Excellent, I didn't know I had a forum member so close by
I've done a fair amount of camping around Lake Berreyessa, beautiful countryside over there
If you drive Berreyessa Knoxville road between Clear Lake and Lake Berreyessa you will find a lot of hiking trails and open camping on all the BLM land in between.
+1 on the north coast! A few years ago I went to the Lost Coast in January. Fantastic trip, We had the whole campground to ourselves and the weather was perfect during the daytime. However, strong storms blew in every night. Even collapsing our tent one night(wish I was a hanger back then)
I can agree with that. The temps I would feel comfortable sleeping at would probably be mid thirties. My wife, however is a cold sleeper and she doesn't have as much insulating gear as I do, she could handle overnight lows around 45-50 degrees. Other than that, we can handle rain and we have good tarps/rain jackets.
I've found that on the coast it can rain even under the canopy! Hanging at point reyes a very foggy morning led to a steady drip most of the day from all the condensation on the trees.
Also, what good is a non-functional tarp?
The trails around Castle Peak are great and offer many beautiful vistas. Although last time I was up there I took a wrong turn(Donner Loop trail signs and PCT signs look very similar when you're rushing your way down the trail trying to get to lost lake before sundown) By the time I realized my error it was nearly dusk and I decided to continue on rather than backtrack. Found a great spot though at the end of that trail. Just south of castle peak on the end of a small ridge. Anyways, about 1:30 am, I'm about to put out my campfire and head to my hennessey when I look over and not more than 5 feet away is a mountain lion standing there looking at me!
Long story short I hit both the mtn lion and myself with my bear spray and luckily it ran off. I stayed up all night keeping the fire going and remaining vigilant. I come to find out when I get back to the trailhead in the morning that there supposedly is a lions den on the small outcropping just south of castle peak. Have you ever heard of this? the guy I was talking to said that there were probably 4 or 5 of them up there with me
This is another reason I posted this thread, because I haven't been out camping since and I'm looking for some inspiration and motivation to get back out there.
I've been fishing in Wrights lake and Dark lake up near desolation but never hung in that area. Hung out in D.L. Bliss state park on the west side of lake tahoe. The moon was so close and big it seemed as though you could reach out and grab it! I'm loving northern ca! I grew up in Minnesota and have a great passion for the outdoors. I have always hiked, camped, fished as long as I can remember. I just discovered hammock camping a few years ago when researching lightweight solo shelters for a trip to Yosemite. [First time you see that tunnel view down Yosemite valley]=MIND BLOWN!
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