Where is Hidden Cove? It sits between Jasmine and Keeper’s coves; and is fronted to the southeast by the slightly cross shaped Croix Island. It is unique among the Skye Point coves in that its terrace sits atop a thirty foot cliff face. The best way to access its beach is by scaling the cliff. Very dangerous! At high tide, the beach is submerged under more than eight feet of ocean. There isn’t much warning when the tide rises – the beach is there, then it isn’t.
A steep, winding path has been cut into the narrow, rocky ridge shared by Hidden Cove with Jasmine Cove by wave action and erosion, and it also gives access to the beach. The wooden railing put in place by earlier settlers is in severe decay in most places. Most of it is missing. Crashing waves keep the ridge so wet along the bottom fifteen feet of the path, that even at low tide, the path is extremely slippery and more dangerous even than scaling the cliff. It’s far too easy to tumble over the side into the water below and get swept out to sea. A barb-wire topped fence runs along the ridge to prevent hikers from climbing over from the Jasmine Cove side. The same is true for the slightly wider ridge between Hidden Cove and Keeper’s Cove. The ridges and all of Hidden Cove remain an undeveloped wilderness area. Croix Island is partly responsible for the cove’s topography, as it blocks the waves that could have built up Hidden Cove’s beach. Before the San Chapelles declared the island a wilderness area and gave it over to the Skye Pointe Wilderness Area Trust, it had housed a number of guest cabins. Though those have been dismantled, the park service still allows day visitors, but insures everyone is gone by nightfall. Is Croix Island in the new novel? I’m not sure, but we shall see!
What about Keeper’s Cove? It isn’t in the new novel (yet), so I’ll develop it later. How much later? I have no idea. Let’s find out together. 🙂
