Moments in Dirt and Ink

 My day pack is developing holes in the bottom, so I'm looking for a new one. I have some thoughts on what, but not a lot of feeling like I can actually afford anything at the moment. If I'm honest, those holes are tiny and in a very thick nylon and it'll probably last another couple years before it starts dropping my gear. Also, I'm not using the side pockets anymore so it doesn't matter that they've completely shredded. In classic mission creep fashion, I've found myself looking at tents instead. With no budget, I get to think about what I would really like if money were no object. That's definitely Dyneema. (Formerly Cuben Fiber.) What follows is a bit of random mussing about the tents of my childhood followed by a little on tent materials, and a catalog of sorts of the tents offered in Dyneema. Oh, and bonus bad sketches of tents from memory. When we were little, there was the umbrella tent. I have no idea why it is called an umbrella tent and it ce...

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park Click for map. With the days getting shorter, I felt a little pressure to go ahead and check out the Last Chance Section of the California Coastal Trail, which I wanted to do including the trail down Damnation Creek and stopping to see Enderts Beach on the way. The information I found put the out and back length of Enderts Beach parking to Damnation Creek at 12-13 miles. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park was the only one that would say where to park, around the 15.6 mile marker . They also mention that heading south is great in May or June when the numerous rhododendrons are in bloom. I knew from trying to find the trail before that there is no sign to indicate it, so I pulled into the first turnout after a section of one lane highway and found I was at a usable location, so I parked. It was actually around the 15 mile marker. One way to access the CCT is by the gated road it follows. I parked in the turnout in front of the white dayligh...

King Range National Conservation Area DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Purple line for day 4. Click for map. I got started with the dawn and the rain started up again a few minutes after I left the tent. I pulled on my puffy jacket for the first time in the trip and quickly traded it for my rain coat. The rain wasn't hard enough to worry about, but it was just too warm to have a full jacket on. I packed up and was on the trail with the sunrise, wherever the sun might be. The pair by the beach were long gone already while the more sheltered pair weren't even stirring. The tide was at its lowest for the day, right around 0, as I started north. It marked the first time I tried traveling one of the sections denoted "impassible at high tide, travel during a receding tide" during a rising tide. I wasn't too worried. I had a little over a mile to Cooskie Spur Route, and after that there is an overland route. Leaving Cooskie Creek, which soaks in...

King Range National Conservation Area DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Blue lines, light then dark, for day 3. Click for map. Things were still quite moist when I got up in the morning. I wasn't at all worried that I ended the first day short of my goals and the second day even further behind. The plan for the third day was so shortened due to tides, I was originally thinking I might hike down to Big Creek (it's a nice spot) just for a little extra to do. I still had plenty of time to get south as far as Kinsey Creek, then north to Cooskie Creek. On my previous trip, I turned up at Kinsey Ridge Trail , a little closer, but I stopped thinking about the Lost Coast Trail and started thinking about the ridge at Kinsey Creek, so is how far I need to go to complete the north portion of the trail. There are certainly advantages to wake up at 1000 feet instead of 20 feet. The wisps into the the canyons were quite lovely. It takes a little time ...

King Range National Conservation Area DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Orange line for day 2. Click for map. I woke up feeling a little dry because I would have liked a few ounces more water for the night camping. I grabbed bandana (which isn't lost after all, it was just in the wrong pocket) and bottles and scoop and headed for the water I knew was 400 feet from camp. There was actually a good flow, but it was spread out over a large flat area. The hole I dug was nice and clear until I walked upstream looking for a nicer spot to gather it. I decided to explore south while waiting for it to clear again. Maybe I should have practiced techniques for water gathering when it is not so easy. Line the hole with rocks and push the bandana down into it to keep it from getting muddy? Something like that. I really like just holding the bag under a spot where the water is pouring over an edge. It's like a spigot. The view a few steps from my quiet c...

King Range National Conservation Area DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Red line for day 1. Click for map. I originally had a permit for 29 March through 1 April to take this trip, but that got derailed when they closed the Lost Coast Trail on 28 March and revoked all overnight permits as some sort of COVID-19 measure. They left the other trails open although the trail generally on the beach must be the easiest for allowing people to keep their distance from strangers. After they reopened and I finally figured out when I wanted to go (near the new moon for that dark sky with lots of stars potential), I managed to pounce on a released permit to do it 15-18 September. (The required permit is $6 to reserve and is obtained from Recreation.gov .) In that light, I greeted an email on 9 September that they were considering closing for the fire danger with quite a lot of grump. Well, that light and the deep red light that enveloped the entire state...