January Nature Adventures
All of us need to unwind and clear our minds from time to time… now more than ever! I love to take a break regularly from the busyness of life and spend some extended time walking, hiking, or taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature - I call them “self-care adventure days”. And I love to capture photographs of nature at its best - just the way God created it - to share, uplift, and inspire others to do the same. Enjoy!
Well, it turns out I’ve become somewhat of a fair weather nature gal as I get older. Between nursing a back injury from a fall in early November, the busy holiday season, my hiking group doing hikes that were too hard for me to handle, and just plain not liking the winter time, my nature adventures have been few and far between the past couple of months. I’m happy to report that I at least ended 2023 with a hike on New Year’s Eve day, started the New Year with my annual visit to Bodega Head, and managed to get one more hike in at Annadel during January as well. YAY!
After hearing all about the king tides and resulting HUGE surf the last week of December, I was excited to join the Sonoma County Go Wild Hikers on New Year’s Eve morning at one of my favorite places - The Kortum Trail on the Sonoma Coast between Shell Beach and Blind Beach. So I was disappointed that the waves were very quiet that day and the weather was pretty overcast as well. The trail was VERY muddy but at least it didn’t rain, and it’s ALWAYS a treat to get to spend time at the ocean. Our group of 13 did a fairly easy out-and-back hike of 4.5 miles while enjoying the spectacular views of our Sonoma coastline. While the hike is listed at 650 elevation gain, part of the trail down to Blind Beach was closed so I don’t know what we actually ended up with. It’s always a pleasure to hike with this wonderful group of people and this day was just an extra special one that I’ll remember. We had such a lovely time that many of us kept it going with a yummy lunch at Cafe Aquatica in Jenner afterwards.
The Kortum Trail is part of the 17-mile long Sonoma Coast State Park. This well-maintained and relatively easy trail offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and offshore sea stacks. Much of the trail is a double plank walkway that goes over wetland. With abundant wildlife, rugged coastline, big skies and long vistas, it’s a great outdoors experience year-round. Sea birds on the Pacific flyway, whales commuting just offshore, resident deer, raptors, rabbits, foxes and ample wildflowers offer abundant nature watching opportunities, and also make the Kortum Trail a great outing for families.
For many years I have taken a personal retreat day on New Year's Day and driven out to Bodega Head on the Sonoma coast for an easy hike there. In my opinion, Bodega Head is one of the most beautiful places on the Sonoma Coast. Usually, it's a gorgeous day, the views are amazing (and of course photo worthy!), and the few folks I encounter are happy and friendly. This year was no exception with sunshine, glorious blue skies, a gentle breeze, AND amazing surf! The Bodega Head loop trial (1.7 miles and 187 feet elevation gain) is a really easy route. When I got to the top (since the bluffs are my happy place), instead of going back down the regular inland loop trail, I just came back the way I’d gone up. With my body, mind, and spirit filled with good vibes after my hike, I just sat on the bluffs for a long time taking it all in, gratefully reflecting on the past year, and setting my intentions for the year ahead - SUCH an incredible blessing!
Bodega Head is the rocky headland that forms the entrance into Bodega Harbor. The harbor side provides a popular crabbing area along the jetty and the many hiking trails on the ocean side allow access to small, sandy coves and spectacular scenic views. The high cliffs offer excellent vantage points for observing migrating gray whales. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and running, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.
Thankfully, my back injury finally resolved in time for a more strenuous hike in late January with the Go Wild group again at Trione-Annadel State Park. To be honest, this is classified as a “moderately easy” hike, but between the elevation and the speed of the group, it was a challenge for me to keep up. Still, I love hiking with this group, it’s GOOD for me to challenge myself, and I’ve made peace with the fact that I can spend more time taking in the sights and sounds of nature and to take photos on other days when I’m alone or with a friend and going a slower pace. This day, our group of 15 started by going up Richardson trail to Lake Ilsanjo and then returned on Steve’s S trail enjoying the diverse terrain and views for a total of 5.2 miles and 830 feet elevation gain. The weather was sunny and warm (a wonderful 71 degrees!) and felt SO good - just what I needed!
Trione-Annadel State Park in the heart of Sonoma County is a favorite for hikers and cyclists, offering more than 40 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. It’s hilly terrain supports seasonal streams, meadows, redwoods, grasslands, a 26-acre lake, dense chaparral, volcanic rock formations, and northern oak woodlands. This wide variety of ecosystems creates a welcoming habitat for lots of wildlife and, for wildflower lovers, the park offers a great variety of flowers from early Spring until early Summer, especially on a hike around Lake Ilsanjo.
So that’s it for my January self-care adventure days. As of this blog post, I have group hikes scheduled for Shiloh Ranch Regional Park and Lake Sonoma and an easier walk with a friend as well. We shall she what unfolds other than those. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed my photos and are inspired to create your own uplifting nature experiences. I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?"
~ E.M. FORSTER
JoAnn Newton is a Master Massage Therapist, Certified Diet Counselor & Holistic Nutrition Educator, and Spiritual Counselor with a private practice in Graton, California.
Happy, Healthy Living!
(If you enjoyed this post, please scroll down and subscribe below.)