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Hiking Lost Coast, California with Photographer Kyle Frost
10:26 am
Truthfully, I don't have a lot of experience in rugged adventure travel - no week-long hikes or camping in the back country. (What is even the back country?) But a year in California has meant that I now know a few folks who live and breathe the adventurous outdoors. After the recent feature on Julian, I wanted to introduce Kyle Frost, another photographer whose work favors the outdoors. (Hot off the press: Kyle and Julian also recently started Hike Further.)
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
Words & Images by Kyle Frost
I’ve been thinking about hitting the Lost Coast trail for awhile now, so when my buddy Eric from Hipcamp shot me a text last week asking if I wanted to hit the trail, I jumped on the opportunity.
We decided to tackle the southern portion of the trail, which is less traveled than the more popular beach hiking on the northern section. The southern trail from Needle Rock to Usal beach is around 20 miles, with hiking mostly up on the ridge line and plenty of coastal views.
The typical way to hike Lost Coast is one way, so we shuttled from our car at Usal Beach up to Needle Rock visitor center in the morning. The amazing Sherri has run Lost Coast Shuttles since 1995, and provided conversation and witty banter regarding roadside attractions on the 2.5 hour drive up. If you’re headed to do some hiking on the Lost Coast, definitely give Sherri a call for your transportation needs! After reaching the Needle Rock visitor center, we finally hit the trail around 10am.
Around 8 miles in, after winding up and down along the coastline, the trail reaches Wheeler Camp. A couple of campsites dot the flats above a black sand beach and Jackass Creek. We managed to snag arguably the best campsite, with a picnic table, plenty of space and easy access to the water.
Thick fog stymied our coastal views for most of the afternoon and well into the evening. Typical northern California weather. This didn’t stop us from doing some exploring through (after a well deserved nap).
Lo and behold, the fog lifted just enough around sunset to give us a spectacular light show. We climbed a small ridge to the north of the beach for a better perspective. The fog and clouds and sunset combined for a beautiful array of color on the rocks and water.
Most people are familiar with the classic Lost Coast route up north, a 24 mile FLAT beach hike. The southern portion is not flat in any sense of the term. Where the north trail winds along the beach, the south goes up and over every ridge and back down to every stream and creek. I think we had around 5,000 ft of uphill elevation on our second day alone.
Regardless of the elevation changes, we still had a great time hiking through the varied terrain. Sometimes above the fog, sometimes in it. Sometimes on a coastal ridge, other times in thick forest. If you’re thinking about tackling the trail, beginners should know that the section of trail between Wheeler and Usal is not a cakewalk and the trail is not in the greatest condition. You also might want to wear pants, as I learned too late.
All in all, we had a fantastic time backpacking through the rugged and beautiful northern California coast. I'll be back soon enough to tackle the northern section!
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
.jpg "Kyle Frost_Lost Coast California")
Words & Images by Kyle Frost
I’ve been thinking about hitting the Lost Coast trail for awhile now, so when my buddy Eric from Hipcamp shot me a text last week asking if I wanted to hit the trail, I jumped on the opportunity.
We decided to tackle the southern portion of the trail, which is less traveled than the more popular beach hiking on the northern section. The southern trail from Needle Rock to Usal beach is around 20 miles, with hiking mostly up on the ridge line and plenty of coastal views.
The typical way to hike Lost Coast is one way, so we shuttled from our car at Usal Beach up to Needle Rock visitor center in the morning. The amazing Sherri has run Lost Coast Shuttles since 1995, and provided conversation and witty banter regarding roadside attractions on the 2.5 hour drive up. If you’re headed to do some hiking on the Lost Coast, definitely give Sherri a call for your transportation needs! After reaching the Needle Rock visitor center, we finally hit the trail around 10am.
Around 8 miles in, after winding up and down along the coastline, the trail reaches Wheeler Camp. A couple of campsites dot the flats above a black sand beach and Jackass Creek. We managed to snag arguably the best campsite, with a picnic table, plenty of space and easy access to the water.
Thick fog stymied our coastal views for most of the afternoon and well into the evening. Typical northern California weather. This didn’t stop us from doing some exploring through (after a well deserved nap).
Lo and behold, the fog lifted just enough around sunset to give us a spectacular light show. We climbed a small ridge to the north of the beach for a better perspective. The fog and clouds and sunset combined for a beautiful array of color on the rocks and water.
Most people are familiar with the classic Lost Coast route up north, a 24 mile FLAT beach hike. The southern portion is not flat in any sense of the term. Where the north trail winds along the beach, the south goes up and over every ridge and back down to every stream and creek. I think we had around 5,000 ft of uphill elevation on our second day alone.
Regardless of the elevation changes, we still had a great time hiking through the varied terrain. Sometimes above the fog, sometimes in it. Sometimes on a coastal ridge, other times in thick forest. If you’re thinking about tackling the trail, beginners should know that the section of trail between Wheeler and Usal is not a cakewalk and the trail is not in the greatest condition. You also might want to wear pants, as I learned too late.
All in all, we had a fantastic time backpacking through the rugged and beautiful northern California coast. I'll be back soon enough to tackle the northern section!
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Tel Aviv
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Getting to Know Tel Aviv with Photographer Sivan Askayo
10:43 am
I love following my friend Sivan's work online. A full-time travel photographer who is frequently on assignments in faraway places, Sivan Askayo photos breathes light and energy into her subjects. Sivan splits her time between her hometown of Tel Aviv and New York, and I have always found myself drawn to her images. And there is perhaps no better person to introduce Tel Aviv than Sivan.
From Sivan
Tel Aviv is a stylish, contemporary Mediterranean metropolis, recognized for its chic and bustling cafes, an exciting culture scene, fashionable trendy boutiques, beautiful lively people and a world league roaring nightlife. But to be honest, the real seductive appeal of Tel Aviv is not necessarily in its cafes and restaurants, but in its people, who have a great appetite for the immediate pleasures of life.
You notice it in the ever-crowded cafes, buzzing with laughter and conversations, sometimes even loud arguments with the people sitting next by, mixed with the rattling sound of the espresso cups ready to be served. With the crowd that spills out of the theaters, the music halls, the night clubs. It is the constant feel of being self confident, even hedonistic sometimes, but mostly alive. It is not a coincidence that the city slogan is ‘Tel Aviv, the City that never sleeps’. Some might call it fast-paced, noisy, over crowded and even rude at times, but there is also a chilled out atmosphere and carefree lifestyle that give the city a nostalgic charm.
When you walk in one of the leafy boulevards of the city, all leading to the beach, you can’t avoid the nonchalant city bikers, or those who ride a small motorized scooter, carrying their kids on a seat at the back, taking them to school or to one of the many city’s playgrounds. You will notice a proud dog owner marching his dog to one of the dog-parks, waiting for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with another dog lover. Even the street cats are slow paced sometimes, most of them yawning and taking a nap on one of the wooden benches in the boulevard. You will pass through so many coffee kiosks, filled with local residents who work on their laptop with the ubiquitous free WiFi, or one of many freshly squeezed juice bars, offering endless fruit combinations and varieties that you lose count. If you allow yourself to immerse in the city’s vibe, smells and sounds, you will fall in love with it, and the city will easily love you back.
From Sivan
Tel Aviv is a stylish, contemporary Mediterranean metropolis, recognized for its chic and bustling cafes, an exciting culture scene, fashionable trendy boutiques, beautiful lively people and a world league roaring nightlife. But to be honest, the real seductive appeal of Tel Aviv is not necessarily in its cafes and restaurants, but in its people, who have a great appetite for the immediate pleasures of life.
You notice it in the ever-crowded cafes, buzzing with laughter and conversations, sometimes even loud arguments with the people sitting next by, mixed with the rattling sound of the espresso cups ready to be served. With the crowd that spills out of the theaters, the music halls, the night clubs. It is the constant feel of being self confident, even hedonistic sometimes, but mostly alive. It is not a coincidence that the city slogan is ‘Tel Aviv, the City that never sleeps’. Some might call it fast-paced, noisy, over crowded and even rude at times, but there is also a chilled out atmosphere and carefree lifestyle that give the city a nostalgic charm.
When you walk in one of the leafy boulevards of the city, all leading to the beach, you can’t avoid the nonchalant city bikers, or those who ride a small motorized scooter, carrying their kids on a seat at the back, taking them to school or to one of the many city’s playgrounds. You will notice a proud dog owner marching his dog to one of the dog-parks, waiting for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with another dog lover. Even the street cats are slow paced sometimes, most of them yawning and taking a nap on one of the wooden benches in the boulevard. You will pass through so many coffee kiosks, filled with local residents who work on their laptop with the ubiquitous free WiFi, or one of many freshly squeezed juice bars, offering endless fruit combinations and varieties that you lose count. If you allow yourself to immerse in the city’s vibe, smells and sounds, you will fall in love with it, and the city will easily love you back.
See more of Sivan's work
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Conquering Canadian Rocky Mountains with Photographer Julian Bialowas
9:42 am
I love the Rockies. The Canadian Rockies, stretching between Calgary and Vancouver is just one of the many reasons that I love Canada. Canadian photographer Julian Bialowas has an eye for imagery and a love of the outdoors. This summer, Julian hit up the backcountry and produced this beautiful series of images from the Rockies. I hope this gives you a glimpse of why I love calling Canada home.
About one month ago, Kyle Frost and I booked tickets to the city I grew up in on impulse after exchanging a few tweets about wanting to tackle the Canadian Rocky Mountains together. (That city being Calgary, Alberta.) It was supposed to be a quick trip up North to spend a night or two in the backcountry with us then returning to San Francisco. But life had different plans for me—as it typically does.
A week before our trip up North I found out I would be moving to Montréal to work and live for a few months. That meant cancelling my return flight to the bay and replacing it with a flight out east. Which gave me some more time in my home province that I wasn’t going to waste. This was the start of a whirlwind 10 days taking me through Kananaskis Country to Spray Valley Provincial Park to Banff National Park all the way to Invermere, British Columbia.
Julian Bialowas: http://julianbialowas.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/julianbialowas
From Julian
About one month ago, Kyle Frost and I booked tickets to the city I grew up in on impulse after exchanging a few tweets about wanting to tackle the Canadian Rocky Mountains together. (That city being Calgary, Alberta.) It was supposed to be a quick trip up North to spend a night or two in the backcountry with us then returning to San Francisco. But life had different plans for me—as it typically does.
A week before our trip up North I found out I would be moving to Montréal to work and live for a few months. That meant cancelling my return flight to the bay and replacing it with a flight out east. Which gave me some more time in my home province that I wasn’t going to waste. This was the start of a whirlwind 10 days taking me through Kananaskis Country to Spray Valley Provincial Park to Banff National Park all the way to Invermere, British Columbia.
Instagram: http://instagram.com/julianbialowas
