Winter hiking conditions on the Lost Coast

So far so good as far as winter hiking on the Lost Coast. We haven't had any of the horrible storms, yet, that characterize this area and so the place has thusfar failed to become a disaster area.

There are two factors that will kill you or ruin your trip in the Lost Coast winter. This is assuming you already are thinking about the potential for torrential downpours.

1. Huge Waves. The high tides and super storms of winter bring with them some dramatic waves off of the ocean. The 12' swells that seemed pretty neat in the summer are just an everyday thing in winter. It isn't uncommon for 24's to come ashore during a winter storm. This will make the coastal portions of the trail not just impassable but potentially deadly, causing landslides and sweeping everything on the beach out to sea. Be careful where you make camp. This also rearranges the coastal landscape--a landmark you remember from summer may be buried, moved, or simply gone after a storm. The mile-long beach just north of Sea Lion Gulch was scoured clean of its sand, two weeks ago--totally unrecognizable. It looks like the sand was redesposited north of Cooskie--in an area that used to be rocky. Go figure.

2. Difficult or impossible stream crossings. Each of the creeks that comes down to the ocean from the King Range Crest can become a raging torrent during and after a storm. Even if it isn't raining on the beach--think of flash floods in the Southwest Desert--these creeks can rise suddenly and dramatically. Depending on the rainfall event, they can stay swollen for hours. One of my co-workers was unable to cross Cooskie a few years ago--even down near the ocean at low tide, in the alluvial fan. He had to wait five hours for the water to go down before he could cross it in icy calf-deep water. This week, the creeks are all crossable--you can hop from rock to rock and stay dry. It was a challenge at Big Flat Creek but do-able. Remember that if you do choose to cross a creek by taking off your shoes and wading... NEVER CROSS MOVING WATER DEEPER THAN YOUR KNEE. The water is pretty heavy--go deep as your thigh and it is pushing against you with hundreds of pounds of force. Wait it out. Be vigilant for additional rise of the water. Have a plan B.

That's really the take-home message about hiking the Lost Coast in winter. HAVE A PLAN B.

Ta-ta!
Ranger DC