Big Sur displays resilience after wildfire
By Alex Wilson 08/13/2009
The massive Basin Complex Fire charred the Big Sur region of Los Padres National Forest last summer, but a recent visit revealed how Big Sur’s stunning beauty stands up to nature’s destructive forces.
Some fire damaged trails and attractions remain closed. But most campgrounds and businesses are open, and the rugged, mist shrouded mountains rising from the ocean continue to inspire awe.
My wife Dawn and I camped on a cliff’s edge overlooking the coastline at the National Forest Service’s Kirk Creek Campground for our first two romantic nights. We shared our campsite with baby bunnies, squirrels and raccoons. We even spotted sea otters frolicking in the waves and kelp beds. Other critters we encountered along our way included foxes, a skunk, a snake, a whale, and countless birds such as wild turkeys, blue jays and pelicans.
There was no evidence of the fire from our campsite, but when we drove up nearby Nacimiento-Ferguson road for some mountaintop views we saw some burned trees.
A visit to popular Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park revealed no sign of destruction along the short trail to the iconic McWay Waterfall, which spills onto a sandy beach and is the focus of photographers from all over the world. It was a different story for the park’s Ewoldsen trail leading east toward the mountains. Closure signs included pictures of blackened redwoods and burned wooden steps along the trail.
The next two nights we camped underneath fragrant redwoods at Fernwood Resort, next to the bubbling Big Sur River. A local in the remote and rustic tavern described flames creeping over a nearby ridgeline a year ago, casting an eerie nighttime glow. Firefighters saved many structures, including the historic Henry Miller Library and the landmark restaurant Nepenthe perched high above the pacific.
A worker at the Nepenthe gift shop said some residents accepted helicopter evacuations, while others stayed behind in the isolated fire zone. Nepenthe features a large old sculpture of a phoenix in a courtyard, and judging from all the tourists the business apparently rose from the flames and survived like Big Sur’s hardy residents do.
The largest campground in the area, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, was closed for many months after the fire, but reopened in time for summer. Some trails near the campground remain closed for fire damage restoration, as well as one to Sykes Hot Springs.
Andrew Molera State Park and other scenic areas to the west of Pacific Coast highway were unscathed by the fire.
El Nino storms are what destroyed the historic Esalen hot springs during 1998, but they’ve recently been rebuilt around a beautiful, multi-million dollar glass and sandstone bathhouse. We took a late night dip in ocean view tubs virtually hanging over the rocky ledge, because anyone not staying at the famed retreat can only visit between 1 and 3 a.m. Despite the early hour, it was still exhilarating to bathe in the 109 degree water, listening to waves crashing on the rocks at the base of the cliff.
Another highlight of our trip was a guided tour of Point Sur Lighthouse where we learned about the quiet life of the lighthouse workers and their families on top of a giant volcanic rock jutting off the coastline. We also heard stories of shipwrecks like one that destroyed a passenger vessel named Ventura during 1875 with no loss of life.
Our final stop was the outstanding Monterey Bay Aquarium for a fascinating new seahorse exhibit. We’d highly recommend visiting this part of California and hope to soon return.
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