All in Hike

Hiking the Lost Coast Trail in the Fall | California

Hiking the Lost Coast Trail in the Fall | California

Beyond Ordinary Guides
Beach, California, Coast, Do, Hike, Guide, North America, Stories

The Lost Coast Trail is not for the faint of heart. This 25 mile trail mostly follows the rugged California coastline four hours north of San Francisco, named for its inaccessibility and lack of roads, towns, or civilization. You spend most of your time hiking on wet sand or shifting pebbles, and have to time your hiking according to the tides in order to not get swept into the freezing Pacific. But the ruggedness is also the reward. Stunning coastline, black sand beaches, and wildlife barely accustomed to seeing humans makes you feel like you are truly passing through untamed and untouched territory.

Cadence of Pain | Hiking the Trans Catalina Trail

Cadence of Pain | Hiking the Trans Catalina Trail

Beyond Ordinary Guides
Beach, California, Hike, Girls Trip, Stories, North America

As I sit down to write and reflect on my time along the Trans Catalina Trail, I can see my feet just past the top of my laptop screen.  One big toe is bright purple, pulsing as I type.  To be honest, the throbbing keeps me up at night.  Two other toes are raw pink, the top half of the skin on them literally fell off after the 360 degree blister bulbs on them burst and were subsequently ripped off (nails included).  When I got off the ferry in Avalon, I had no idea I was embarking on what I would come to refer to as the “cadence of pain”.  To be fair, bouts of laughter so intense they hurt my gut offset said cadence, but my cankles still need to return to being ankles so there’s time for healing.  

The Power of a Girls Trip | Big Sur

The Power of a Girls Trip | Big Sur

Beyond Ordinary Guides
California, Beach, Do, Girls Trip, Hike, Stories

There is Sarah, the energetic blonde storyteller, a recent transplant from Florida.  There is Leslie, the soft spoken and sweet Madison grad.  There is Laura, the Bay Area native with a bubbly exterior, but an introverted interior.  And there is me, the married dreamer from Minnesota.  Together we make up a group of four women who work at the same company but who are still quite new to each other.  We’ve teamed up for a two night camping trip in Big Sur, California.