Point Reyes 4 day with Golite Ion pack
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Hey Dave,
Aaron has good comments except I can't believe he ranks Wildcat Camp 4 out of 4. I think its number 1 based on the photos (move your cursor over the pictures for captions) below. Geez, I need to get back out there!
its true that you'll be hard pressed to do 4 long days. and being as light as your are going, you will be able to do some big days.
you could do a loop from palomarin along the coast trail then come back along the ridge. i think someone said it above– thats a bit more than 30 miles. you could go out on a yo-yo on the estero trail and back or go all the way down by bolinas on the other end on the ridge trail to tack on some more miles.
i just finished my first trip with the ion. loved it. i just traded my caribou for the highlite and used that along with the GG sleep pieces you are using as well. worked perfectly.
in terms of camping in PR, i've been stealth camping there for years. i know its illegal, but the campgrounds are always so full and for me, take away from the backcountry experience there. i set up at dusk and break down and head out at first light. its probably controversial, but by using no trace ethics, there is basically no damage to the park; the only thing is you risk a citation. but you think a ranger will believe you are doing an overnighter with only the ion on your back? tell them your day hiking. they are so conditioned to weekend warriors carrying huge expedition packs for one night they wont second guess you. that works for the steep fees too, but i digress…
anyway, heres i few shots. i thought i would add to the cool ones already posted… heres a shot of my buddy at a stealth camp on a late evening
check this white fallow deer i saw. i hear the national park is planning on exterminating them b/c they are non-native. sorry quality is poor, i had to edit it to enlarge.
i did the loop with a buddy. we started at south entrance– blanking on the name– after getting permits at the bear valley station. had a late start friday so stayed at wildcat first night. for a shelter we used my old lightning (in fastpack mode so we each carried a little over a lbs for shelter). we dropped down at alamere falls onto the beach (after checking tide table) and had enough room to hike on beach from the falls to wildcat. there was a cool vertebrae from a whale.
it did get cold and my WM highlite was on the verge of its rating. i supplemented it though with the MB ul down inner, but legs got cold.
day 2 we trekked the balance of the coast trail past coast camp. at coast camp we got onto the beach and hiked northward, cutting back onto the trail as it cut inland. there, the loop starts turning around. we stayed the night at sky camp.
you can see why its called that.
last day we hiked back to palomarin — oh yeah, thats what the trailhead is called. had a cool shot of the farallone islands. thats one of the points of the "red triangle" — an area known as one of the highest concentrations of great whites.
i tried my new pair of montrail hardrocks and got a nasty blister on my heel. i almost always get a blister on my heels on first outings b/c i have heel spurs. but, i loved the wide toebox– no blisters on my pinky toe (another prob area).
great trip overall.
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