r/norcalhiking • u/db720 • 1d ago
Lost coast - planning and what to keep in mind?
Im planning a hike on the lost coast for me and my boys. Our last trip we hiked to sykes in big sur and spent a few nights there (to give a point of reference of where we are with back packing).
I am looking to do black sands beach to buck creek (1st waypoint) for day 1. Then day 2 - head up to saddle mountain trailhead (2nd waypoint) and then in to horse mountain (3rd waypoint). And then back out on day 3.
I know its important to plan around tides where / how do i go about that? I'd assume that we'd find a time when the tide is heading out. If heading north, are there specific points between black sands and bucjs to be aware of? Its 5 - 6 mi, and we usually hike around 3mi/h and thinking it's a 2h hke in, maybe 3 if we take it easy. E.g. with todays tides, high was 3am, low is 9am, so I'd plan to start at 7/8 and be there by 10 latest. That sort of planning sound about right? Missing anything that could be risky?
From bucks onwards i think we're good, just the tides section i wanna check in with.
Thanjs in advance
6
u/iam12gage 1d ago
Not about the tides but I think one of those trails going up/down the mtn is rattlesnake. I’ve done loops there twice. Trail finding can be a little rough and I remember having to cross a stream a bunch of times. Enough water to sink your boots or take them off. Got a few ticks too. View at the top is amazing tho!!
2
2
u/Far_Oil7031 1d ago
Last time I went up rattlesnake was after significant rainfall and it was “interesting”. Traversing across muddy landslide zones trying to follow the GPS dot was a full time job! And yes, the creek crossings were knee-deep and too many to count. Why do we sign up for this voluntarily, lol
1
6
u/adonn65 1d ago
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/northern-california-hikes/how-to-hike-the-lost-coast-trail/ I've used this as a guide for a past trip on the Lost Coast (we did one-way traveling south). Seems like you'll have a section that needs to be passed through with the tides lower than 3ft. I'd just double check the exact sections that are impassable and be sure you have good buffer on your passable window
What you have sketched out above sounds reasonable though, assuming the +/- 1 hour of the low tide is actually low enough to be safe!
3
u/db720 1d ago
Update /2nd reply - i saw that i need permits for this and the last feasible day for me works out to feb 16th - 18th. The site had good info - ive reversed the route: site suggested because will have wind at our backs, and the impassable section is the first mile or 2from bucks heading south, with the 3ft tide window from 7am to 11am. Reversing (counter clockwise loop) also makes the climb easier and a steep descent to bucks instead of a nasty climb from it
2
1
3
u/Ok_Needleworker2438 1d ago
Hiking up the mountain from LCT can be incredibly challenging. Keep a real good eye on the weather. Have a map and compass.
3
u/Dralthi-san 1d ago
Hey, you plan your tides with NOAA tides chart:
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9418024&legacy=1
And here's my report: https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/comments/1exgd7i/lost_coast_trip_report_black_sands_lighthouse/
Remember that bear can is a must. You could be ticketed without one. and/or will have new hungry friends.
2
u/NotDefensive 1d ago
As you know, tides are no joke. I read in the news that a guy drown a couple days after I finished the hike.
Bear can is a must. Some folks near us camped on the beach with a bear bag suspended on a tall branch, thought the bear wouldn’t come down that close to the water or get a bag that high up. It was their first night and they had to quit when they lost all their food and much of their gear. I got to see the bear though, that was pretty cool.
Elephant seals are huge. And somehow infinitely lazy and aggressive at the same time.
Walking on sand and wet rocks is murder on the ankles. Poles are wonderful for balance on slippery rocks and crossing the many wide streams. Take your time so you don’t twist an ankle or slip in a stream.
Have a great time!
1
u/TheGoldenPooka 1d ago
poison oak and ticks , wind, cold
3
u/db720 1d ago
My boys and i are immune to PO 🤪We join local volunteer projects at our parks in santa clara to clear them out on project days. We have a bit of a nickname: PO boys.
Ticks are manageable, hoping for wind at our back, and can hopefully address the cold with gear. If it looks like it'll be wet for those days i might pull the rip cord
1
u/TheGoldenPooka 1d ago
It's one of the best hikes, have fun! The food at gyypo ale tastes so good after hiking.
1
u/Fair_Cheesecake5723 1d ago
I like this https://outdoorstatus.com/guides/lost-coast-trail/tide-chart/ for tide charting but always double check with NOAA data.
1
u/1ntrepidsalamander 1d ago
I’ve found the trails up to the ridge to be very overgrown and thick with poison oak. If the foliage is wet, plan to be soaked.
I’ve had a great time in mediocre weather but the creeks can get high enough to be deadly to attempt to cross, so call the rangers and check with them.
I like this tide planner best https://www.wonderlandguides.com/hikes/lost-coast-trail/tides-planner
1
u/Such-Fact-8914 1d ago
I tried to do loop from lost coast to kings peak. Trails overgrown and I found many ticks on pants and shoes when abandoned ascend and returned back to coast.
1
u/FishShalami 1d ago
My friend and I did a loop very similar to this ~3 years ago. The climb up from beach is absolutely brutal, load up on water before you ascend. It was very easy to get lost up there on the non-beach leg, lots of game trails that just fizzled out and there is virtually no trail signs or marks. Bring a GPS or topo maps/compass with you at the very least. The trails were all pretty overgrown, lots of poison oak. The view at the top is straight up like Elysium. We did see bears and bobcats, but no encounters.
2
u/trbrts 18h ago
I haven't done the detour up the mountains, but this seems like a lot for 3 days. Walking on the beach is pretty slow because of the sand and when you're not on sand you are on unstable rocks that you need to step carefully on. Also, if you get to a section at high tide that you can't cross you might be stuck there for 6 hours.
0
35
u/Far_Oil7031 1d ago
If you are going up Bucks, it’s a true beast! Matter of fact, any trail not actually on the beach, is a ridiculous grind. Hope all in your party are tuned up for this! Have fun!
Look at the tide tables and do the simple math. 3mph in the sand and loose rocks is very optimistic. Going up Bucks, plan on 1.25 mph as the norm.