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The Outsider: Leave civilization behind without sleeping in the snow |
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Written by Greyson Howard/Tahoe World
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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 |
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[Editor's note: The Tahoe World's Greyson Howard will be writing a bi-weekly column on everything outdoor oriented. This is the first installment. Have a question or comment? E-mail him at
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
.]
Maybe I’m crazy. A lot of people come here for the winter sports, but I can’t wait for summer.
Don’t get me wrong, I love skiing, but I day-dream of biking, rafting, backpacking, and climbing at the end of the day. The more hard-core among us may be perfectly content to take a snowshoe overnighter, layer up, and sleep outside in the snow in sub-freezing conditions. But for the rest of us anxious to get a few bag nights in before the snow melts, it’s time to head to the coast.
While the Sierra Nevada is a tough place to beat for backcounty bliss, places like Point Reyes National Seashore, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and Big Sur offer eye-popping alternatives.
One nighter: Sykes Hot Springs
Located in Ventana Wilderness near Big Sur, this 20-mile out-and-back is popular, so winter is a good time to avoid crowds.
You have to work for it; with four miles of switchbacks right off the bat, and a river crossing near Sykes Camp that after a big rain can be downright treacherous, but the reward is three terraced pools that average 100 degrees.
The Ventana Wilderness is 120 miles south of San Fransisco, and at about five hours, this is the longest drive from Truckee-Tahoe. Contact Big Sur Station 831-667-2315
 Two nights: Skyline to the Sea
Don’t like fighting gravity? Head straight downhill for three days from Castle Rock at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains to, you guessed it, the sea.
The 34 mile one-way trip takes you through multiple coastal mountain environments, highlighted by the Giant Sequoia of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and Berry Creek Falls.
Bummer: if you are looking for the mountain man experience, bedding down next to car campers the second night in Big Basin doesn’t exactly make you feel like Grizzly Adams.
Located south of San Fransisco, between San Jose and Santa Cruz, the four hour drive requires two cars — one at the top and one at the bottom to shuttle the one-way trip.
Contact Big Basin Redwoods State Park at 831-338-8860.
 Three or more: Point Reyes National Seashore
With four backcountry campsites, two on the coast and two up in the woods, its easy to string together a multi-day trip to meet your needs at Point Reyes.
Campsites also have picnic tables, food lockers to protect your chow from critters, and even outhouses, so this is a good place to ease newbies into the wonderful world of backpacking.
Don’t miss Alamere Falls, a waterfall closest to Wildcat Camp that falls straight onto the sands of the beach.
The drive to Point Reyes takes about three and a half hours, and is 30 miles north of San Francisco
Contact Point Reyes National Seashore at 415-663-8054.
 What to bring:
Even though you don’t have to deal with snow out on the coast, wind and rain can still ruin your day if you don’t have the right gear.
Nothing beats a warm dinner at the end of a stormy day, and few stoves can deliver hot chow than the Jetboil PCS. The unique integrated system puts every last bit of heat into the pot for quick boil times, and it packs small when you’re done.
• Price: $89
• Weight: 15 ounces
• Fuel: Butane/ propane canister
• Average boil time (half liter of water): 2 min. 42 sec.
• Good for: 1-2 people (for bigger groups, check out the Jetboil GCS)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 March 2007 )
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