Packing List
Itinerary
Weather
Guides for this trip
Cost
Important Note
Difficulty (Please Read)
Packing List
Itinerary
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Take the free airport shuttle to our local hotel
(TBD)
You should have already done an online shakedown pre-trip, but guides will still ask you a few
questions and give you a "mini equipment shakedown"
Possible trip to
REI San Carlos,
1119 Industrial Rd, Ste 1B, San Carlos, CA 94070, (650) 508-2330 for last minute forgotten items
Make Your Own Trail mix bar. You construct your own tral mix from our selection of ingredients.
"Before" body composition measurements taken
Go out for dinner at a local restaurant (Dinner cost not included in trip price)
Sunday, July 9, 2023
2nd set of "before" measurements taken
Free hotel breakfast or guides will provide a continental breakfast
We are unsure if cars can be left at Hotel. If so, the hotel may charge you and have you sign a document that they
assume no responsibility for your property. It may also be possible to drive
your vehicle up to the trail
All the items that you won't bring on the trail will be set aside and placed in storage
Shuttle to Mattole Beach off of Lighthouse Rd, Petrolia, CA (This will take 5+ hours)
One Guide and one willing participant shuttles vehicles to Black Sands Beach off of Shelter
Cove Rd, Whitethorn, CA and rides back with a shuttle service This will take 4 hours.
There are other ways to work shuttling depending upon group size and vehicles available.
Participants hang out on the beach and remaining guide serves a late lunch
Begin hiking on the Lost Coast Trail, elevation Sea Level
Hike 1.9 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to an unnamed creek, elevation Sea Level
Punta Gorda is impassable at high tide. High tide is at 5:35PM so we should plan
to eat dinner when we reach the area.
When the tide allows, resume hiking. Hike about 1.0 miles around Punta Gorda to Fourmile Creek
It's near Summer Solstice and we're on the Western edge of the time zone,
so it won't get dark until 10PM.
Camp at Fourmile Creek (Punta Gorda), elevation Sea Level. Water reliable here
past the lighthouse. Camping is dispersed
Miles today: 2.9 miles. Total to Date: 2.9 Miles
Possible bailout: Mattole
Monday, July 10, 2023
The tides for today are important. There is a 4 mile stretch that is impenetrable
at high tide. Here are the tides for July 10th
according to NOAA,
- 12:07 am (Low Tide, 1.4')
- 5:48 am (High Tide, 4.25')
- 11:38 am (low tide, 1.26')
- 6:21 pm (High Tide, 6.13')
We will have plenty of time centered around 11:38 am to make it the 4.0 miles although the tide is not
particularly low as we would like it to be (under 3'). We should begin our hike so that
we reach the beach as the tide is slack at around 10:30AM.
Hike about 0.8 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to Punta Gorda Lighthouse, elevation Sea Level
Hike 1.1 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail, elevation Sea Level
The next 4 miles are impassable at high tide. We aim to embark upon this section as the tide is receding.
Hike 4.0 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to Randall Creek, elevation Sea Level
Hike 1.9 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to Spanish Creek, elevation Sea Level
Camp at Spanish Flat, elevation Sea Level. Water is reliable here.
Mileage Today: 7.8. Total mileage: 10.7
Possible bailout: Mattole, one day away
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Hike 5.9 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to Miller Flat, elevation Sea Level'
Camp at Miller Flat, elevation Sea Level. Water reliable here.
Mileage Today: 5.9. Total mileage: 16.6
Possible bailout: Telegraph Ridge Dirt / Unimproved Road (very lightly used) a day away
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Hike 4.9 grueling uphill miles on the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail to Bear Hollow Camp, elevation 2800'
Camp at Bear Hollow Camp, elevation 2800'. Water reliable here, but can be a trickle.
Mileage Today: 4.9. Total mileage: 21.5
Possible bailout: Smith Etter Dirt / Unimproved Road (very lightly used)
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Hike 0.8 miles on the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail to the King Crest Trail, elevation 3600'
Hike 2.2 miles on the King Crest Trail to the Lightning Trail, elevation 3400'
Hike 0.5 steep uphill miles on the King Crest Trail to King Peak, elevation 4088'
Hike 0.3 miles on the King Crest Trail to the Lightning Trail, elevation 3600'
Hike 0.4 miles on the Lightning Trail to Maple Camp, elevation 3400'
Camp at Maple Camp, elevation 3400'. Water found at Maple Spring
Mileage Today: 4.2. Total to Date: 25.7
Bailout: King Range Road (lighly traveled)
Friday, July 14, 2023
Get an pre-dawn start today to beat the tides
Hike 0.4 miles on the Lightning Trail to the King Crest Trail, elevation 3600'
Hike 4.3 miles on the Lightning Trail to the Buck Creek Trail, elevation 3200'
Hike 3.6 knee crushing downill miles on the Buck Creek Trail to the Lost Coast Trail, elevation Sea Level
The tides for July 14th are as follows
- 4:13am (-.54')
- 11:04 am (4.18')
- 3:14 pm (3.1')
- 9:26 pm (6.54')
Hike 1.5 flat miles (impassable at high tide) on the Lost Coast Trail to Gitchell Creek,
elevation Sea Level
High tide is at 10:01 so we should hopefully make it to Gitchell Creek before the tide comes in.
if not we can stay at Buck Creek and get a middle-of-the-night start the following day
Mileage Today: 8.3. Total mileage: 34.0
Possible bailout: Saddle Mountain Trailhead
Saturday, July 15, 2023
We will only need to go 1.7 miles before we are to Gitchell Creek and clear of the tide area. Low tide is early in the morning
and we will want an early start anyway. Leaving by 7AM should be fine.
The tides for June 26th are as follows
- 4:58am (High Tide, -.76')
- 11:53 am (Low Tide, 4.34')
- 4:07 pm (High tide, 3.19')
- 0:08 pm (Low Tide, 6.54')
Hike 3.7 flat beach miles on the Lost Coast Trail to Black Sands Beach Trailhead, elevation Sea Level
End of hiking
Mileage Today: 5.4. Total mileage: 39.9 [Call it 40]
Possible bailout: Black Sands Beach
Shuttle 4 hours to Mattole to pick up vehicles. We may send a party out early to do this.
Shuttle 5+ hours back to San Francisco
Check back into local hotel
TBD
"After" body composition measurements taken
Dinner and awards Ceremony (Dinner cost not included in trip price)
This is the official end of the trip. You are welcome to spend the night at
the hotel, however if you drove and would like to get on the road or if you flew
and would like to schedule a late flight (or a red-eye if
this is a West Coast trip) you can definitely do so.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
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