I returned to the Lost Coast in October of 1997 only to be kept out of the water by unseasonable large swell at sea.
12 foot swell from the Gulf of Alaska broke far from shore.
I found a message in a bottle! It says "SWF Living S. of Boston. Seeks
fellow sailor. If found call Didi 617 555-1212" (not the actual number).
I'm still trying to reach her.
Sami Iwata was the only BASKer who came along for a non-kayaking version
of the trip to camp out and hike and look at the waves.
Last trip here, I paddled between the last two flat rocks offshore from
Flat Rock Creek. Not this trip!
Everywhere we went we saw huge Roosevelt's elk, including these large intimidating
bull males. One of them fell off the cliff edge and died near the beach.
Several creeks flowed into the beach and disapeared into the sand. As the
water flowed accross the beach, it deposited its load of sand as little
deltas. It looked as if quicksilver ran accorss the beach and solidified
into sand.
We went for a walk from one campground to another at low tide around sunset.
Sami did a little dance to try and make a pelikin fly in front of the sunset
to make the picture more sienic.
Needle Rock viewed through several of its arches.
This tall thin rock was near our destination, the access to the next campground
north of Needle Rock.
I paddled past Needle Rock in July of 1997 on my quest to see all of
Mendocino County.
Needle Rock is not shaped like a needle, probably it is named after the
eye of the needle through the middle.
I saw quite a few ded "merres" on this trip. When alive, these
birds look like little penguins that can fly in the air as well as in the
water.
Jones Beach Camp is the last capsite in the Sinkyone Winderness going north.
I traveled far from shore on the return trip from Shelter Cove. Here is
Needle Rock from afar, and you can see the Sinkyone Visitors Center on
top of the cliff.
A stony reef called Flat Rock Point.
