Reflections in Arcata

We drove down the coast to Arcata to meet Michael Kauffmann, the guy who created this crazy trail. We really enjoyed the trail and prepared some nice things to say. But we also decided not to ask the real question on our minds:  "What were you thinking!".

Michael, a local high school science teacher, has been infatuated with the conifers of this area for years and written two books on the topic. He thru-hiked the Continental Divide Trail in 2002, and in 2009 combined those two passions by mapping out the initial route of the Bigfoot Trail and completing the first thru hike. To date, there have been about 30 people attempt to hike the entire trail.

Michael peppers us with questions about the trail condition and experience. We are able to update him with details, such as that the flagging at Baldy Peak is quite visible and helpful but the flagging west of the Bigfoot Highway has all dropped to the forest floor. Mostly we just wanted to thank him for all of his efforts.  The Bigfoot Trail is purely a volunteer affair, and Michael still shoulders most of the burden.

Wildcat and I continue to reflect on who we would recommend this trail to. The list is short. You need the physical stamina of a twenty or thirty years old, very good outdoor and navigational skills, and incredible persistence. We hear that one pair of hikers this year abandoned their hike the first week on the trail. Between us, we have hiked with or met most of the Triple Crowners, so that is a likely pool of candidates. But beyond that? This trail was by far the most challenging either of us had faced, both physically and skill-wise. It is not to be undertaken casually.