Dear Jake & Amelia,
As we turned west onto Point Reyes Peninsula, we crossed the San Andreas Fault. We had been following it up the coast, driving near or on it as we twisted our way north in the fog.

We continued north in the National Seashore to Pierce Point Ranch, hoping to see the elk herd grazing on Tomales Point. The road wound gently, crossing Inverness Ridge and passing several working dairy farms. The ripe, pungent smell of cow manure saturated the air. We glimpsed views of Tomales Bay to the east and the small cove called McClures Beach to the west. 

We parked near the Ranch and walked the trail to Tomales Point. Dry, thirsty grasses covered undulating pastureland  Fog sat on the water, softening the horizon line and hiding the colors of the sky. The trail was pretty in spite of the gray. We looked down at rocky coves on the seaside  or across to gentler waters of the bay. 

About half way to the Point, we spotted the elk herd. This is the season that the males runt, gathering their females together, calling with a whistling sound. The does and the young grazed in a small valley. Young males, their antlers still covered with fuzz, fed on a gentle slope above. Between them, an adult male calmly grazed, facing the young bucks. This male's antlers were majestic. 

Nancy & Peter

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