Part 11 - The Lost Coast Trail - Day 1 - Randall Creek Camping

START HERE - THE LOST COAST PART 1

...continued from part 10

Getting to our first campsite after a day of hiking was fantastic. I think we originally were trying for Spanish Flat, but seeing Randall Creek and the perfect campsites - we stopped. The campsites here are located up on a bluff overlooking the ocean - like expensive Malibu Beach homes. Down below the bluff, where the creek enters the ocean, is a perfect area for our kitchen to cook tonight's meal. Tomorrow it will be the setting of a Danse Macabre for Whitey. Stay tuned!!

Randall Creek

Randall Creek Sunset

Flyrod and Whitey setting up

Each one of us took to the quiet task of assembling our tents and getting things ready. The sun was slowly quenching itself in the Pacific and setting up our shelters now before dinner was a wise decision. Similar to building a huge house of cards, the tiny packages that were hidden in our packs, were pulled out and turned into elaborate nylon and shock-cord rod structures, complete with windows and skylights. Camp chairs were assembled, our girlfriends were blown up - or rather Big Agnes was - the mother of comfort. Nobody wants to be uncomfortable so our inflatable air mattresses, Big Agnes brand, were blown up to keep us comfortable for the night. I love Big Agnes. What were you thinking? The next greatest thing after making camp, was taking off our hiking boots. To hear men groaning with delight as they have their 'shoe-gasms' became a pretty common sound before dinner each night - sometimes even at lunch; a nooner.

Randall Creek bluff

Best site ever!

Whitey down in the kitchen - left

After the camp was setup, I took a solitary walk on the beach to look for small pieces of drift wood for us to build a cozy beach fire. I went barefoot down to the water's edge so I could feel the Pacific ocean again; kissing the feet that once played in her so many years ago. Anticipating the soft embrace of my long lost love, the first wave washed in and covered my sore feet. I screamed..."Mother%$#*&@ that is cold!!" I quickly walked back out and looked for wood - the romance was over.
Prior to taking this trip, I did some trial runs of some of the freeze dried meals that I could take along. The Pad Thai sounded good and easy - but it was crap. Seemed really salty and just took forever to get the taste out of my mouth. So, I decided since I am a bit of a chef, I will create the nightly meals that are fresh and flavorful - yes they weigh more than the dried stuff - but so what. For tonight, Chicken Carbonara over Angel Hair Pasta. It is easier than your think. Recipe below - enjoy!

Lost Coast Chicken Carbonara (Serves 3-4) 2- 7oz pouches of White Chicken Chunks 1- 1.5oz package of powder Alfredo Mix 2 tablespoons Minced Dried onions 1 teaspoon pepper - more or less 1 teaspoon garlic powder - more or less 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves - more or less 2 tablespoons bacon bits 2/3 cup of dried milk 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil - put in 'new' travel shampoo bottle 8 ozs of Angel hair pasta What to do at home: First 1 Quart Ziploc bag - break Angel Hair Pasta in half and close. Second 1 Quart Ziploc bag - Pour Alfredo Mix and all dry ingredients. Third 1 Gallon Ziploc bag - place unopened Chicken packages and Olive Oil container. Then place the 2 quart bags in the big gallon bag. Now you have a dinner package. What to do at camp: You will need two pots - two stoves running is even better. In one pot, get the sauce going first. Add contents of second bag and olive oil to about 4 cups of water. Get simmering - adding more water as needed. Then add chicken and stir to thoroughly warm and coat the chicken - make sure you have some liquid sauce - add more water if needed. Set aside and cover first pot, or keep warm on stove, then start second pot of water boiling for pasta. Add pasta - stir for 4-7 minutes - drain if needed. If you are using just one stove - reheat if needed the sauce pot. Now the fun - place pasta on plates and add the chicken sauce. Delicious!!

WHITEY GEAR REVIEW: GoLite Jam 50 Backpack There is something to be said about the saying "less is more". Hemingway wrote very simplistically, and yet his words carried a lasting impression. If my gear reviews could influence people with the same reach as Hemingway to spread the word of lightweight packs, I'd be a success too (and perhaps a salesman for GoLite). If you have been backpacking / hiking for a couple years and you are looking to add lightweight multiday pack into the REI gear room of your house, this is the perfect pack. The GoLite Jam 50 at 1.785 pounds, weighs 2.37 cans of your favorite beer less than the average 50L bag. (See graphic: The average weight of a 50L pack that I could find at REI was 3.5625 pounds -Comparing a medium to medium). This top loading bag has an easy access pocket on the backside of the bag that can hold your snack bars while the side pockets can carry your 2.37 cans of beer. I took it on a 4 day trip in Northern California in bear country where I was required to have a bear canister while hiking the lost coast and into the King Range. As with any decision in life, there are tradeoffs. The light weight is made possible by a light rip-stop fabric.Because of that, you need to be careful when sitting down a heavy pack and also when picking it up, making sure not to grab it just by a single shoulder strap. I likely had the weight at its capacity (not sure what my final pack weight was). After my four days of setting it down on the ground or resting the pack on the rocky terrain, the bottom of the pack was showing signs of wear. It almost looked like small mouse nibbles on the bottom side of the pack. Having known that now, I would still buy the pack but be very careful with it. A good suggestion for GoLite would be to reinforce the base of the pack with a second layer of their fabric or chose a slightly heavier fabric for this purpose. All in all, a great lightweight pack...and I'm a picky gearhead.

Volume: 3050 in3, 50 L Maximum Recommended Load: 30 lbs, 14kg Spine Length: Small 15.5"-17.5" (39.4 cm-44.5 cm); Medium 17.5"-19.5"(44.5 cm-49.5 cm); Large 19.5"-21.5" (49.5 cm-54.6 cm) Hip Belt Length: Small 26"-45.5" (66 cm-115.6 cm); Medium 29"-48" (73.6 cm-121.9 cm); Large 33"-54" (83.8 cm-137.2 cm) Weight: 1 lb 14 oz. | 850 g (Medium)

Next - Part 12 - The Lost Coast Trail - The Danse Macabre