Winter in the King Range

Expect and prepare to be wet and cold.

Leave No Trace principle #1 is to Plan Ahead and Prepare:

“Poor planning often results in miserable campers and damage to natural and cultural resources. Rangers often tell stories of campers they have encountered who, because of poor planning and unexpected conditions, degrade backcountry resources and put themselves at risk.”

Watch the weather closely for the days and weeks leading up to your trip. We can receive 100+ inches of rain in the King Range during the winter months. I recommend having full waterproof/breathable rain gear for upper and lower body and several pairs of socks. Practice setting up your tent so you can do it quickly in the rain (easier with more than one person). The problem I’ve found with a traditional style tent is that you first set up the tent body while it fills with rain and then put your rain fly on last – welcome to your new wet home. You may be able to develop a system to avoid this problem but after much time spent camping in the rain on the Lost Coast I have discovered that I prefer a floorless shelter system. This allows me to avoid the problem stated above as the floor of the tent (I use a small, light tarp) is set up last so that it stays dry. You'll want to keep your wet rainfly/tent seperate from the rest of your gear. I recommend bringing heavy duty trash bags for your wet and dry gear. A pack cover is also a good idea (you can modify a trash bag for that too).

With heavy rains the creeks in the King Range can rise rapidly and there is the possibility that they will be impassable within a day or several hours of an intense down pour. However, streams may recede to a safe crossing level within a day or several hours after it has stopped raining. Of course, this depends on how long and heavy it has been raining for. Have a backup plan to turn back, wait it out, or take an upland trail (which will add considerable mileage and time to your trip).

General rule of thumb says not to attempt a creek crossing if it is deeper than your knees. It’s usually easier to cross at a wide spot, where the creek tends to be shallower, rather than where it is narrow and deeper. On the Lost Coast, at low tide, this means that it is often (but not always) easier to find a place to cross closer to the ocean where the creeks tend to widen. However, the closer you go towards the ocean the more you need to keep a close eye on wave behavior. Large waves with high energy can race far up the beach without warning. Unsuspecting hikers can be washed out to sea in an instant from these occurrences. Watch this short video I took about 45 minutes after low tide at Black Sands Beach last winter.

Follow these links for information on tides, local weather conditions and local coastal waters forecast.

Also, there are very neat and informative graphical models of percipitation:

5 day graphical model

14 day graphical model

Know that there 4 “impassable during high tide” sections on the trail:

1. Punta Gorda (I personally have not had trouble passing this spot unless it is a very high tide and/or swell)
2. Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek
3. Miller Flat to about one mile south of Buck Creek

4. South of Shelter Cove is Point No Pass. This is impassable at ALL tide levels. Do Not Attempt. If you plan to hike from Shelter Cove to the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park catch the Lost Coast Trail at Hidden Valley. The trailhead is on Chemise Mountain Road, off of Shelter Cove Road.

How high of a tide is too high to pass? It’s difficult to say exactly but, all other factors aside, somewhere between 3.5 to 4.5 feet. Watch the ocean condition predictions, especially during the winter months, because large waves can impede and make travel potentially dangerous - even during low tides.

Also, know that during high tide you can be camped at the major creeks (named on the map) that are in the middle of the “impassable at high tide” zones because the creek mouths give you plenty of space to move up off the beach.

With all of this, even though we still have warm weather predicted for the next week or so, you should be prepared for wet and cold conditions and have a backup plan.

As of now the creeks and trails are still very much passable since we have had very little rain. But, keep an eye on the weather and as conditions change I will post updated information on this blog. You can also call our office at 707-986-5400, which is open M-F 8:00-4:30.

There are still nice days in winter if you can plan between storms! Photo by Cornelius Graubner.

Drop me a line if you have any questions

707-986-5405, lostcoastranger@gmail.com

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

Healthy Streams and Happy Fish - A Message from the BLM Fisheries Biologist

As you hike the Lost Coast Trail you'll notice on the beaches and at creek mouths a large supply of wood debris. Much of the wood you see originates in coastal streams up and down the coast. This wood serves a vital importance to fish and wildlife.

In the picture above, practice using your "fish eyes" to spot the juvenile Steelhead in one of the many streams of the Lost Coast.

At the mouths of coastal streams these large pieces of wood get wedged and locked into many different formations. As the rainy season brings wood of various sizes down the streams, these jams will produce cover and relief to fish. In addition, as the powerful water flows over and through the wood, it carves out deep pools into the bottom of the streams. These large pools serve as refuge during both low and high flows for salmon and steelhead.

The mouths of these streams are amazing and ideal locations for campsites. Many campers use the wood from the mouth and surrounding beaches for firewood and/or shelter. Leave-No-Trace, The Center for Outdoor Ethics, states to use dead and downed wood no bigger in diameter than the size of your wrist and that can easily be broken by hand. The reasoning for this is to reduce fire danger, keep campsites clean and keep wildlife habitat intact. If campfires are permitted, Please be respectful in your use of the wood in close proximity to the mouths of streams.

Another disruption that has occurred is the movement of rocks and boulders in the streams to create dams and swimming holes – Surely there is nothing wrong with taking a dip, but rock formations create barriers for fish during the low flows and can also change the natural course of the stream. In addition, it can cause the water temperature to increase which is stressful and potentially deadly to fish.

Please be respectful to the streams and creeks that you may camp at. You can help keep the streams healthy and the fish happy by not disturbing their habitat.

If you have any questions about fish and wildlife habitat contact AJ Donnell at 707-825-2321, or adonnell@blm.gov.

You can contact me about hiking the King Range and the Lost Coast

707-986-5405, lostcoastranger@gmail.com

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

Roads Closed for the Winter

If you are planning a trip to the King Range keep in mind that you will not be able to drive to Spanish Ridge, Kinsey Ridge, North Slide Peak Trailheads and Windy Point due to the seasonal closure of Smith-Etter Road and Windy Point Road. During the winter, which usually gets 100+ inches of rain, we close these two 4WD only roads to help reduce erosion problems that can occur with driving on steep and muddy roads.

Campfire Restrictions Lifted

Campfires are now permitted in the King Range National Conservation Area in all backcountry camp sites. If you decide to have a campfire please help to minimize your impacts:

1. Use existing fire rings and keep your campfire small. Building large fire rings encourages the burning of larger pieces of wood. This tends to spread ash outside of the ring and breaks down its perimeter (see picture below). In turn, this leads to an eye sore for other visitors and encourages them to build another fire ring - multiplying the impacts.

2. Use dead and downed wood. If you encounter a lack of firewood and feel the need to cut live limbs off trees you should reconsider your need for a campfire. Collect wood that can be broken by hand to help keep the campfire small and reduce your impacts.

3. Please pack out your trash and do not burn it in your campfire unless it can be completely burned in one sitting and you plan to do so. Examples of things that often do not burn completely in one sitting: Anything lined in foil (e.g. Mountain House packaging), metal cans, plastics, and food scraps.

4. To extinguish your campfire soak it with plenty of water and stir. Smothering with sand often doesn’t put the fire out completely and when the wind picks up it blows the sand off leaving a potentially hazardous situation. Also, this fills the ring with sand which in time makes the ring undesirable and encourages others to build new campfire rings – spreading the impact.

Remember, you are one of many people here to enjoy the landscape. Please help keep the Lost Coast clean and pristine for all.

Your Wilderness Ranger
Paul
707-986-5405
lostcoastranger@gmail.com

The Summer Season is Coming to a Close

Well, that’s right: Things are slowing down around the King Range. The days are getting noticeably shorter, the seasonal rangers are back at school, the Student Conservation Association has moved on and soon the rains will be upon us.

First off, we just found this great site that lets you see the current conditions at Shelter Cove:
http://northcoastaviation.com/shelter_cove/shelter_cove_northwest.htm

Here is the summer wrap in a nut shell:

Numbers! As of today, over 5,100 people have backpacked the trails in the King Range NCA since October 1, 2010. That’s quite a bit of people! Of that 5,100, most people use the Lost Coast Trail at some point in their travels. While you are out in the King Range enjoying yourselves remember that there were people here before you and there will be people here after you. Almost every night, especially during the summer months, there are people camped at each of the major drainages along the LCT. Every action you take will impact the experiences of the next people to visit. This can be either positive or negative. If you practice Leave-No-Trace principles and you leave the minimal impact possible your actions will have a positive and lasting impression.


One of the more surprising things I came across this summer was a boat load of trash at Gitchell Creek that had accumulated in a large barrel. The barrel had come ashore from the ocean, as a lot of things do, and I suppose people thought it was deliberately put there by the BLM for trash disposal. The BLM does not provide a trash/sanitation department to haul out trash (besides myself and the seasonal rangers). Please keep YOUR Wilderness clean for yourself and for the next visitors. But anyhow, we packed out the trash and the barrel. Besides this incident, I didn’t notice an unusually large amount of trash on the trails or in the campsites throughout the summer – which I’m very happy about. I did, however, find a lot of toilet paper, which brings me to my next point.

Please, Please, Please, bury your waste properly! As mentioned above, over 5,100 people hike here annually – this equates to a lot of turds and a lot of toilet paper!

If you are on any of the upland trails in the King Range, standard Leave-No-Trace practice says to go 200 feet (which is about 70 paces) away from campsites, water sources and trails. However, if you are on the Lost Coast Trail you must go in the wet sand near the ocean (intertidal). Simply dig a hole 6-8 inches deep in the wet sand (or as close as you can safely get), make your deposit, and cover it back up with sand. You can put your toilet paper in but really the best thing to do is to pack it out. I know it sounds a little “exposed” to go out on the beach. Personally, if I’m at camp when the situation arises I just go for a little walk to where I feel comfortable (usually a few minutes down the beach).

After Labor Day I found and picked up/reburied a ridiculous number of tp wads and several turds – most of which were right next to campsites!

There are 4 goals with human waste disposal in the backcountry (if you are a regular reader of this blog you may notice I reiterate myself from time to time):

1. Minimize contact with water sources

2. Minimize contact with insects and wildlife (have you ever wondered why there are so many flies at your camp? Chances are there is unburied fecal matter next to you).

3. Minimize social impacts (the disgusting factor when you see a pile of waste right next to where you are camping)

4. Maximize decomposition (when we bury it 6-8 inches it maximizes decomposition by mixing with the soil and microbiological organisms. Putting a 6-8 inch rock on top of it is not burying it).

Because of the narrow beaches and steep slopes within the major drainages along the trail it is nearly impossible to find a place 200 feet away from camp, drinking water, and trails and the best (and only) way to meet the 4 goals above it to go intertidal.

Lastly, we had more than one out of control fire at Spanish Flat this summer. One was caused by a campfire and another was from a camp stove. We are still currently in full campfire restrictions because the fuels (vegetation) are extremely dry. During the start of fire restrictions we try to dismantle as many fire rings as we can and rehab the site – especially at campsites that pose a real threat by out of control campfires, such as Randall Creek below.

Camp stoves can be just as dangerous as a campfire and I would highly suggest against using one in an area that is surrounded by dry grasses.

Remember, there were people here before you and there will be people here after you. Help keep the Lost Coast clean and do the right thing.

Give me a call or send me an e-mail if you have any questions,

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

707-986-5405

lostcoastranger@gmail.com

Great News in the King Range!

The Shelter Cove General Store is now renting out bear cans with a $50 deposit plus $20 for up to 4 days and $5/day thereafter. They are open 7 days a week 7:30am to 7:30pm. Their number is 707-986-7733; you may want to call them to verify inventory, prices, etc.

As a reminder, ALL overnight visitors in the King Range are required to have a bear can and to use it properly ($150 fine for noncompliance). ALL scented items, such as food, toothpaste, sunscreen and trash from said items needs to be stored in the bear can. Hanging food is not an option in the King Range as there are limited trees that meet the requirements for an effective food hang.

We rent out the Garcia bear can here at the BLM Project Office in Whitethorn for $5 for your entire journey. You will need a credit card and a valid drivers license (if you don’t return the bear can you will buy it). We are open Monday-Friday 8-4:30. You can also rent from the BLM Field Office in Arcata which has the same hours as the Project office here in Whitethorn: Monday-Friday 8-4:30.The Petrolia General Store on the northern end of the King Range also rents cans for $5. Their hours are Monday-Saturday 9-5:30 and Sunday from 11-5:00. You will also need a credit card but they take cash only. Their number is 707-629-3455 if you want to verify the hours or have other questions.

So far this year, 94% of the people visiting have had a bear can with them – there really is no reason for that not to be 100%, especially now that there are so many places available to rent bear cans! Please, help protect the bears in the King Range (and protect your food).

Give me a call or send me an e-mail if you have any questions,

Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul
lostcoastranger@gmail.com; 707-986-5405

Mark Your Calendars for National Public Lands Day!

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is a single day event that brings together thousands of volunteers to give back to the lands that they recreate on. This year the King Range National Conservation Area will be hosting an event to build a new section of trail around Hidden Valley (above) on the southern end of the Conservation Area. In addition, the Bigfoot Mountain Bike Club will be here to help build new mountain biking trails. While many of the trails in the King Range can be strenuous in some way, the Hidden Valley Interpretive Trail will provide you with an opportunity to experience the gentler side of the King Range. In its entirety, the trail will consist of 2.5 miles that circumnavigate the valley while providing for interpretive opportunities and grand ocean views.

I’m really excited for what this trail will have to offer you and the King Range. NPLD will be a great opportunity for you to give back to your public lands and to get out and recreate. We have over 80 miles of hiking trails for you to explore as well as a top notch mountain biking trail just minutes from where we will be working.

Volunteers will receive free camping on Friday and Saturday, one free day pass to any participating public lands (good for 1 year), a NPLD shirt and a BBQ hosted by the BLM. How awesome is that? Very awesome, so mark your calendar and don’t miss National Public Lands Day here at the King Range on October 15! If you plan to attend or want more information please call Pam, our contact representative at 707-986-5400.

Hope to see you out there!

Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul

Thank the SCA

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) has spent 40 days throughout this summer in the blistering heat and the pooring rain maintaining the trails that you walk on here in the King Range. In short, they used a crosscut saw to clear over 123 trees off the trail, installed 200 feet of cribwall on the lower section of Rattlesnake Ridge Trail (in the picture above), cleared 18 miles of brush and vegetation, dismantled 35 driftwood shelters (see my previous post about driftwood shelters and why they don’t fit with Wilderness values), and converted 8800 square feet of two track trail into single track. If it weren’t for the hard work of the SCA our trails in the King Range would not look as great as they do. We thank them and hope you do too if you ever see them around.

Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul

Latest News in the King Range

Hello again fellow backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts; It’s been a busy summer. So, what’s new in the King Range?

1. Very active bears

2. Fire at Spanish Flat

3. What’s with human waste?

I’m going to switch it up a bit and post this blog in a Q&A style – I hope you enjoy it!

Q: Are there really bears in the King Range and do they really come all the way down to the beach?

A: Yes and Yes (see the note above I received from a backpacker). As a matter of fact, the bears are very active this summer and every time I have been to Big/Miller Flat in the last 2 months people have told me that a bear has investigated their campsite. ALL overnight visitors on the Lost Coast Trail and in all of the King Range National Conservation Area are required to have a bear canister and to use it properly (car camping sites are exempt). All food and scented items such as toothpaste and sunscreen and their associated trash need to be stored in the canister. Although you may not be able to smell through a sealed can of food or a dehydrated food bag the bear can! The American Black Bear Association says that their sense of smell is 7 times greater than that of a blood hound and, “Bears rely on their sense of smell to locate mates, detect and avoid danger in the form of other bears and humans, identify cubs, and FIND FOOD.” So, please, get a can before you come and make sure ALL of your food and scented items fit into it. This is as much as protecting your food as it is to protect the bear. You will notice on top of the Garcia Backpackers’ Cache it says, “Save the bears." When a bear starts to eat human food and learns that humans can be associated with an easy meal they will lose their fear of humans, come around campsites more often, and become increasingly aggressive. This is what you would call a “habituated” or “food conditioned” bear and they could eventually need to be put down if the aggression gets out of hand. Please do your part by recreating responsibly in the King Range and help protect the wildlife. We rent out bear cans at the Project Office in Whitethorn (see my previous post for details).

Q: I was hiking through the Spanish Flat area and noticed a large section of burnt grass, how did this happen?

A: On the evening of July 1^st (coincidentally the day we went into campfire restrictions) there was some kind of a mishap with a campers stove and it quickly caught the dry grass on fire - burning a few hundred acres. Any source of flame needs to be treated like a campfire – make sure you are using it in a safe place with plenty of distance from dry fuel sources. Because of the abundance of dry and flashy fuels we are still in full campfire restrictions and will be until further notice (usually sometime in the fall). Myself and the seasonal rangers have been taking down campfire rings where necessary and/or filling them with rocks. If you see one that has been reconstructed by unknowing campers feel free to help out and fill it back in with rocks to make it unusable.

Q: Where do I go to the bathroom out here?

A: Standard Leave No Trace practice says 200 feet (which is about 70 paces) away from campsites, water sources and trails. This practice hold true if you are on any of the upland trails in the King Range, however, if you are on the Lost Coast Trail you must go in the wet sand near the ocean (intertidal). Simply dig a hole 6-8 inches deep in the wet sand (or as close as you can safely get to it), make your deposit, and cover it back up with sand. Personally, if I’m at camp when the situation arises I just go for a little walk to where I feel comfortable (usually a few minutes down the beach or crouching behind a rock). This past week I picked up 7 separate piles of toilet paper and their associated counterparts between Buck Creek and Big Flat; Most of which were within a few feet of where you would be setting up your tents! This is disgusting, unsanitary and simply drives me crazy. There are 4 goals with human waste disposal in the backcountry:

1. Minimize contact with water sources

2. Minimize contact with insects and wildlife

3. Minimize social impacts (the disgusting factor when you see a pile of waste right next to where you are camping)

4. Maximize decomposition (when we bury it 6-8 inches it maximizes decomposition by mixing with the soil and microbiological organisms. Putting a 6-8 inch rock on top of it is not burying it).

Because of the narrow beaches and steep slopes within the major drainages along the trail it is nearly impossible to find a place 200 feet away from camp, drinking water, and trails and the best way to meet the 4 goals above it to go intertidal. If you think there is absolutely no way you will be able to bring yourself to do this, by all means pack it out. There are several products available for desert, alpine and climbing situations that require waste to be packed out which can be used on the Lost Coast.

Remember, there were people here before you and there will be people here after you. Help keep the Lost Coast clean and do the right thing. Already over 3,000 people have hiked the trails here this year.

Give me a call or an e-mail if you have any questions:

lostcoastranger@gmail.com, 707-986-5405

If I’m not in you can call Pam, our Contact Representative at 707-986-5400.

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

The Fire Is Out

Every year the King Range goes into fire restrictions for multiple reasons. As the weather heats up, the grasses begin to dry out and this creates a bad mix for fires. During the annual meeting, the BLM and CalFire agree when to go into fire restrictions and the date is JULY 1ST.

The restrictions apply everywhere within the King Range National Conservation Area. Backpackers should pick up a stamped backcountry permit that reads “Campfires currently prohibited”. This does not include your camp stove or fire rings in BLM campgrounds (car camping sites).

Remember, you can still have a fun time even without a campfire.
--Backcountry Ranger Brianna

Leave No Trace, Hungry Bears, and Out of Control Camp Fires

I’ve been gone from the blog for awhile and a lot has been going on here in the King Range that I would like to share with you. I just got back from a 5 day Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator course on the Lost Coast Trail. This is, in short, a course that thoroughly teaches the 7 LNT principles and how to effectively communicate them. It is, “designed for people who are actively teaching others backcountry skills or providing recreation information to the public.” In light of this, each week for the next 7 weeks I will be posting about one of the 7 LNT principles and how it directly applies to the Lost Coast – so stay tuned for stories, pictures, and information that will improve your skills/knowledge, entertain you and ultimately increase your enjoyment and safety in the backcountry.

First of all, the notorious fog of the Lost Coast has been hanging off shore leaving the weather sunny and beautiful (as seen above) – but often times hot and windy. Plan accordingly and make sure to bring sun block and a hat but also bring a jacket in case that fog does roll in.
1. The bears are out and about: We have had several reports of bears around the Big/Miller Flat area terrorizing campers looking for an easy meal. The Leave No Trace group and I camped at Miller Flat one night this past week and indeed, we were woken up in the night by a bear knocking around our bear cans. It would pick up each can with its front paws and slam it down hoping to knock one of the lids loose. This might frighten you but the truth is that you don’t need to be overly worried about bears during your visit as long as you have a bear can and use it properly.

PLEASE get a bear can if you are going to be backpacking in the King Range/Lost Coast. All overnight visitors are required by law ($150 fine for non compliance) to store all of their food and scented items in a hard-sided bear-proof container approved by the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group (SIBBG). Traveling on the Lost Coast Trail you WILL NOT find a tree to hang food adequately!

We rent out the Garcia bear can here at the BLM Project Office in Whitethorn for $5 for your entire journey. You will need a credit card and a valid drivers license (if you don’t return the bear can you will buy it). We are open Monday-Friday 8-4:30. If your trip ends after our closing hours you can drop your can off in the after hours bear can return box next to our building on the front deck. Keep in mind that our front gate will be closed but you can still walk in. You can also rent from the BLM Field Office in Arcata which has the same hours as the Project office here in Whitethorn: Monday-Friday 8-4:30.
The Petrolia General Store on the northern end of the King Range also rents cans for $5. Their hours are Monday-Saturday 9-5:30 and Sunday from 11-5:00. You will also need a credit card but they take cash only. Their number is 707-629-3455 if you want to verify the hours or have other questions.

The bear can is for protecting the bear from your food as much as it is for protecting your food from the bear. You will notice on top of the Garcia Backpackers’ Cache it says, “Save the bears." So, what does this mean? When a bear starts to eat human food and learns that humans can be associated with an easy meal they will lose their fear of humans, come around campsites more often, and become increasingly aggressive. This is what you would call a “habituated” or “food conditioned” bear and they could eventually need to be put down if the aggression gets out of hand.

When you get your bear can, make sure that ALL of your food and scented items such as toothpaste and sunscreen fit into it. When you leave camp for a day hike and when you go to sleep at night make sure that the lids are closed and secured correctly. The last thing you want is for a bear to break into your food and ruin your trip that you planned so much for. Please, get a can to protect your food and most of all Respect the Wildlife of the King Range. If you find the can a bit heavy and cumbersome, think of all the multiple uses a bear can has: A seat, percussion instrument, cutting board and a water container. If you think of any other creative uses of a bear can let me know, I’d be glad to hear it!

2. There was an out of control campfire this week on the Lost Coast near Spanish Creek.
I was asleep in my tent when I was awoken by one of my coworkers telling me that there was a fire. Adrenaline immediately kicked in as I jumped to my feet, grabbed a bear can and ran to the scene as I had no details of the situation. Seven of us spent the next 3 hours trying to contain the fire that had consumed a driftwood shelter. Our only tool was to dump the equivalent of roughly 150 to 200 bear cans full of water on the blaze (yet another multiple use of the bear can). Thankfully, we were able to contain the fire and stop it from spreading but we were unable to fully extinguish it with out the necessary firefighting tools – Thank you to all those that helped. The next day we called in the professionals to finish the job. How did this happen and what can we learn from this situation?

Heavy winds, dry and dense fuels and fire are a recipe for disaster. We are not currently in fire restrictions in the King Range (we will be soon) but the danger for an out of control situation is ever present. The situation described above started in a driftwood structure that was built by people as a makeshift wind break. The heavy wind blew an ember amongst the jumble of logs and very quickly lit the whole mess into a blaze. The individual responsible for the fire had little to no time to react.

You don’t want this to happen to you so before you have a campfire:

• Know if we are in any campfire restrictions. This will be posted on our website, at the trailheads, on your permit, and on this blog. You can always call us and ask at 707-986-5400.



• If campfires are permitted assess the scene and decide if it is safe. Is it windy? Are there dry grasses or piles of driftwood near by? If so, it is a good idea to not have a campfire that night. Please don’t try to make the scene “safe” by destroying vegetation or digging into the ground. This will most likely make the camp unsightly for other visitors.



• If the scene is safe, be sure to always have someone present to watch over/tend the fire and have plenty of water nearby to extinguish any rogue flames.



• Keep the fire small by using only dead and down wood no bigger around than your wrist and no longer than the diameter of your fire ring (this doesn’t mean build a huge ring). This will help keep everything contained and manageable.



• When you are done with the fire put it out using the soak and stir method: Soak with lots of water and stir around the mess to make sure everything is cool to the touch.



• Sleep peacefully knowing that you didn’t accidentally burn down the Lost Coast.

These may seem like obvious steps but we can always use a reminder. Camp fires can be fun but it only takes one careless moment or poor decision to turn it into a disaster (it snowballs and happens faster than you might think).

Be safe out there
And remember, there were people here before you and there will be people here after you so please help keep the Lost Coast enjoyable for everyone.

Call me if you have any questions at 707-986-5405 or e-mail me at lostcoastranger@gmail.com. If I don’t answer I may be out on the trail so try our front desk at 707-986-5400.

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

Water, water, everywhere

Ocean and creeks shape the landscape

Water is a very powerful force that shapes parts of the Lost Coast all year round. This was especially evident after this weekend’s storm. Creeks swell with water during rainstorms, giving them extra power to shift the sands. Here at Gitchell Creek, when the tide went out, the creek made its own path through the sand to reach the ocean any way possible. The raging creek can blast a new path through the sand or just seep through the sand and come out just below the water line (above).

Be sure to take a tide chart out on the trail with you. I recommend hiking the “impassible during high tide zones” when the tide is a) 3.5 feet or lower and b) on a receding tide (after a high tide has passed). To approximate the height of a current tide some math is needed but stay with me. First, find out how many hours are between the low and high tide, or vice versa, then subtract the height of the high tide from the low tide. Take those two numbers and divide difference in feet by difference in hours. That gives you the amount of change in the tide height per hour. For example: If a low tide of 0 feet is at noon and it will be high tide at 6 P.M. up to 6 feet, that’s 6 feet divided 6 hours then you can estimate that the tide level will increase one foot every hour until it is 6 PM. Another factor that contributes to high water level, and no beach to hike on, is swell. You can check wave height at the NOAA’s National Weather Service website: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ and click on the region around Cape Mendocino.

Plan ahead and take care of yourselfs,

Backcountry Ranger Brianna

The summer season has started!

Hello, my name is Brianna. I am one of seasonal backcountry rangers starting my season today. This will be my third season working for the BLM here in the King Range. I am excited to see what has changed since last summer as well as seeing some familiar places again. A little about me, I attend Humboldt State University with a major in Natural Resources Interpretation, I have a cat who loves to go camping, though you won’t see her on the trail with me and today is my birthday.

Trent is also joining me this summer. It is his second season working as a backcountry ranger. He will also be working part-time with Nick’s Interns. Nick was a student in the local high school who was passionate about habitat restoration. His parents started this program, Nick’s Interns, in his memory in an attempt to introduce high school aged kids to a variety of restoration jobs. They work with the local community during the summer learning about the environment. Trent also attends HSU with a major in Rangeland Ecology. A little about Trent, he usually backpacks with his German Sheppard, Reef, he enjoys surfing the west coast and is a very talented banjo picker.

Happy trails and hope to see you out there!
Sincerely,
Brianna, your seasonal backcountry ranger

Two hard working volunteers and I backpacked the Lost Coast Trail last week cleaning campsites, dismantling shelters, and pulling invasive plant species along the way. It was a great trip and we got a lot done to help restore wilderness characteristics and Leave No Trace values on the Lost Coast. We also got a great showing of wildflowers and saw 4 whales just off the coast from Shipman Creek, which was really exciting. Above, California Golden Poppies surround my brother and his lady friend at Spanish Flat.

At Miller Flat we hauled out more than 40 pounds of ocean garbage. All of this trash in the picture was hanging from trees and scattered throughout the campsites. I ask you to resist the urge to decorate your campsites with the maritime junk that you may find scattered along the shore. Let other visitors arrive to a clean and fresh campsite. Participating in “campsite decoration” is not in line with Leave No Trace ethics, which states that you should respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Or, in other words, as I have been taught: always leave a campsite cleaner than when you arrived.

We continued our journey north dismantling shelters along the way the best we could. I will give you a few reasons why we try to stay on top of the shelters and take them apart when we can:

1. Wood structures are great habitat for small rodents, especially structures that bring in a new supply of food every night. Our last night out we camped in a large structure near the Punta Gorda Lighthouse (the first time I have done this) and just before I crawled into my tent for the night I noticed a small mouse running around checking out all of our gear. It seemed well adjusted to humans because it was pretty much unphased by my presence as it ran between my legs and crawled up my backpack. In the morning my brother woke up to find mouse feces inside of his pack. Also, more than just a nuisance is the possibility of encountering the predator of the mouse: Snakes.

2. Large structures made out of dry wood are a fire hazard. We have had more than one incident of driftwood structures catching on fire. Not only can this easily cause a forest fire, but it is also a very real danger to you! Below is a scene I came across at Cooskie Creek that used to be a large shelter. We were lucky that it was an overcast day with no wind.

3. Driftwood structures don’t fit with wilderness characteristics that we manage for or Leave No Trace ethics. Section 2(c) of the 1964 Wilderness Act (don’t worry, I’m not going to get to technical) states that:

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the
landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are
untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of
wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land
retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human
habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which
(1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint
of man's work substantially unnoticeable…”

(You can look at the whole Act at http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct)

I understand that it can get very windy out on the Lost Coast. If you find that you need to build a small structure to escape the wind, ok. But, I ask you to please keep it small, don’t build onto existing structures, and PLEASE restore the site to its original condition by taking the drift wood back to where you found it. It is very easy for a small wind break to turn into a scene from Gilligan’s Island or Lord of the Flies as each visitor that camps at it builds a little more in an attempt to make some kind of “improvement.” Then, I get to come out there and spend several hours taking it all apart, restoring it to a more “natural” condition and often picking up pounds of trash that get hidden amongst the logs.

By practicing Leave No Trace you try to leave the most minimum impact possible.

Remember, there were people here before you and there will be people here after you. Do the right thing and help keep the Lost Coast clean and enjoyable for everyone.

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

Call me if you have any questions at all: 707-986-5405.

If I'm not in contact Pam at our front desk: 707-986-5400.

PS, on a lighter note, check out great photography (above) and stories from Randy January who is a fellow backpacker and Lost Coast/King Range enthusiast: http://www.alwaysjanuary.com/2011/05/lost-coast-gloom.html

New Blog and Weekend Hike

This is now the new blog site for the Wilderness Ranger of the Lost Coast. The reason I have created a new blog is because the last one (kingrange.blogspot.com) was created by the previous Wilderness Ranger, DC. A mishap with passwords left me with only the ability to make posts and unable to change anything else on the site. After much failed attempts to get the password situation sorted out I decided to just create a new but similar site, which you are on now. I encourage you to check out the old blog if you have not been there before. It is now an archive full of tons of useful information about the Lost Coast and the King Range.

So, now that that is cleared up, let me tell you about my weekend on the trail. I did what we call here at the office the, “Saddle, Rattle, Buck Loop.” I started at Saddle Mountain Trailhead and hiked the King Crest Trail to Rattlesnake Ridge Trail which I took down to Big Flat to camp for the night. I then took the Lost Coast Trail to Buck Creek Trail back up to Saddle Mountain Trailhead.

There is still a lot of snow between Maple Camp and Rattlesnake Ridge that makes hiking a bit more difficult. You can see here that is fills in the trail at about a 45 degree angle. Use caution and plan for this section taking you a bit longer than your usual hiking rate. I counted more than 60 trees across the trail from the top of Rattlesnake Ridge down to the first creek crossing. Only a handful of these impede travel but you can still get around them with a bit of ingenuity. Our plan is to have it opened up by early to midsummer. Buck Creek Trail is steep, it gains over 3,000 feet in 3 miles, so prepare your trip accordingly. If you are going to do this loop plan to do it in a minimum of 3 days for maximum safety and enjoyment. Also, know that there is no water source on Buck Creek Trail so fill up everything you have before you start your ascent.

About 50 yards up Buck Creek Trail I had one heck of a surprise:

Yes, this is what you think it is (the image has been slightly edited so you don’t lose your lunch). I would like to believe that the person who left this for his/her fellow hikers had the best intentions. Proper Leave No Trace states that you should go 200 feet away from campsites, drinking water sources and trails to dispose of solid human waste. You then need to dig a 6-8 inch hole to make your deposit and cover it with soil. This stage is very important so the waste can break down and you don’t end up with the scene above. This is proper backcountry practice when you are on any of the upland trails in the King Range and most other wilderness areas. However, when you are on the Lost Coast Trail you need to actually go towards the ocean in the wet sand below the high tide line (or as close to the wet sand as you can safely get). This is because the narrow beaches and steep slopes within the major drainages along the trail make it nearly impossible to find a place 200 feet away from camp, drinking water, and trails, as the case above clearly demonstrates. You might be thinking, “I thought you said 200 feet away from water!” but that is for drinking water sources, which the ocean is not. Also, the microbiological activity in the sand, along with the daily tidal actions, makes it the most ideal place to do your business while you are on the LCT. It’s natural to feel a bit bashful about this since you are out in the open on the beach. I personally just go for a little walk until I can turn a corner or crouch behind something. Hey, think about it this way: how often do you get an opportunity to relieve yourself with such a beautiful view and exciting atmosphere? That’s something to write home about!





Remember, there were people here before you and there will be people here after you. Do the right thing and help keep the Lost Coast clean and enjoyable for everyone.

Drop me a line if you have any questions or need help planning your trip to the King Range.

Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul
lostcoastranger@gmail.com
707-986-5405, This is my office phone
707-986-5400, This is the main line to Pam, our contact representative. She can also answer any questions you may have.