April 29 Day 1: Into The Windy Belly Of The Beast
3.12 miles, 911′ ascent, 643′ descent
April 30 Day 2: The Romance Of King Peak And Spanish Ridge
23.56 miles, 3553′ ascent, 6666′ descent
May 1 Day 3: The Early Bird Gets The Lost Coast Serenity
18.71 miles, 3833′ ascent, 1080′ descent
King Range National Conservation Area
Unceded land of the Sinkyone, Cahto and Coast Yuki peoples
45.39 miles
8,297′ ascent
8,389′ descent
Gear Review and Reflection
April/May Trip
~Above picture is actually the gear I used on the Wonderland Trail. Mostly the gear is the same minus the down jacket, rain jacket and gtx boots instead of runners.
~One thing I did differently, which I think was out of laziness, was that I strapped the empty bear canister to the top of my pack. I did this the first full day and I found the weight to be just too much so high on the pack. Also, I have a BV500 canister which weighs 2.5 lbs. The weight so high on my pack may have also contributed to my momentum when I tripped and was launched from the trail. I did the extra work to get the bear canister inside my pack the next day and it felt much better not to have the high weight.
~Overall, I was fairly lucky with the poison oak. Not only with my exposure but also successfully returning home without getting poison oak. There are definitely areas where the poison oak is unavoidable, especially along the crest to beach trails. Along the Lost Coast, as long as you are hyper vigilant, the poison oak should be mostly avoidable. I would highly recommend tecnu wipes or some kind of soap to deal with poison oak contact. Even if you’re good at identifying poison oak, have a plan to deal with your hiking clothes when you take them off. Remember, Pacific poison oak scientific name Toxicodendron diversilobum, is a master at adapting the shape and size of its leaves to the environment. Species diversilobum – diverse lobe – will try to trick you at every turn of the trail.
~If you carry a camera clipped onto your backpack strap, don’t forget to pack an extra lens cap. Or better yet, use a lens cap that can be secured to the camera lens with a lanyard.
~ I wore new balance men’s fresh foam x hierro mid GTX v1 boots and managed to cross all creeks without having to take them off. Sometimes there were rocks and even if they were submerged they were still sufficient. I never went upstream to look for logs or easier crossing options. When the water was too deep, I would just go to the mouth where the creek meets the ocean. With good timing and creativity, you can get across with minimal boot wetting. Whatever you do, don’t hesitate and just power through with confidence.
~Hiking in sand and on cobbles asks a lot of your feet, and especially your toes. You can help yourself by doing lots of training hikes to build tough calluses. Make sure to trim your toe nails short. But it won’t stop your toes from feeling like they’ve been crushed and worked really hard. Also remember to have shoes large enough to accommodate any foot swelling.
~Normally, I always pack a rain jacket. But knowing I had a good weather window, I opted to leave it behind in lieu of my umbrella and wind jacket. Given the favorable weather window, I opted for a rain skirt instead of rain pants.
| DESCRIPTION | OZ | LB |
| zpacks 52L arc blast with hip belt pockets | 18 | |
| zpacks 0F wide long bag with draft tube | 27.1 | |
| big agnes platinum fly creek UL1 + ba groundsheet | 35.8 | |
| 80.9 | 5.1 | |
| thermarest Xtherm long | 16.5 | |
| gossamer gear 1/8″ pad | 4 | |
| msr pack towel | 0.7 | |
| toilet kit: | ||
| (snow stake, tp, hand sanitizer, wipes, powder) | 3 | |
| pills/prescription: | ||
| (ibuprofen, anti-diarrhea, anti-hist, vicodin, thyroid hormone) | 2 | |
| calcium, multi-vit | 2 | |
| zpacks wallet | 1 | |
| trash compator bag/paint strainer stuff sacs | 2 | |
| zpacks front utility fanny pack | 2 | |
| golite umbrella | 8 | |
| cocoon pillow | 3.8 | |
| 2 1L smart water bottles | 2.8 | |
| 11.5oz bottle | 1.1 | |
| 2L platypus bladder | 1 | |
| first aid/sewing/repair kit: | ||
| (bandaid, needle, ray way thread, air mattress patch, qtip, leukotape, tenacious tape) | 1 | |
| sawyer water filter + 32oz bag | 3 | |
| zpacks pack cover | 1.4 | |
| swiss army manager knife | 1 | |
| emergency fire kit | 0.5 | |
| toothbrush/floss/paste | 2 | |
| night guard | 1 | |
| sunscreen/hibiclens/lotion/essential oils | 2.5 | |
| permit/map | 1 | |
| bv500 bear canister | 40 | |
| 103.3 | 6.5 | |
| icebreaker long john bottom (for sleeping/camp only) | 5.5 | |
| icebreaker long john top (for sleeping/camp only) | 5.6 | |
| injinji socks | 1.6 | |
| jockey underwear | 1.4 | |
| appalachian gear all-paca fleece | 13 | |
| smartwool beanie | 1.4 | |
| buff | 1.2 | |
| zpacks rain skirt | 2 | |
| mountain hardware glove + nitrile | 1.5 | |
| sun gloves | 1.5 | |
| patagonia houdini jacket | 3.7 | |
| 38.4 | 2.4 | |
| google pixel w/ case | 9 | |
| anker powercore 10000mHa | 5.7 | |
| stickpic + cell holder | 1.1 | |
| pixel buds a | 2.5 | |
| cords, plug | 2.4 | |
| falcam f38 backpack clip | 3.3 | |
| sony a6300 body wirh lens 55-210 | 28 | |
| sd external hard drive w/ cable | 2.4 | |
| garmin inreach explorer+ | 7.5 | |
| petzl tikka xp headlamp | 3 | |
| 64.9 | 4.1 | |
| total | 287.5 | 18.0 |
| clothing worn: | ||
| prana stretch zion pant | ||
| rei northway plaid shirt | ||
| jockey underwear | ||
| glamorise bra | ||
| injinji socks | ||
| hankerchief | ||
| dirty girl gaiters | ||
| trucker hat | ||
| leki trekking poles | ||
| sunglasses | ||
| chapstick | ||
| new balance men’s fresh foam x hierro v7 |
Journey Return 