Generally on my LCT hikes, I’ve rarely encountered anyone. Tuesday was no exception. Two cyclists, neither wearing a mask, and a couple hiking, he masked, her not.
The trail (road actually) is in better shape than it’s been at times - there is a stretch about ½ mile in length during the first mile that is extremely rocky - those sneaky ankle-twisting kinds - apparently rolled out from the river overflowing onto the road, causing trail closure for short periods, then the service vehicles driving over turning the soil even more exposing the rocks. I hiked the trail a few times back when the park first opened and I don’t recall it ever being as bad as it is now.
The service vehicles have flattened some narrow side paths where they were able, so it’s not entirely doom and gloom, but one still needs to watch ones step.
The river is running pretty low right now, but you can see several sections where the bank has been eroded and taken by past high water.
It stayed cloudy on the way out, but when I stopped at the 3+ mile bench for a break, the winds started picking up, and the sun decided to change the forecast. So I decided to call it a morning. It rained on my way home.
One of the highlights of the trail, for me, is the few Juniper Trees along the way. There are four or five magnificent trees along the trail. When the park first opened, all the trees were brushy and bushy around the base, so you couldn’t slide in and rest in the shade for a spell without bushwhacking and probably landing a few ticks.
Over the years, the areas have been cleared of brush and cleaned out so now they do offer a shady respite should one care to indulge. Ticks might still be an issue, however, none for me so far.
All in all, a good day to be out and about and enjoying the clouds, the wind, the river and the sun.
