Camping/hiking on the beach - CA's Lost Coast

[skybytch 273]

I just spent three days hiking on part of California's Lost Coast - a 25 mile stretch of coastline too rugged for roads that is now an official wilderness. Carrying backpacks while walking on the beach was hard work but camping on the beach, going to sleep to the sound of the waves, seeing no other people for over 12 hours and enjoying a couple of incredible sunsets more than made the effort worthwhile.

Some pics...

004 is a view up the coast, 1/2 mile or so from the trailhead.

006 is our packs resting on some rocks while we took a break.

008 is a view to the east - the "hills" come nearly straight down to the beach.

010 is the ocean... and a rock.. and some sand. Notice the color of the sand. They don't call the trailhead area Black Sand Beach without good reason, and the sand stays black for quite awhile.

015 is looking south from our campsite at sunset.

[skybytch 273]

More pics...

018 is my friend getting a sunset picture.

020 is post sunset.

021 is what we saw from mid-afternoon Thursday on... coastal fog kinda kills the view.

022 is Horse Mountain Creek where it comes onto the beach.

[downwardspiral 0]

where is that? And its isolated? Looks a hell of a lot like the central coast. If so my gf and I are going camping this summer!

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[apollard24 0]

Very nice pictures. Looks very peaceful

Breathe out so I can breathe you in...

[skybytch 273]

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where is that?

South of Eureka. We hiked out of Shelter Cove, which is in itself an adventure to get to.

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Looks a hell of a lot like the central coast.

Quite a lot like Big Sur, but even more rugged.

[VectorBoy 0]

Lucky the sea lions didn't come out and steal your kibbles. Or is it so remote you don't even hear them at night?

[diablopilot 2]

With your thread title I thought you might be talking about the Lompoc area. It's pretty down here and I never really spent time here before this. Nice photos, looks like a fun place you visited.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[PhreeZone 20]

I see someone upgraded her pack

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[skybytch 273]

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I see someone upgraded her pack

Yup, it was time to downsize.

I may have gone too small. The new one is 2100 cubic whatevers. It's fine as long as I don't have to carry the tent, food or more than one bladder full of water; the suspension isn't quite enough for the extra weight.

I also got to try out my new JetBoil. It's cool.

[PhreeZone 20]

I'm looking at something in the 2400-3000 cu in range for me and Kristi this summer. Large enough to do over nighters with us spliting the tent and food. At the 3000 I'm hoping its large enough to push it for a 2 night trip.

What pack did you go with?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[shropshire 0]

<>

I have to agree... it's one of my coolest, bestist toys.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[downwardspiral 0]

You working at SSB? How ya liking the winds there?

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[skybytch 273]

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At the 3000 I'm hoping its large enough to push it for a 2 night trip.

That's probably the size I should've gone for. Mine was over full with half of the tent, the stove and my personal gear.

I like the small size to keep me from bringing along irrelevant and heavy stuff I don't need, and the forced lighter weight is better for my neck but...

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What pack did you go with?

REI Pinnacle. They call it an "Alpine daypack."

The strap that the chest strap is attached to broke at the bartack as I was putting the pack on in the trailhead parking lot (safety pin fixed it for the trip) so I'm taking it back. Haven't decided if I'll exchange it for the same pack (and have the b/f add a few bartacks) or go the next size up...

[JohnRich 4]

Beautiful photos!

So what makes the sand black?

In that last photo, there is a rectangular enclosure made out of driftwood. Is that a sleeping shelter to get out of the wind or something?

[diablopilot 2]

The winds are fine. Of course I used to work at the Ranch, and if you can fly there in wind you can fly anywhere.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[skybytch 273]

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So what makes the sand black?

Black rocks. That's all I know.

Hiking is making me want to take a geology class so I know a little about what I'm looking at while I'm walking.

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In that last photo, there is a rectangular enclosure made out of driftwood. Is that a sleeping shelter to get out of the wind or something?

There's a fire ring inside it. Good thing - it blocked the wind so starting a fire was easy. Bad thing - it blocked the wind so well that sitting around the fire was a very smokey experience.

Here's a few more pics from my friend's camera - 87 is me at the start of the hike, 22 is me at the campsite with my JetBoil, 14 is me taking a picture of her taking a picture of me, 04 is the coast looking north.

[flyangel2 2]

Yeah baby. Looking good
Now that you and Kim both have Jet Boils, I guess I can lighten my load and not have to worry about bringing mine

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[JohnRich 4]

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In that last photo, there is a rectangular enclosure made out of driftwood. Is that a sleeping shelter to get out of the wind or something?

There's a fire ring inside it. Good thing - it blocked the wind so starting a fire was easy. Bad thing - it blocked the wind so well that sitting around the fire was a very smokey experience.

Ah, that makes sense. It reminded me of a similar enclosure I found near the top of Guadalupe Mountain, in Texas, where the wind often blows at 40 to 50 mph. I got inside of it to sleep for the night to escape the wind a bit. The only problem was, the ants liked it too, and I was sleeping in the open without a tent...

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Hiking is making me want to take a geology class so I know a little about what I'm looking at while I'm walking.

Yep, I get that too. I'm always picking up rocks and examining them.

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87 is me at the start of the hike, 22 is me at the campsite with my JetBoi...

What's that white loop sticking up behind your head in the 1st photo at the trailhead? Oh wait, in the 2nd photo you seem to be wearing a foam neck brace or something - is that what that loop is? Hiking in a neck brace? Ack!

Neat photos.

You're motivating me to start a thread to post some photos from my latest canoe-camping trip.

[fallinbear 0]

Wow! Now I am jealous and can't wait for campin' season in Colorful Colorado!!! Beautiful.

I don't want to make all the decisions because if I screw up, then I can't blame it on you...

[skybytch 273]

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What's that white loop sticking up behind your head in the 1st photo at the trailhead? Oh wait, in the 2nd photo you seem to be wearing a foam neck brace or something - is that what that loop is? Hiking in a neck brace? Ack!

It is a neck brace; got issues with a disc in my neck.

I can't skydive, I gotta do something. And the doctor didn't tell me I couldn't or shouldn't - not that I asked.

[cloudseeker2001 0]

I also got to try out my new JetBoil. It's cool.

[cloudseeker2001 0]

Ah, that makes sense. It reminded me of a similar enclosure I found near the top of Guadalupe Mountain, in Texas, where the wind often blows at 40 to 50 mph. I got inside of it to sleep for the night to escape the wind a bit. The only problem was, the ants liked it too, and I was sleeping in the open without a tent...

I know the tent sight you speak of............I have always used the pad just below that one....the only bad thing about that site is that the car light can still be seen.........

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[Ironmanjay 0]

Ha looks like you made the best out of our break, your lucky alls I did was work I didnt even get any jumps in I was working so much

[JohnRich 4]

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I know the tent sight you speak of............I have always used the pad just below that one....the only bad thing about that site is that the car light can still be seen.........

I've got that photo laying around in my computer somewhere... Ah, here it is (attached).

That's the primitive campground about two-thirds of the way up the mountain, on the only piece of semi-flat land available. I don't recall seeing car lights on the highway way down below. I rigged my hunk of mosquito netting to hang from a tree limb over my head, to keep the bugs off of me while I slept. I had to tuck it in all around me to keep the ants from getting through too.

The next day I left all my heavier camping gear there, and sprinted to the top of the mountain lightweight. Then came back down, loaded up, and trudged back down.