Lost Coast – Sinkyone

Part II of the Lost Coast adventure run is from Chamise Mountain to Usal Beach. The first portion is a descent along the long ridge of Chamise Mountain down to Needle Rock and the park visitor center. At the beginning we were above the marine inversion and treated to fantastic views but everything below 800 feet was enshrouded in thick fog which would hang tough along the coast all day long. The route through the Sinkyone is arduous and entails over 7,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain on an often overgrown footpath. Due to the remarkably persistent fog, the coastal vistas that I knew existed from the 2010 trip were not visible. However, we did encounter some great sunlight through the fog along the ridgelines as the route would poke above the marine layer near the crests. Total time for the second day was around 7:30. Here are some of my favorite photos from Day 2, with the complete album here.