Rain hit 20 minutes into the Lost Coast trail and I froze up

I was on the northern section near Shelter Cove last month when the sky just opened up and my map turned to mush in 5 seconds. I had no backup navigation and didn't want to backtrack 3 miles because the tide was coming in fast up the beach. How do you guys handle sudden weather when you're in a spot with zero cover or signal?

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1 Comment

martin.angela21d ago

Oh wow, that sounds like a great time. Nothing says "fun hike" like a map turning into wet toilet paper while the ocean tries to swallow your ankles. I mean, who needs navigation anyway? Just follow the seagulls, they clearly know where they're going. My trick is to bring a cheap plastic bag for the map, but honestly half the time I forget it too, so I just end up doing interpretive dance with the tide and hoping for the best. At least you got a story out of it, even if the story is mostly about you standing there looking confused in the rain.