On Sunday, my husband I went for a drive after cabin fever was setting in. We headed west to Pt. Reyes Station – Bear Valley Visitor Center, for a little hike and picnic. But we first stopped at our favorite deli to pick up lunch. When we arrived at the park, it was practically empty which would make it easier to social distance. 🙂 We also noticed a plethora of signs most likely about Covid restrictions. After doing some light reading, we learned that several trails were closed, except for the Earthquake Trail which was open. More than fifteen years have passed since we took the kids on this trail when they were little, so why not check it out again? The trail is dotted with interpretive signs about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and my cell remained handy for photos. This quake struck the coast of Northern California on Wednesday, April 18 at 5:12 a.m. and the magnitude was a whopping 7.9. Nature also had a lot to offer, so let’s take a look…

In case you’re interested, below is a little “earth shattering” information I pulled from https://www.nps.gov:

“The San Andreas Fault runs the length of the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate in California. The narrow Tomales Bay and the narrow Olema Valley, along which Shoreline Highway (Highway 1) travels, overlie the San Andreas Fault and were formed as a result of tectonic forces.

Not only do two plates meet along the San Andreas Fault, but they move against each other. The forces causing this movement lie more than 90 miles (150 km) below our feet in the earth’s mantle. Currents of magma slowly circulate up from within the mantle, spread out under the oceanic and continental crusts, carry the plates along then sink to circulate again. Like a crowded bumper car rink, the plates crash and grind into each other as they move. It is along plate boundaries where the action takes place. The Pacific plate is estimated to creep northwestward about two inches a year, but the most dramatic displacement of this fault occurred in 1906 when the Point Reyes Peninsula leapt ~20 feet northwestward.“

We have experienced some big quakes in our lifetime that rattled and rolled enough for us to think of the Big One. But we don’t worry about them anymore. California has been our home for so long that it’s probably just a matter of getting used to the tremors – like getting used to hurricanes on the East Coast and tornadoes in the Midwest. No, we don’t want “The Big One” to strike when we’re still living in this state. But natural disasters can’t be avoided. Thus, it’s more of an issue of which would you rather deal with. So, we take one day at a time and hope for the best, the very best!!!!

And now, for your listening pleasure, a little Carole King…

I hope you enjoyed the tune and this glimpse into how the earth moves. And let’s hope The Big One never shakes and shivers in our lifetime!

Stay safe,
Lauren 💗💗💗