Heaven Loop

Costonoa is a great place for hiking and camping. It is just down the coast from Pigeon Point and not too far from the Pie Ranch and Ano Nuevo State Park. I last hiked here during the first week of October and although it was over eighty degrees, I still needed a long-sleeved shirt. (This was only for the portion of the hike that was open to the coastal breezes.)

I wonder which word once preceded the trail titled, “Heaven Loop”? What has been erased?

Regional/Historical Notes

Ohlone/Costonoa is a collective name for the First Peoples who once lived in Central California and along the Northern California coast. Many of their legends are centered around coyote, eagle and humming bird, all of which can be found in this part of California.

• In the 1770s, there was an estimated 10,000-20,000 First Peoples in the region.
• By 1800, they numbered only 3,000. The Spanish Missions and later, America’s Wild Wild West, took their toll on them.
• Around the time of the Gold Rush, in 1849, it was estimated that there was only 850-1000 First Peoples here.
• By 2000, they numbered about 1,500-2,000 people. The numbers are probably around the same today.

Here is a map of Costonoan languages and major villages. (The black dots and corresponding lines indicate current day place names.)