Day 1
6 hour drive
5 mile hike
Here I am again. I was here a short week ago and felt the pull the come back and explore more. Since I’m a single, I got super lucky and scored a permit for the day I wanted to leave.
This time I’m starting and ending at the Mattole Trailhead in the north. My plan is to hike most of the LCT down to the south and then back but also add in a loop that I saw on the map the last time I was here. I’m lucky enough to be here for the second time in a week. This means I can catch some of the experiences, feelings, and photos that I missed last time.
Today was a beautiful walk. The last time I trekked through this first 5 miles, it was late morning and the high sun bleached the color out of the landscape. Today, I started my hike at about 3:30 and the afternoon sun was putting on a show. Yellows, oranges, purples and greens. It was like a painting accented by the spray coming off the top of the waves.
At about 3.5 miles in, I stopped to explore and climb the lighthouse stairs. For just a few minutes the dilapidated building gave me shelter from the 20 mph gusts blowing north to south. The views were amazing.
Just south of the lighthouse, sea lions once again dotted the beach and islands of rock that seemed to float and bob in the ocean. The sea lions called out as I passed and a couple of them even put on a little show of power.
I got to Cooksie Camp at about 6:30 pm. I’d made good time. Unlike last time I was here and had the entire creek to myself, the area was dotted with tents and people. I greeted each as I passed them headed for a campsite I’d seen while on a little walk here last week. The site was empty. A terrific day one.
Day 2
10 Mile Hike
15 Total Miles
Today was a beautiful but uneventful day. My goal was to get to Miller Flat and make a base-camp. It was a beautiful 10 mile hike that I started quite early. I got to camp at noon. I spent the day, reading and taking swims in Big Creek. Just before it enters the ocean, it creates a small pond of sorts. One section is deep enough to not only fully submerge yourself, but even to dive into it.
It was a quiet night and I slept well. Ocean air is cleansing.
Day 3
24 Mile Hike
39 Total Miles
Woke at 5 and hit the trail by 5:30. I had breakfast ready to take a cook break in the next few miles. Today was going to be a big one.
Hiked the 4 miles south on the beach to Buck Creek before firing up my stove for a bit of oatmeal and coffee. After filling my belly, I joined the Buck Creek Trail. As it wound its way east, it gained elevation quickly.
Today was going to be a 20+ mile loop up to the top of King Peak at 4088 feet in elevation. You’d think the climb in elevation would have been close to that 4088. But it wasn’t. When all was said and done l, I’d climbed 6200 feet and walked 24 miles.
The trail was hot. Hot and completely waterless. I’d hydrated very well at Buck Creek and was carrying 4 liters of water. I’d have to conserve well.
The trail, on the way up , was single track at times and looked like a fire road at others. It wound around the contours of the mountains and kept the ocean in view for about 2 miles, or about 2000 feet in elevation.
Finally, the trail joined with the King Crest Trail and I started getting more views to the east. I stopped frequently to let my soaking wet clothes dry out a bit. After one such stop, as I took about 10 steps around a bend on the trail, a fully grown black bear was standing in the middle of the trail looking like it had been watching me on my stop. After a “Hey Bear,” the big guy (or girl) took off down an extremely forested slope. When I looked down, all I could see was dust. It was fast and it was gone. Wish I could have had a few more seconds to appreciate its beauty.
The trail wound out to a crest that it would stay on till and a bit after the peak.
Views from the peak were amazing in every direction. I could see all the way down to the area that I was camped, up and down the coast, as well as for miles inland. It was quite windy, even in the the two sided, roofed lean-to. I stayed long enough to eat, drink and dry out and then was off.
The trail wound north on the crest for about a mile before I joined the Rattlesnake Trail. This would be the trail back towards camp. It would be 8 miles back to the beach and one more to camp. The first 6 were through very little shade due to an old wildfire. As I descended, the Madrone trees, some of my favorite type of trees, grew taller and provided on and off shade. Finally, I dropped into the canyon with Big Flat Creek. The trail almost immediately disappeared. Once I stopped fighting to try to stay dry on the willow packed banks, I put on my water shoes and walked in the water for about 3/4 of a mile. I took it slowly and enjoyed the cool and refreshing ride.
Eventually, the trail reappeared on the side of the creek. I stepped out of the creek and put my boots back on. It was an easy walk back to camp from there. I was thinking of nothing else but jumping in the swimming hole. That’s exactly what I did the moment I got back to the mouth of the creek. It was amazing. And I floated in the cold water for at least 20 minutes letting the water seep into my pores.
As I walked up to my campsite, I noticed movement, then gear, then a person. It turned out the be James. He worked for BLM and was out clearing trail and picking up garbage with a crew of about 10 in total. Eight were California Conservation Corps youth. We talked for a while about my day and he said that almost no one uses those trails and that he’d never met anyone to do the loop I’d just done. We talked for a while more about our similar professions in terms of getting youth into the wilderness. We agreed that we both have pretty damn great jobs and lives. Finally, I started my evening ritual of getting water, cooking and eating and then watching the sunset. The evening was similar to so many recent evenings on the LCT.
And then one last thing happened. While sitting and watching the sunset from near camp, two hikers showed up but set up about a 1/4 mile north on a slight bluff. Directly in front of the setting sun. They were completely silhouetted. No one watching the sunset could NOT be looking right at them. And from their actions, they were not only completely done for the day, but also not very happy with each other. They set up their tent and then headed down towards us and the creek for water. And the sun continued its slow downward movement. And then... just like the math had predicted, the sun was directly behind the tent. It looked amazing. Others were taking pictures. It was like some award winning photo in Backpacker Magazine.
And then.... slowly and unbelievably ...the tent lifted off of the ground and started a slow motion set of cartwheels directly towards the ocean.
We all stared. And said nothing. It was too far away. Or was it? One of the guys about 50 yards in front of me tried to call to the tent owners. They were too far away to hear. Then...all three guys in front of me started running. Running to save the tent from the sea. I never thought they’d make it.
It was at least 300 yards of beach strewn with bowling ball and small beach ball sized rocks. But they ran. The wind was gusting. They kept running. Then there were only 2 still running. Then one. But he kept running. Even faster now. He ran for what seemed forever. He ran in a direction to cut it off from the ocean. And just as he got close it caught on something. He stopped at the water and walked the 25 yards up to it. Just as he got to the tent, it came loose and bounced up. He jumped and caught it. It was CRAZY. And the owners were still getting water. They had seen nothing.
I packed up my things and walked over to the owners on my way back to camp. I told them what had just happened and that the three guys were up there with their tent and gear. I walked back to camp for the night. Unbelievable….
Day 4
10.6 Mile Hike
49.6 Total Miles
Today was going to be an easy day. I wanted to see some tide pools. I got up at 5 and headed south at 5:30. I walked past Shipman, Buck and Gitchell creeks all the way to Horse Creek Camp. I walked about a mile up the Horse Mt Creek Trail and then turned around to head back. I took it very slowly on the way back spending lots of time in the tide pools seeing amazing life and colors. Got back to camp and took a nap before having some lunch. Went for a swim, ate, did some reading and then it was time for my night time chores. No blown away tents tonight :)
Day 5
15 Mile Hike
64.6 Total Miles
Woke up at 4 and was on the trail by 4:45 am. Wanted to get an early start to hit the lowest of tides, see some wildlife and hike by an almost full moon. I wasn’t sure if I was going to stop for one more night or hike all the way out. I was leaving that to decide as the day went by. I knew it would be hot and probably very windy today (head wind walking north.)
I saw no one and didn’t need a headlight. The moon was enough for sure. I saw deer, woodrats, and lots of skunks. I was hoping to see a Bobcat or Mountain Lion on the beach. For days, I’d seen lots of tracks on the beach in the mornings but never the makers of the tracks. Today, there were no tracks and no animals. Oh well.
Starting early let me beat the heat and wind for much of the day. It helped fuel me to do the big miles on tough terrain. Fifteen miles on the LCT isn’t easy for sure. Nothing about the trail is easy. But the beauty of it all far outweighs the difficulty.
Towards the end of my hike I walked up on two deer on the beach. They were just strolling and enjoying the same views that I was enjoying. It was a nice way to end an amazing trip.
I will be back...probably not next week ...but I will be back.
6 hour drive
5 mile hike
Here I am again. I was here a short week ago and felt the pull the come back and explore more. Since I’m a single, I got super lucky and scored a permit for the day I wanted to leave.
This time I’m starting and ending at the Mattole Trailhead in the north. My plan is to hike most of the LCT down to the south and then back but also add in a loop that I saw on the map the last time I was here. I’m lucky enough to be here for the second time in a week. This means I can catch some of the experiences, feelings, and photos that I missed last time.
Today was a beautiful walk. The last time I trekked through this first 5 miles, it was late morning and the high sun bleached the color out of the landscape. Today, I started my hike at about 3:30 and the afternoon sun was putting on a show. Yellows, oranges, purples and greens. It was like a painting accented by the spray coming off the top of the waves.
At about 3.5 miles in, I stopped to explore and climb the lighthouse stairs. For just a few minutes the dilapidated building gave me shelter from the 20 mph gusts blowing north to south. The views were amazing.
Just south of the lighthouse, sea lions once again dotted the beach and islands of rock that seemed to float and bob in the ocean. The sea lions called out as I passed and a couple of them even put on a little show of power.
I got to Cooksie Camp at about 6:30 pm. I’d made good time. Unlike last time I was here and had the entire creek to myself, the area was dotted with tents and people. I greeted each as I passed them headed for a campsite I’d seen while on a little walk here last week. The site was empty. A terrific day one.
Day 2
10 Mile Hike
15 Total Miles
Today was a beautiful but uneventful day. My goal was to get to Miller Flat and make a base-camp. It was a beautiful 10 mile hike that I started quite early. I got to camp at noon. I spent the day, reading and taking swims in Big Creek. Just before it enters the ocean, it creates a small pond of sorts. One section is deep enough to not only fully submerge yourself, but even to dive into it.
It was a quiet night and I slept well. Ocean air is cleansing.
Day 3
24 Mile Hike
39 Total Miles
Woke at 5 and hit the trail by 5:30. I had breakfast ready to take a cook break in the next few miles. Today was going to be a big one.
Hiked the 4 miles south on the beach to Buck Creek before firing up my stove for a bit of oatmeal and coffee. After filling my belly, I joined the Buck Creek Trail. As it wound its way east, it gained elevation quickly.
Today was going to be a 20+ mile loop up to the top of King Peak at 4088 feet in elevation. You’d think the climb in elevation would have been close to that 4088. But it wasn’t. When all was said and done l, I’d climbed 6200 feet and walked 24 miles.
The trail was hot. Hot and completely waterless. I’d hydrated very well at Buck Creek and was carrying 4 liters of water. I’d have to conserve well.
The trail, on the way up , was single track at times and looked like a fire road at others. It wound around the contours of the mountains and kept the ocean in view for about 2 miles, or about 2000 feet in elevation.
Finally, the trail joined with the King Crest Trail and I started getting more views to the east. I stopped frequently to let my soaking wet clothes dry out a bit. After one such stop, as I took about 10 steps around a bend on the trail, a fully grown black bear was standing in the middle of the trail looking like it had been watching me on my stop. After a “Hey Bear,” the big guy (or girl) took off down an extremely forested slope. When I looked down, all I could see was dust. It was fast and it was gone. Wish I could have had a few more seconds to appreciate its beauty.
The trail wound out to a crest that it would stay on till and a bit after the peak.
Views from the peak were amazing in every direction. I could see all the way down to the area that I was camped, up and down the coast, as well as for miles inland. It was quite windy, even in the the two sided, roofed lean-to. I stayed long enough to eat, drink and dry out and then was off.
The trail wound north on the crest for about a mile before I joined the Rattlesnake Trail. This would be the trail back towards camp. It would be 8 miles back to the beach and one more to camp. The first 6 were through very little shade due to an old wildfire. As I descended, the Madrone trees, some of my favorite type of trees, grew taller and provided on and off shade. Finally, I dropped into the canyon with Big Flat Creek. The trail almost immediately disappeared. Once I stopped fighting to try to stay dry on the willow packed banks, I put on my water shoes and walked in the water for about 3/4 of a mile. I took it slowly and enjoyed the cool and refreshing ride.
Eventually, the trail reappeared on the side of the creek. I stepped out of the creek and put my boots back on. It was an easy walk back to camp from there. I was thinking of nothing else but jumping in the swimming hole. That’s exactly what I did the moment I got back to the mouth of the creek. It was amazing. And I floated in the cold water for at least 20 minutes letting the water seep into my pores.
As I walked up to my campsite, I noticed movement, then gear, then a person. It turned out the be James. He worked for BLM and was out clearing trail and picking up garbage with a crew of about 10 in total. Eight were California Conservation Corps youth. We talked for a while about my day and he said that almost no one uses those trails and that he’d never met anyone to do the loop I’d just done. We talked for a while more about our similar professions in terms of getting youth into the wilderness. We agreed that we both have pretty damn great jobs and lives. Finally, I started my evening ritual of getting water, cooking and eating and then watching the sunset. The evening was similar to so many recent evenings on the LCT.
And then one last thing happened. While sitting and watching the sunset from near camp, two hikers showed up but set up about a 1/4 mile north on a slight bluff. Directly in front of the setting sun. They were completely silhouetted. No one watching the sunset could NOT be looking right at them. And from their actions, they were not only completely done for the day, but also not very happy with each other. They set up their tent and then headed down towards us and the creek for water. And the sun continued its slow downward movement. And then... just like the math had predicted, the sun was directly behind the tent. It looked amazing. Others were taking pictures. It was like some award winning photo in Backpacker Magazine.
And then.... slowly and unbelievably ...the tent lifted off of the ground and started a slow motion set of cartwheels directly towards the ocean.
We all stared. And said nothing. It was too far away. Or was it? One of the guys about 50 yards in front of me tried to call to the tent owners. They were too far away to hear. Then...all three guys in front of me started running. Running to save the tent from the sea. I never thought they’d make it.
It was at least 300 yards of beach strewn with bowling ball and small beach ball sized rocks. But they ran. The wind was gusting. They kept running. Then there were only 2 still running. Then one. But he kept running. Even faster now. He ran for what seemed forever. He ran in a direction to cut it off from the ocean. And just as he got close it caught on something. He stopped at the water and walked the 25 yards up to it. Just as he got to the tent, it came loose and bounced up. He jumped and caught it. It was CRAZY. And the owners were still getting water. They had seen nothing.
I packed up my things and walked over to the owners on my way back to camp. I told them what had just happened and that the three guys were up there with their tent and gear. I walked back to camp for the night. Unbelievable….
Day 4
10.6 Mile Hike
49.6 Total Miles
Today was going to be an easy day. I wanted to see some tide pools. I got up at 5 and headed south at 5:30. I walked past Shipman, Buck and Gitchell creeks all the way to Horse Creek Camp. I walked about a mile up the Horse Mt Creek Trail and then turned around to head back. I took it very slowly on the way back spending lots of time in the tide pools seeing amazing life and colors. Got back to camp and took a nap before having some lunch. Went for a swim, ate, did some reading and then it was time for my night time chores. No blown away tents tonight :)
Day 5
15 Mile Hike
64.6 Total Miles
Woke up at 4 and was on the trail by 4:45 am. Wanted to get an early start to hit the lowest of tides, see some wildlife and hike by an almost full moon. I wasn’t sure if I was going to stop for one more night or hike all the way out. I was leaving that to decide as the day went by. I knew it would be hot and probably very windy today (head wind walking north.)
I saw no one and didn’t need a headlight. The moon was enough for sure. I saw deer, woodrats, and lots of skunks. I was hoping to see a Bobcat or Mountain Lion on the beach. For days, I’d seen lots of tracks on the beach in the mornings but never the makers of the tracks. Today, there were no tracks and no animals. Oh well.
Starting early let me beat the heat and wind for much of the day. It helped fuel me to do the big miles on tough terrain. Fifteen miles on the LCT isn’t easy for sure. Nothing about the trail is easy. But the beauty of it all far outweighs the difficulty.
Towards the end of my hike I walked up on two deer on the beach. They were just strolling and enjoying the same views that I was enjoying. It was a nice way to end an amazing trip.
I will be back...probably not next week ...but I will be back.