Guidebook said take the northern fork - that was a lie

I hiked the Lost Coast Trail in California last summer. Got this fancy guidebook from REI. Said the northern fork at mile 12 was shorter and had better views. Took it. Big mistake. The trail disappeared after two miles. Had to scramble over wet rocks for three hours with a 40 pound pack. Tide almost cut me off twice. Finally found the main trail again near dark. That northern fork added like 6 miles. Guidebook author must have hiked it in dry weather. Anyone else find a guidebook route that was just flat out wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_margaret16d ago

...and that's exactly why I stopped trusting guidebooks for anything more than a rough idea. In my experience, those authors hike a trail once, in perfect conditions, and then write like it's the gospel truth. The Lost Coast is no joke with the tides, I've had to bail out of a similar situation up near Shelter Cove. What I started doing is cross-referencing with recent trip reports on AllTrails or even just searching YouTube for the specific fork. Take any guidebook claim with a grain of salt, especially about shorter routes or better views, because your mileage may vary big time based on weather and trail maintenance. Also, if a fork says "shorter" and "scenic" in the same sentence, I'm suspicious right off the bat.

johnflores16d ago

You know a guidebook has lied to you when "shorter" means "we'll make you live half a day longer." Sounds like that author was testing trail runners, not fully loaded hikers. Hard agree with @the_margaret on cross checking with recent sources. I've learned the hard way that guidebooks are just someone's opinion from last summer written in permanent ink. These days I check YouTube and the latest AllTrails comments before I trust a single word in those books. My rule of thumb is that if a trail fork is described as "shorter" and "scenic" together, you should pack a headlamp and extra snacks because you're in for a long night. Glad you made it out before the tide got you. That sounds like a real gut check.

betty_palmer15d ago

Is a "gut check" really the right phrase for almost missing a tide window, or is that just how we talk ourselves into going back for more? Are we really out here trusting guidebooks as gospel when they can't even agree on what "shorter" means?