Vicente Flats hike by Rita Dalessio Betsy MacGowan led an amazing hike to Vicente Flat in southern Big Sur. Blessed with spectacular weather consisting of brilliant blue sky, a sparkling ocean and lush green hillsides washed off by recent rains, we couldn’t believe our luck! The wildflowers were blooming in profusion including the rarely seen chocolate lily and delicate columbine. The hike begins with a fairly steep ascent but after 30 minutes or so becomes a nicely graded trail with some of the most breathtaking scenery of the Big Sur coast of any location. There are views forever both up and down the coast. On the approach to Vicente Flat Camp, there is a lush, cool canyon of ferns and redwoods with an impressive redwood near the picnic table. We also passed by a fallen redwood with a yawning jaw-like root formation where hikers had jokingly set in some pointy rocks to give the appearance of teeth. We stretched out our special day by spending an hour lolling about on the viewpoint telling stories and jokes and all of us wondering how we had achieved the good fortune to live here!

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