see next to the lighthouse itself. A cosy little dorm with 6 beds and plenty of space for packs under the beds and shelves to place small items on… there is also all the mod cons you would expect including wi-fi in the communal area. Settling in and unloading all the groceries for 4 days I head down the rocks to the beach… A small affair with large cresting waves and pounding surf. After an hour I am a little warm from the sun but get to see a whole flock of pelicans pass overhead. Awesome start to my stay here and quite a difference from San Francisco.
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