I guess we will never find this remote ‘campground’ without my clever guide book. The road is unsigned and very rough and bumping. Maarten has to chuckle from the moment we’ve entered it. So funny.
The dense forest is still drenched in the morning fog. It is dark and mysterious here. Hardly to imagine only within a couple of miles there it is sunny and warm as always. We are still not sure this is the right road to our destination. The six miles seems to be endless. Finally there it is. Even it’s really foggy we get a view of the spectacular combination of mountains and sea.
We found a beautiful spot back in the drizzly forest but Rob and Maarten insist to camp at the beach. All right.
What a depressive place full of wild blackberry and fallen leaves. Looking on the bright side how romantic campsite in the fall spirit we have got this time.
We go for a walk on the black sand beach and there on the reefs at the southern end of the beach we’ve found lots of starfish.
I mean really lots!
Then in the evening more and more people are coming to the, at first, empty campground and look for a suitable spot. It’s Friday evening so that’s understandable. But I’ve never seen 'this kind of people' in any campground before. Hard music, they are hanging out of the windows or even sitting on the deck lid and shouting out all the time. Luckily they head back to the forest. Now I’m really thankful for our ‘depressive campsite’.
We will probably not see much of the sun this weekend. Also on Saturday it’s foggy and dark but despite the fog is pretty warm.
We go back into the forest campground to find the trail head for the Lost Coast Trail. I prefer not to comment how this place looks like with them around. Actually I feel a little uncomfortable. Those youngsters really behave pretty aggressive. The trail winds and climbs uphill through a beautiful redwood forest.
Up from the grassy slope we get a nice view of the beach we are camping at. Some portions of the trail are overgrown and therefore a bit difficult to our little hiker. But he loves the winding way and keeps running and running ahead. We hardly can keep up with him.
It’s so pristine here only sounds of the forest and sea. I and Maarten even ‘hear’ a mermaid crying now and then.
I almost step on a snake. This one was a good size, but the same striped one as usual.
The guys still don’t have enough of walking so in the evening before the dinner they take off for a beach stroll.
They return within half an hour. Maarten soaked and Rob similar. Don’t ask me what happened since I’m still not sure.
Maarten is finally in bed when we hear this strange sound from the bushes next to our tent. Rob’s face is serious when he claims it has to be a mountain lion. I trust the experts that a cougar would never get voluntarily never get so close to humans. I take a flashlight and go to the nearby meadow look for the elks who are supposed to be common in this area. The sounds from the bushes don’t really indicate a big animal.
Then we hear another ROAR and another, another…it’s very close and I realize it really has to be some ‘kitty’.
Honestly I’m more concerned about the aggressive groups with pickups packed with alcohol and loud music that are driving on the beach and crossing the creek bed day and night.
I’ve understood this hell breaks out just about every weekend. I guess we are very lucky this time seeing only one off road vehicle just while leaving for our hike.
Although this area belongs to State Parks, it’s so remote; there is no host and therefore no rules.
PS: There was a huge event, a music festival, in Laytonville. The Earthdance.
Hundreds of thousands enthusiasts and therefore thousands of cars. I was really scared we get in a bad traffic jam.
Fortunately they were probably still asleep on Sunday afternoon when we were passing.
