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I'm planning to backpack the Lost Coast Trail, from Mattole to Black Sands Beach at Shelter Cove, during this Thanksgiving. I've done my research on the trail, tide tables & other misc info. But almost all the TRs I've read are those from backpackers who did this trail in April - September.

I was wondering if anyone here has done this trail during the Thanksgiving weekend or have any tips to share on the weather conditions along this coast in late November ? Does it get too cold & wet in late November, that it'll make the trip not quite pleasant ?

I've have 2 newbies in my group, so I am trying to be extra cautious.
Thank you.

As a part time resident of Shelter Cove and a Lost Coast Trail rat here's my advice having often covered this ground during late fall. Compared with tamer times of the year (May-September) there are a number of additional variables that you may want to consider if planning a trip along this stretch of the Lost Coast this time of year. Weather, of course, is going to be the decisive factor. The King Range, which looms over this route is, I believe, the wettest spot in the contiguous US. That means when a major storm comes in we're talking about a whole lot of water funneled your way- you may be better off wearing full wet suits because you can experience many hours of relentless rain coming in almost sideways. You might be in for a couple of arduous days best described as cold, wet and dark. Of course I've also sauntered from Shelter Cove to Big Flat and back on sunny days that got up to 70 in December that could not have been more perfect. However even if the weather's nice and non-threatening other variables can make the going tough. Although there are, of course, low as well as high tides, just like other times of the year, there are times during this time of the year when even low tide comes way in, waves sweep all the way to the cliffs and parts of this journey can be really treacherous, maybe even impassable even if you try to time it just right. Stream crossings, mainly the kind you can jump over or have even diminished to a trickle by late summer can also be challenging. Even if it's not currently raining, if it's been raining a lot lately expect a bit of waist high wading though a bit of forceful current. Last winter an otter slammed into my hip while I was crossing a chest high stream- my idea of a good time but perhaps not for one of your newbies. If it is raining a lot or has been recently and you're either walking close to cliffs or thinking about camping right below one you might want to exercise a bit of caution. I've seen a number of water logged cliffs and landslides go without warning like a million wet sacks of flour dropped 200-300 feet in an instance. If you're too close you're a gonner but on the bright side you'll save your loved ones the cost of a burial. Finally, since you're probably planning some kind of point to point shuttle do take note that once in a while the road into Shelter Cove from Redway can become quite icy and even potentially impassible for a day or so. Not such a big deal if you've got a solid vehicle with 4-wheel drive but a major suck fest if you find yourself stuck at the Black Sands Beach parking lot on a gloomy cold rainy day waiting for your ride. So here's the deal - if you get lucky, study the 4-5 day forecast and it looks clear or partly cloudy and you time the tides right you're in for a wonderful trip but if the weather does not look favorable you might want to have a Plan B.

Thanks a lot for the tips, Hoodoo. I guess I'll have to reconsider my plans. I've been to that part of CA couple of times during Nov-Dec and it has always been very wet & pretty cold. I guess it may not be a wise choice given I have some inexperienced folks in my group.

i did it in oct last year, it was great and prob the best time i've had in my ~5x up there.

Hoodoo gave an excellent and detailed response. A decision to backpack the Lost Coast October-May, and especially November-March, is hard to make without waiting to check the weather forecast starting a week before the trip and each day thereafter. The same generally holds true for just about anywhere north of San Francisco as well as most mountainous areas in California. Heck, a favorite spot of mine in the mountains south of San Jose even got about 80 inches of rain last Oct-April.

The SP pages for the area give current weather and tide forecast links, but here is a link that gives averages for Shelter Cove:

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USCA1049

Now I see why my buddy and I did our trip to the Lost Coast mid-July.

Thanks for your comments Sean & jareds !

So what did you do? Thanksgiving and Christmas on the Lost Coast don't seem so bad this year.

Sean's right. Right now the weather's perfect! We're in the middle of a dry spell - at least in relation to seasonal averages. The locals are saying we need more rain. Ten days from now it could be absolutely dismal - it was last year. But like so many other wilderness areas when you get lucky and find favorable conditions out of season it's doesn't get much better.

Thanks for your local input Hoodoo! Always looking for more information on the lost coast. I plan on hiking the northern section next summer. Thanks again!

It's a great hike. Watch out in late spring for ticks and poisen oak. Funny story, years ago my girl friend and I were camping and in the morning I was doing some Important tasks half way down the sleeping bag. She told me later that a hiker had come walking by ....

Great info guys. I will be there in mid-Feb, President's day weekend and looking forward to it. More worried about ticks and rattlesnakes in the area. cheers

nwhkr,
Have a great time. That coastal hike is a REAL jem. If I recall correctly there's a campsite up on a bluff from shore that you need a rope to get to. Look for the rope and slide track when walking along the beach (though it's been a few years).
It's about 5-6 miles up from Shelter Cove TH and feels like something out of Robinson Crusoe fantasy land. It's one of the best and most unique coastal campsites I've ever camped at (including campsite #1 at Kirby Cove, GGNRA).

nwhkr wrote:More worried about ticks and rattlesnakes in the area. cheers

Ticks and snakes? Hah! Don't forget the bear canister.
Best,
JM

Thanks JM! I will keep an eye for that campsite and will check with the rangers too.
Will have to check Kirby Cove sometime as I live in SF. My favorite so far has been the 2 environmental campsites at Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur SP. Good point about bear canisters, I am prepared for that and Ticks are the more tricky part;).
cheers

I would rather be woken up by bears than by ticks!

nwhkr wrote:Great info guys. I will be there in mid-Feb, President's day weekend and looking forward to it. More worried about ticks and rattlesnakes in the area. cheers

Went in March/April sometime in 2010, soooooo many ticks it was scary; pulled like 4 of them out of my back and brushed off another two dozen or so...we were only there one night and got out of there in a hurry. hiked down from the road above to the beach, not along the beach.

apparently the king's range hosts the only ticks that carry Lyme disease west of the Mississippi.