Now I'm on GTalk. Holler if you have a question!

You can message me on Google, now. I am lostcoastranger@gmail.com. I will make it a habit of putting Gtalk on my desktop when I'm in the office. Continue to use derek_carr@ca.blm.gov for regular email. My phone is, as always, 707-986-5405. dc

Bears in Winter at King Range

During my backcountry patrol last week, my partner and I visited with several groups of hikers. Of these, an unusual number did not have bear cans. We were told by two groups that they believed "bears would be hibernating" and, thus, bear cans would not be needed.

Not so. Regard yonder tooth-paste tube, punctured, it seems likely, but a dentally-concious vampire. My partner and I stayed at Kinsey Creek on our first night and at Gitchell our second. Each morning we found fresh bear tracks nearby. Indeed, between Kinsey and Big Creek we found bear tracks below the high tide mark--and this was only two hours after high tide. They are out and they are active.

Indeed, this time of year, bears are running out of food sources. The berries are done for the season. The fish and insects that make up a part of their diet are gone for the winter. What remains? Backpacker food? Maybe.

This is in large part why the bear can requirement is in place. ALL OVERNIGHT VISITORS to the King Range must keep their food in a hard-sided bear-proof container approved by the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group (SIBBG). The approved containers include the Bear Vault, the Barrikade, and the Garcia Backpackers' Cache. The Ursack is NOT approved, even with the aluminum insert.

The bear can rule language has been recently changed from "each person must carry" a bear can to "all food and scented items must be stored in" a bear can. With this change, two people on an overnight trip may use one can. In my experience, two people for more than two nights will need more than one can. Last weekend our law enforcement officer began one conversation with, "Show me that all of this food fits." The food didn't fit. A citation was issued.

If you have questions or would like to discuss your trip planning, drop me an email or gimme a call. I am D.C. Carr. derek_carr@ca.blm.gov and 707-986-5405.

Winter's Arrival at King Range

The second series of winter storms is now upon us and I feel justified in no longer expecting a long window of great weather in the King Range. Our winter weather if fickle to say the least and, as you plan your winter trip, you should do so with weather and its associates in mind. With weather come downed trees on the trails, difficult or impassable creek crossings, and extreme sea conditions in the tide zones. I hiked the LCT last weekend and none of the creek crossings were unusually difficult. Nearly two inches of rain have fallen on Cooskie Peak in the last twenty-four hours. Conditions today and this weekend may be quite different indeed.

Note in planning your trip that the NOAA website, weather.gov has been providing incorrect wave height predictions this week. Every day it shows "1 foot or less" whereas in reality, yesterday, I saw 14-waves on Black Sands Beach. In the photograph to the left, taken yesterday at Buck Creek, it seems apparent that the tide-zone between Miller Flat and Shipman Creek was nearly impassable three hours after high tide. My hike from Buck to Black Sands was easier, but there were a couple places where larger waves were hitting the bluffs.

This week's storms are dropping a fair amount of rain. If you plan to visit, have a look at the Cooskie Remote Automated Weather Site: http://raws.wrh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/roman/meso_base.cgi?stn=PTEC1. This is our weather station on top of Cooskie Peak, in the northern part of the King Range. It gives accurate, hourly weather observations within the King Range. If this site receives more than a couple of inches of rain in twenty-four hours, do not plan to cross Cooskie or Four-Mile Creeks. Generally, if Four-Mile is not crossable, the same will be true of Big Flat Creek and Whale Gulch.

As I have said often, do not go into moving water that is greater than knee deep with a pack on. Have a PLAN B and be ready to enact it--even if that means "go back" or "wait it out". The creeks come up quickly and will often recede almost as fast--assuming that it's not still raining up high. Be patient and have a safe trip!

The Long-Promised State of the Upland Water Sources Report

This is Bonus Spring. If you're looking at the new version of the map--or on the Wilderness Press map--it doesn't appear. We removed it from the newest edition because it was unreliable--but BONUS when it was running. This year, we did some tweaking to try and improve it. It's better, but still not year-round water.

I visited Bonus Spring and Miller Camp, this week. Both water sources are iffy. Both water sources are DRIPPING at about two drops per second. You could get water at either location, but is it really worth your time? Especially if you are dropping a bunch of elevation just to get water? Probably not.

So let's call Miller Loop a day-hike until the rains come. You can camp there, but plan to do so either dry or with a lot of waiting for water.

Maple and Bear Hollow continue to provide adequate water for camping. No problems there.

Telegraph Spring is your best bet if you are heading north from Rattlesnake along the KCT with intent to reach the Cooskie. Telegraph is along the Smith-Etter (Telegraph Ridge) road about one mile beyond the Kinsey Ridge Trailhead. It's a pipe sticking out of the ground--pretty obvious. It is still a stream of water, though nothing like Bear Hollow. Gimme a call before you do this trip--I'll keep an eye on it.

There is no other water in the high country. If you are doing that King Crest from Saddle to the Mattole, you will have water sources at Maple, Telegraph, and Cooskie Creek. Bear Hollow is eight tenths of a mile off the trail, should you need it.

The Dry Time is here. So. Pack plenty of water in the high country and remember: No Fires.

The beach is still doing pretty well for water: All named creeks are running.

The Fecal Burial Sermon

Wow. I had a great weekend on the Lost Coast, this week. The weather was starting to feel like autumn and there was hardly anyone around. In addition, the tide zones were especially challenging--which is my chief amusement when I'm alone in the backcountry! I passed the northern tide zone at about 5' with moderate waves and it was certainly exciting. Several close calls. Note that I was NOT carrying a backpack!

I spent one night at Punta Gorda and a second night near where the Cooskie Creek Trail crosses Cooskie Creek. During the day on Saturday, I day-hiked to Spanish Flat. It was very quiet. I think I only saw four groups.

I spent one night at Punta Gorda and a second night near where the Cooskie Creek Trail crosses Cooskie Creek. During the day on Saturday, I day-hiked to Spanish Flat. It was very quiet. I think I only saw four groups.

I inspected the work that the SCA's did recently on the Cooskie and Cooskie Spur Trails. The wayfinding in this area and the quality of the tread are much improved, though it is a work in progress. Realize when you walk the Cooskie that you are in a remote part of the wilderness and will have to bring your backcountry navigation skills to bear.

One thing I noted this past weekend, in the middle of my campsite--or just off to the side but in clear view of my tent--was a real pet peeve of mine. I will share this with you. This is a story about human waste disposal at a site away from the ocean:

Perhaps this seems a vulgar image to see on the internet, but believe me it was a more vulgar image to share my campsite with.

I'm not naming names, but I figure that this is the backcountry blog so let's talk about what's on my mind, backcountrywise.

When we issue permits, we remind people that human feces must be buried 6-8" deep and 200' from a camp or water source. In the instance illustrated above, we find a human turd buried under a 6"-tall rock placed on the surface of the soil. The human waste has certainly been placed beneath 6" of overburden, which a base reading of the requirements do seem to imply. Really, though--this is unacceptable. Never mind that it was in the campsite which is only a stone's throw from the creek. BURYING feces means digging a hole which means carrying a trowel. The soils in the King Range are often hard and difficult to dig in so be prepared for this--bring a metal trowel! But be sure that your toilet is in compliance with the rules. There are reasons for these guidelines...

1. It's leave-no-trace. Nobody wants to look at it or smell it, so put it out of sight. That's the most obvious.

2. It's the biology of decomposition. In order to acheive rapid decomposition so the stuff is gone, put it in contact with as many soil microbes as possible--bury it and, if you have the heart, mix some soil in before you cover it up!

3. It's about disease prevention. If you leave your turd exposed, flies are going to find it. They will land and crawl all over it. Later, when another group uses the site, those same flies are going to land with their smelly legs in someone's oatmeal. This is one manner of fecal ingestion--eating someone else's poop--occurs and it is a great way for diseases to be transmitted.

You may not be sick--but the bacteria in your bowel may not sit too well with those in someone else's body. Please be careful of this.

I was going to combine this message with a post about upland water sources... but I feel silly now combining the two. So. Stay tuned while I go and wash my hands!

Hunting Season Arrives at King Range

It's a sure sign of the changing seasons. The summer seasonal rangers have gone back to school and the hunters have come out for deer. If you plan to visit at any time during the month of September, expect to see hunters and don't be surprised if you hear a rifle shot early in the morning or just before sundown. The best time to hunt is dawn and dusk. It is illegal to hunt for deer at night. Hunters will most likely be near camp during the day. If you are hiking--in the upland areas especially--and you meet hunters, don't hesitate to tell them where you plan to go! They expect to see people on the trails. If they know where YOU will be, they will probably avoid areas you are headed for--after all, you'll scare away the deer.

With hunting season also comes an increase in vehicle traffic in the King Range Wilderness.
Private landholders, whose lands are entirely surrounded by wilderness, are permitted under the 1964 Wilderness Act to continue to access their properties by the method which they commonly used prior to wilderness designation. So. The Smith and Etter cabins, which were routinely accessed by motor vehicle via the Kinsey Ridge and Smith-Etter Roads are still allowed to drive in. They have a key to the gate at the Kinsey Ridge Trailhead. Many of these landowners are hunters and you are likely to see them at or near their cabins with vehicles in the coming weeks.

Note that this land-owner priviledge does not extend to the general public and it does not mean that in-holders are permitted to drive anywhere in the wilderness. Landowners and their guests ONLY are permitted to drive TO and FROM their properties only within wilderness. They may not make detours or choose alternate routes. Should you witness a vehicle travelling somewhere where there are no inholdings--such as those on Big Flat and Spanish Flat--and the vehicle is not travelling to or from these inholdings from Kinsey Ridge... they are probably making illegal use of YOUR wilderness. Don't hesitate to contact the BLM with a description of the vehicle, where it was, and plate numbers if possible.

There were several trucks and ATVs in the Wilderness this past weekend, both on Spanish and and Big Flats. Be prepared for these legal landowners and don't let them spoil your trip. If you don't want to see motor vehicles, plan to camp somewhere other than Spanish or Big Flats...

The Good News, the Steep Climb, and the Big Ugly

Hey! It's another afternoon on the Lost Coast of California. I spent the weekend out in the King Range--hiked from North Slide, down Rattlesnake to Buck and then out to Black Sands in the morning. Everything is looking good out there--there is water in the creeks and the number of people on the trails is down from July which makes for a nice experience.

If you're planning a trip, make sure you are prepared. It's a wild world out there. Give us a call, here at the office--707-986-5400--or drop me an email at derek_carr@ca.blm.gov. Lets talk about your plan and come up with an itinerary. Set goals that aren't too outrageous so that you have time to enjoy your trip! We had a group this past week who planned to hike out the Lost Coast and then back the King Crest--all in four days!

Some of you may be looking at your BLM King Range Map right now and saying ,"Heh, that's not so bad! What's he making the big deal about?" Well. The King Range trails are STEEP!

This is a picture I took, this week, as I was diving down the first of eighty-six switchbacks below Bear Hollow Camp, on the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail. The trail loses more than 2000' of elevation in just over two miles below this point. If I'm planning a trip... I try not to plan to hike up this grade with a pack loaded with food.

If you want to hike the King Range Uplands, either plan to hike up the hill on your last day or plan to set a shuttle--so you can start high and end your trip low. If you need help setting your shuttle, check out http://www.lostcoastshuttle.com/. Sherri is one of the permitted shuttle operators for the Lost Coast--that means we've checked her insurance and she pays the BLM a permit fee which helps to pay for the management of the area. Her service may seem expensive to you--$200 for two people and all their gear from Black Sands to Mattole--but if you haven't driven the roads here you don't know how much wear-and-tear it is on a vehicle. With the cost of gasoline and the time you save not having to drive back and forth--as much as two hours one way--it starts to make more sense.

And. Lastly. About the tides...

This week, one of our seasonal rangers captured some excellent digital "footage" of one of his friends hiking through the Impassable Tide Zone near Shipman Creek. North of Shipman there is a rock that is impassable above about four feet. The ocean has removed a lot of sand from this site in the past few months... even at tides as low as three feet with waves, it is possible to get hit with a wave at this spot. Be warned! Look at the conditions when you arrive and make a smart decision based on what you see--if it isn't safe, don' t continue!



Check out this tide chart. I often tell people to try to travel in the Impassable Zones below 4.5'. That's just a guide. There is NO GUARANTEED SAFE ZONE on this tide chart. The ocean moves sand and gravel on this beach EVERY DAY. Conditions can change from hour to hour. I say "4.5" because below this level it tends to be do-able. If you arrive at 4', though, and the waves are obviously pounding the rock... think twice and realize that YOU are THERE and I am not!

Travel safely!
DC CARR
derek_carr@ca.blm.gov
707-986-5405