Part 10 - The Lost Coast Trail - Day 1 - Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek

START HERE - THE LOST COAST PART 1

... continued from part 9

Sea Lion Gulch (red dot) upper left  - to Cooksie Creek (red dot) bottom right

Without the moon, the Earth would not experience the tides that move the ocean water up and down every twelve and a half hours.  And lovers would invariably have to gaze up at something else as they proclaim their everlasting love for one another.  'Tis pity the latter.   The ocean is essentially bullied by the moon as it pushes and pulls the water as it orbits the Earth.  Because the mountains of the Lost Coast tumble into the ocean at this point of the hike, and the high tide waves crash directly up on the worn unstable cliffs (with no escape upward), the prudent hiker will be sure to get past this point before peril changes their life's direction for good.
Lucky for us, and of course good planning, the tide was not fully in and we had a couple more hours before passage was totally cut off.  Timing aside, there were the occasional rogue waves that would give us a moment of pause to observe the ocean power.  There were other areas that really produced a bit of inward pucker in the nether regions between our legs.  We got really good at the run and dash - plus counting to One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi...NOW!!!  These mad dashes were also a lot of fun because the rocks we ran on were like a field of wet bowling balls.  With 40lbs on your back, it was an incredible right of passage.

Wet bowling ball challenge.

Hmm...need good timing on this one

Making our way slowly

One of the most beautiful sounds you will every hear, is the sound of the water returning back into the ocean across these rocks.  Each rock will bump into the rock next to it producing a deep muffled gurgle as the receding wave tries pulling them back into the sea.  The sound's pitch gets higher, and more frantic, as the smaller, more worn rocks are pulled rapidly back down toward the ocean with the returning wave.  It is magical.  I get a little misty eyed as I think of this sound - pure natural beauty.

We made Cooksie Creek around 3PM which is the traditional first night stop for lots of hikers.  It has great fresh water and lots of well sheltered camp sites inland.  Our friends (Kim and Theresa) from the previous night stopped here and we had a brief reunion as we refilled our water bottles.  We had another hour or so to get to our camp site - Randall Creek. 

Me climbing for a view

Flyrod - reflections at Cooksie Creek

Gone with next wave - not memories.

Cooksie Creek to Randall Creek - 1st night camp.

San Andreas signs - there were lots of these through this section

More wet bowling balls - Whitey and Flyrod - Randall Creek around point

Just around the corner - Camp 1  Randall Creek

Just after Cooksie Creek, I could really start to see signs of the fault line (San Andreas is just off shore) and the torture the rocks experience as a result.  It was fascinating to see.  I was still hoping to feel an earthquake, but so far it had been pretty quiet.  I have a bunch more pictures of the cool rock formations growing out of the sand, but I will not bore you with them.
The last shot above reminds me of the final scene of the 1968 - Planet of the Apes.  The one where Charlton Heston has the comely wench Nova  - you know she can't talk!? - on the back of his horse.  If you look close - you can just make out a point from the crown on the Statue of Liberty....made you look!

Up Next - Part 11 - Camping at Randall Creek - Chicken Carbonara!!  Whitey Gear Review.