A ranger on the Lost Coast told me my trip plan was backwards, and it fixed my knees

Jason White · 2026-09-30T10:20:04.297144+00:00

Two summers back I mapped the Lost Coast Trail from north to south, mostly because that's how the guidebook laid it out. A ranger at the Mattole trailhead looked at my permit and asked why I was saving the soft sand for day three, when my legs would be the most trashed. He told me to flip it: hit the dry stretches out of Shelter Cove first while fresh, then deal with the wet rock and creek crossings when I had gas left. I redid the route that way in June and finished with way less swelling and zero blisters, which had never happened before. Now I want to know, do you plan your long trails around the hard terrain first or the scenery first?

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A ranger on the Lost Coast told me my trip plan was backwards, and it fixed my knees | Backpacking Routes - Librear