Thanksgiving with Family!

Our home along the Pacific Ocean in Northern California is a long way from most of our family. However, we do have family that lives in San Jose, CA. Cousins Heidi and Jeff and their wonderful three children, Joshua, Nathan and Sarah, came up from San Jose to McKinleyville to visit over Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a very memorable couple of days with them, exploring the beaches and redwood forests and also basking in the warmth of a stunning November sunset.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Backcountry Patrol on the Lost Coast

I've always said that if I can get paid to hike, I've made it. If I can get paid to backpack, then I must really be making it! Well, I was sent to patrol the Lost Coast this past week, part of King Range NCA, managed by the BLM. This involved a 3-day backpacking trip from a place called Windy Point in the north, down to Shelter Cove in the south. This trip included about 23 miles of wild, forgotten coastline. Most people say that it's the wildest ocean coast in the lower 48 states. The entire trail follows the coast closely. Parts of the trail can only be done at low tide. I saw sea lions, harbor seals, black bear tracks and a skunk. I also ran into 18 other hardy souls backpacking in the potentially chilly, damp November weather. Actually, only Friday afternoon was wet and cold. The rest of the trip was sunny and comfortable. Not a bad way to spend three days of work!