2003 Coastal Trail Expedition
Manila to North Spit. 6 miles (12.8 incl. boat)
June 12: Humboldt County Manila Community Center to North Spit. 6 miles (12.8 with boat ride) Norm Peterson was our guide for this day. Norm has only 3% of his eyesight left so we were also accompanied by his canine helper, Peekoe. After crossing the dunes back to the beach, we did 6 miles of…
Read MoreClam Beach to Manila Community Center -13.2 miles
June 11: Humboldt CountyClam Beach to Manila Community Center. 13.2 mile We know the above mileage is close to correct because yesterday we started using J Nichol’s GPS unit to track our distance as well as our speed. We awoke at Patrick’s Point to a heavy, wet fog. Fortunately our group camp had a large…
Read MorePatrick’s Point to ClamBeach. 13.3 miles
June 10: Humboldt County – Last night we literally dragged ourselves into camp. We were tired! Immediately after dinner everyone was in bed. But today was very different. We began our day by revisiting the “getting to resolution” agreement that we all agreed upon before starting the journey. Consensus was that we were still on track.…
Read MoreRedwood Visitor’s Center to Patrick’s Point
June 9: Humboldt County – Redwood Visitor’s Center to Patrick’s Point. After staying the night at Prairie Creek State Park we drove back to the Redwood Visitor’s Center and were met by our guide Everett Henkle from Arcata. We begin walking on the beach. To the east is Highway 101 and beyond it Freshwater Lagoon. After…
Read MoreGold Bluff Beach to Redwood Visitor's Center. 11.5 miles
June 8: Humboldt CountyGold Bluff Beach to RedwoodVisitor’s Center. 11.5 miles This morning we got to meet Bert Taylor, Coastwalk’s Humboldt County coordinator, who has done so much to insure that our walk through this county will be pleasant and successful. With Bert was Rob Amerman, our hike leader for the day. Soon we met Gene Logan…
Read MoreLeaving Del Norte on the Way South
June 7: Humboldt – Leaving Del Norte on the Way South Before getting up, it sounds like rain on the tent but it is only heavy dew from the fog being shaken from the trees by the first winds of morning. While most of us worked on striking camp, J Nichols barbequed a salmon and…
Read MoreOn! to the Mouth of the Klamath River
June 6: Del Norte County – On! to the mouth of the KIamath River. 12 Miles. Our day’s hike begins in a magnificent redwood forest shrouded in fog. We descend and ascend through steep drainages. The redwoods above are seining the fog, extracting its moisture for their own use. Some of that moisture is…
Read MoreFrom Crescent City to the Damnation Trail Trailhead: 12 miles
After meeting our guide for the morning, Beverly Noll, we first walked the 2 miles or so along the waterfront in Crescent City. Inland and across a street was a large park; a gift it seems to the City from the tsunami of 1964. Looking several blocks inland we could see the Surf Hotel, a…
Read MoreReached Crescent City with no blisters yet!
Del Norte We met our guides for the day, Jim Barrett and Aaron Jacobs, at the shoreline of Lake Earl. With them was Tim Williamson from California Fish and Game, a grizzled bear of a man, and the pilot/captain of our ferry across the lake via an air boat. Taking us 3-5 at a time…
Read MoreWe’re Off
The Coastal Trail Expedition 2003 is moving south! Our first Del Norte morning was glorious with only a gentle breeze off the Pacific to cool us from the warm sun. Our morning chores completed and our camping gear stowed away on the vans roof rack, we drove the two miles from camp at Clifford Klamph…
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