After living in a place for nearly ten years, one would think that I had exhausted all my exploring options. NOT A CHANCE. Adventuring in Humboldt county is seriously never-ending. Profoundly limitless. Ridiculously infinite. No joke. Even in the winter time, where overcast skies and rains grace a good five to six months of the year, there are still soooooooooooooo many beautiful places to go see and experience.
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Me, atop a mighty dune!
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Recently, my room mates took me to Ma-le'l Dunes in Manila. WOW. I couldn't believe that I had never been here! It is so accessible and so magical. We parked just off of Young Lane and explored only the southern-most trail that begins in a fantastical coastal forest with moss dripping and dangling from tree limbs, big multicolored mushrooms alongside the trails, and thick bright green moss covering the forest floor. It seemed I had stepped into Alice's Wonderland, but had forgotten the psychedelics! The trail converges from forest to marsh land and then to the majestic, shape-shifting dunes and finally to the beach. It seemed other-worldly, way out there. And with such a vastness, one rarely ran into anyone else. Great for jogging and hiking, and also for quite meditation and introspection.
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| Gailen, David and Poncho striding along the beach. |
Ma-le'l Dunes are 444 acres of protected BLM and US Fish and Wildlife protected land. The southern portion is dog friendly, where the northern portion is closed off to dogs. Friends of the Dunes has some good information and great maps including dog friendly trails and a plant-guide.
http://www.friendsofthedunes.org/resources/malel/
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| A sunset view through the forest that border the dunes. |
In talking with friends and acquaintances about my experience, many were unfamiliar and it seems Me-l'el is somewhat off the radar. I have been shared a treasure! I am looking forward to doing more exploring here.
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| Delicate treasure, shore-bound. |
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| Enormous creatures, such as this, are strewn all along the beach awaiting disovery. |
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| Self Portrait, on Ma-l'el Dunes. |
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