According to the Times Standard, the Bear Harbor Road between Needle Rock and Bear Harbor is impassible to vehicles but is still open to pedestrain access.
"...Walk-in access to Orchard Camp, Railroad Camp and Bear Harbor Campground will be the only way to visit these areas."
Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
California Conservation Corps on the Lost Coast
This week, February 13-17, a crew from the California Conservation Corps (CCC) will be out on the Lost Coast pulling Cape Ivy, an invasive plant species. According the the California Invasive Plant Council,
Cape ivy climbs over most other vegetation, forming a solid cover that blocks light and smothers other vegetation. The weight of the ivy mass sometimes causes trees to fall. Habitat for both plants and animals in protected natural reserves has been rendered worthless when large portions are occupied almost exclusively by cape ivy.
We greatly value the hard work the CCC puts into the King Range NCA to help restore Wilderness Characteristics. If you see them out there thank them for what they do.
Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul
707-986-5405
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Rescue at Point No Pass
This past Saturday a group of hikers were rescued on the beach south of Shelter Cove at Point No Pass. I’ll let you read the full details of the story here.But, know that:
1. Do not attempt to pass Point No Pass (about 1 mile south of Shelter Cove). This is a dangerous spot and is impassable at all tidal levels. The Lost Coast Trail goes around this point along the crest of Chemisal Mountain from Hidden Valley to Needle Rock.
If you are backpacking the northern section of the LCT and want to continue south we recommend that you go up Horse Mountain Creek Trail and walk along King Peak Road. From there it’s less than half a mile on Shelter Cove Road to Chemise Mt. Road and the Hidden Valley Trailhead is 0.2 miles on the right. And, of course, you can do this backwards too if you are hiking the southern section and want to continue north.
2. We have great volunteer rescue groups here in Southern Humboldt (Shelter Cove Fire and Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue were involved in this incident) and we should all be proud. I’m glad that everything turned out ok for the hikers.
Your Wilderness Ranger,
Paul
lostcoastranger@gmail.com
707-986-5405
Photo courtesy of Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
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.
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:
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
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.
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
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
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.
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
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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.
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