Baxter and I had another quiet walk (and return home) on Trinidad Head this morning followed by a little time on Launcher Beach. We encountered only one person at the start and two at the end of our headland walk. Yes, we are spoiled and loving it! Very grateful for the opportunity. Today also brought forth the remnants of two different kinds of visitor. One that actually surprised me. One that gives me pause for concern.

We are very fortunate, our immediate community has five beaches (Trinidad State Beach, College Cove, Launcher Beach, Old Home and Moon Stone) and is bookended by two gorgeous Headlands with hiking trails. Trinidad Head is attached to the city proper and located directly next to Trinidad Harbor & Pier (commercial and sport). It’s also partially surrounded by two large parking lots and a popular restaurant. The headland is home to a historic lighthouse that is now mechanized and a NOAA weather station. Elk Head is more remote and located on the opposite side of Trinidad State Beach with a forest between it and the beach, and adjacent to a much larger forest.

This morning, as we walked up the paved access road to Trinidad Head, I stumbled onto a large pile of deer scat. Deer are common in our area and frequently seen on Elk Head. In the last eight years I have never seen deer scat on Trinidad Head. There is no water source and it’s surrounded by commercial and tourism activity. So naturally this has left me curious about this visitor. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. We are all living in a “new normal” in so many ways.

The second visitor was of the two legged variety and left behind trash from fireworks. The debris was not there yesterday so this little party must have occurred last night. Coastal resources are great places to recreate and are meant to be shared. But in this particular case, the fireworks are not welcome. It’s true that the Northcoast is green and lush because of the rain we get. However, like most of the west, we are behind in our annual rainfall and susceptible to wildfires. There are no services up on the headland. And we usually have some wind in the later afternoon and evening. All it would take is a little spark combined with some wind and Houston we have a problem. The city of Trinidad forbids the use of fireworks in town and on the beaches and headlands. Unfortunately we don’t have the law enforcement to regulate it. We rely on signage and people doing the right thing.

So, fingers crossed that this summer produces a lot of great memories for people as they recreate wisely at the coast and elsewhere, and the wildfire season is a short and uneventful one. Enjoy my pics! #iluvtowalk #trinidadcalifornia #listentosmoky #onlyyoucanpreventforestfires #humboldt #humboldtcounty

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