New Ranger and Winter Conditions

Hi fellow hikers,
I am the new Wilderness Ranger for the King Range. Well, not completely new - I have worked 2 consecutive summers as a ranger here in 2009 and 2010. This has given me the opportunity to backpack the Lost Coast Trail more than 20 times and know it pretty well. So, let’s jump right in:
What are the current conditions?
When you backpack the King Range in the winter plan for extreme conditions. With heavy rain and snow fall we are again reminded that it is winter in the King Range. This means lots of trees and limbs on the trails as well as much more water in the creeks. What may be a small creek crossing can easily turn impassible within a day or even hours due to heavy rains. If you find yourself in this situation you may need to either wait until the water level drops or consider taking a route into the upland trails (which would add considerable mileage). The general rule is that if the water is higher than your knee you should not attempt to cross.

The second thing you need to be aware of is large waves. When I was on the LCT in early February many sections of the trail were impassable and very dangerous. I came across a couple that had an encounter with a wave and all they could do was grab onto the rocks and hold on. They were lucky that all they lost was an IPOD and a sleeping bag. During the summer I can hike with ease up to about a +3 foot tide, but in the winter the rules of the game change completely. Always travel on a receding tide but be advised that even on a low tide enormous waves can make traveling on the coast very difficult.

If you do plan to hike the LCT during the winter check local weather conditions and tide charts. Stay alert and always have a back-up plan. To check wave size (swell) go to www.weather.gov/eureka and click just left of shlter cove on the map (the ocean). For tidal information look under miscellaneous on the left hand side of the page, click on tides and currents, and then click on Shelter Cove.

Call me here at the office if you have any questions or drop me an e-mail.

Your Wilderness Ranger,

Paul

707-986-5405 lostcoastranger@gmail.com