null
Trail Wise!
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Post by null on Oct 4, 2019 6:51:24 GMT -8
Can anyone recommend a trail map for the Lost Coast (other than USGS)? Does the one from "Wilderness Press" have mileages, contour lines and campsites? Anything else good or bad about it? Any other competing maps?
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almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
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Post by almostthere on Oct 6, 2019 16:42:20 GMT -8
What part of the Lost Coast? BLM or State park? The BLM (northern) section is not a particular challenge of navigation unless you intend to use one of the side trails as a bailout. I used a combo of the Wilderness Press map and one that I downloaded into the Avenza app. I intended to do the full 60+ miles but a snafu with the shuttle guy and the road to Usal (long story) left us with heading up to Mattole and just doing that section to Shelter Cove. The trail in Sinkyone, in short, is no longer there at all. The northern section is pretty plain - and it's always either on the beach or on the bluff over it.
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null
Trail Wise!
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Post by null on Oct 7, 2019 6:23:21 GMT -8
I have subsequently found that this BLM map is much better than the one from Wilderness Press (500' contour lines on WP I'm told) |
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almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
Posts: 696
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Post by almostthere on Oct 7, 2019 7:43:52 GMT -8
The BLM map is the one I had in my app. Good to have. If things go well as they did for me, you probably won't need it at all, tho.
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Post by trekkerman on Oct 29, 2019 8:42:43 GMT -8
I did the LCT in May. The northern section. Three days. It was pretty straightforward. We had a map, but was hardly needed. The experience was A plus.
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Post by fremontia on Jul 28, 2020 12:09:21 GMT -8
@almost there- can you tell me more about the southern section of the trail? We're looking at doing that this weekend (doesn't require advance permits). We're hardy backpackers and have done parts of the northern section, but is there anything different about the Sinkyone SP that we should be aware of? Sounds like the trail is nonexistant, but is there open beach like on the northern side?
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almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
Posts: 696
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Post by almostthere on Jul 29, 2020 5:48:23 GMT -8
@almost there- can you tell me more about the southern section of the trail? We're looking at doing that this weekend (doesn't require advance permits). We're hardy backpackers and have done parts of the northern section, but is there anything different about the Sinkyone SP that we should be aware of? Sounds like the trail is nonexistant, but is there open beach like on the northern side? No open beach, good luck seeing any sign of the trail. It's a lot of bluffs and bushwhacking. Better be real good with map and compass.
And the road to Usal, if there is the slightest rain, becomes a muddy mess. Which is not the real impediment. The people attempting to drive the road when it's a muddy mess are an impediment - they attempt in 2wd, and become stuck. We were in a 4wd and could not make it up the first hill as there was a 2wd van sliding sideways down it at us. It's a narrow one lane, and pullouts for passing - but good luck passing when someone is camping in each pullout because they couldn't make it up the muddy road. We had to back slowly down the messy road for a mile. It was clear weather, except for that one hour right before we got there when it rained - and that was enough to turn the road to Usal into a horrible mess for two solid days. We went to do the northern section and gave up on meeting the shuttle driver who gave up on getting there in his legit 4wd - there were so many people blocking the road it was a total loss.
Half of our group had gone in before we arrived, before the rain. They tried to hike the southern section. It was an adventure in long grass (think ticks) and wandering. They had some reception here and there, allowing them to contact someone at home who could then find a shuttle company with 4wd to get them near the Shelter Cove end of it. The roads are all really steep and many are not passable to 2wd. The state park system has abandoned Sinkyone and aren't even bothering to take money for camping. The kiosks are so remote that when they go collect fees they find the box was broken into and everything stolen anyway.
I won't be going back for the southern section.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 29, 2020 7:45:17 GMT -8
Fwiw my critical piece of information included a tide chart. Higher tides reduce route options.
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almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
Posts: 696
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Post by almostthere on Jul 29, 2020 9:03:14 GMT -8
Fwiw my critical piece of information included a tide chart. Higher tides reduce route options. For the beach hiking on the northern section yes. I picked up a chart at the grocery store in Shelter Cove. I should have gone to the tide website and downloaded/printed info for the dates instead. The southern section is bluffs and hills. |
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Post by fremontia on Jul 30, 2020 19:23:19 GMT -8
Wow, thanks but no thanks. Sounds like an adventure but not the kind we’re looking for. Think we’ll head to the Trinity Alps instead. Thanks for the post!
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