We shall pioneer

This Labor Day weekend, I am going to the Lost Coast, a span of untouched coastal wilderness between Mendocino and Humbolt Counties. The group will eventually number 10-12, but I am going with three other people EARLY Friday to set up the first base camp.

I haven't camped since 1997, so I am a little concerned about my ability to pull my weight. This is the real deal - backpacks, boots, mess kits, defecation trowels, water purification devices, GORP, waterproof matches and sockliners. The trip we have in mind for this weekend involves descending 2,500 feet (3.5 miles) onto a rugged beach, where you hike for up to five additional miles on wet sand and rocks to a campsite of choice along the next creekhead.

I don't do well with damp, so I hope my new waterproof Vasque boots deliver on their promise of dryness.

Has anyone else gotten "Lost"?