Got caught in a nasty storm on the Lost Coast Trail last month

I hiked the Lost Coast Trail near Shelter Cove in Northern California about 4 weeks ago. The weather looked clear when I started, but 8 miles in a surprise hailstorm rolled off the ocean with no warning. I had to hunker down under a rock overhang for almost 2 hours while the trail turned into a muddy mess. My cheap rain jacket soaked through in the first 20 minutes, and I ended up shivering with my emergency bivvy sack. Has anyone else dealt with sudden coastal storms on a hike that totally caught them off guard?

3 comments

3 Comments

perry.evan1mo agoMost Upvoted

You ever notice how the universe has this thing where it waits until you're least prepared, just to remind you who's boss? It's like when you're at the grocery store and think you can get away with just one bag, then the cashier gives you that look and everything you bought suddenly doubles in weight. That storm hitting you 8 miles in, right when you thought you were golden, is basically the outdoors saying "hey, remember you're not in charge here." I bet that cheap jacket felt like a real investment before that hail started, too.

lucashart1mo ago

That 8 mile mark is oddly specific. Sounds like you've been burned before. What gear did you skimp on that made you promise yourself never again?

the_charlie16d ago

Man I still remember hiking with this cheap knockoff rain jacket I bought online, thought I was being smart saving forty bucks. Got caught in a sudden downpour about 7 miles from the trailhead and that thing soaked through in like ten minutes, ended up shivering the whole way back. Lesson learned, sometimes you really do get what you pay for with outdoor gear.