On Friday, August 16, 2024 we hiked the Washburn Trail in Cambria.  I should have brought a machete.  We found the trail in need of maintenance, and very different from the last time we hiked it two years ago. There was a lot of encroaching poison oak.  But then it got worse.  Apparently, one of the main bridges had collapsed making the planned route impossible.  We didn’t realize this until reaching the halfway point after which we ended up having to go back the way we came.  There were no signs at the entrance, but in hindsight, it is now clear that in the future a search of public notices needs to be made for all hikes.  There are pictures below from Barbara and a couple from Roger of the overgrown trail and a large fallen tree across it.

 

Of course none of that prevented the spirit of Lewis and Clark from springing forth and turning what was expected to be a mild outing into a real adventure.  We covered 2.9 miles in two hours twelve minutes.  Elevation change 227 feet.  Total of UP waypoints 456 feet.

 

We noticed a large building from the trail, a windsock and a tank-farm-size water storage area.  We all wondered what it is.  Clearly it was a exceptionally well located compound or home on the Central Coast of California.  Russ has researched the matter and found out not only what it is but that it can be acquired for only $40 Million:  https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/78-acre-california-coastal-estate-with-a-helipad-and-space-for-40-cars-asks-40-million-01640903589