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[Tomas Tierra]

Two weeks off school for the 2nd grader means time to hit the road!

We drove Oxnard to Blow-dega Bay on our first day..3 movies and were there to find 30 knots of wind and a bunch of very exposed campgrounds. After checking Bodega dunes, bodega head, and the harbor camgrounds we headed north on Hwy 1 to find something out of the wind. Ended up about a half hour N. at Wright's Beach.

For $35, and no shower.NOT what we are after..

Split early for Usal Beach and the infamous Usal Road..


Wright's Beach camp:

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[Tomas Tierra]

Later that afternoon after lunch at Arena Cove and some great coastal driving, we arrived at the Usal tunoff.


This is the sign at the Usal turnoff:

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[Tomas Tierra]

The 6 miles in to Usal beach was not bad. Narrow with a few stray bush scratchers. Our weather was outstanding, with a high near 70 that day..I would not want to be on that road during or just after significant rain. Seemed like it would get muddy and slippery quick..

The drive was incredible!The only real semi tuff spot was on the desent down to the campground..Just loose rock is all..

Some Pic's from the first 6 miles into the beach:

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[Tomas Tierra]

The campground was empty except for one group camped in the middle of a big Birch grove. We chose a tucked away little spot next to the creek, as close to the beach as we could get..The sound track was great while we were there,Roaring surf, and between sets, a bobbling creek, and of course the odd frog and screaching osprey..

That first night at Usal we heard some splashing in the creek that I thought was a bullfrog. When I got out the spot light I was amazed to see 8-15 lb Salmon ripping up the creek!!! Maybe a dozen or so, lit up like they had batteries in them...cool!

Our camp at Usal Beach:

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[Tomas Tierra]

Our private beach where the Salmon (steelhead maybe??dunno) went ripping by.

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[Tomas Tierra]

What a nice evening it was..Some smoked pork loin and a nice bottle or two of beer..or three or four.....

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[Tomas Tierra]

We spent two nights at Usal Beach and then headed for Shelter Cove via Usal Rd......Or so we thought.

After leaving the campground and heading NW,we encountered this sign:

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[Tomas Tierra]

Would You?? Hell no! Us either.

But at 5 miles from the sign, with 15 or so still to get to Shelter Cove, we came to this:

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[Tomas Tierra]

I walked it maybe three hundred yards down hill and it only got worse. VERY wet and slippery. I saw ruts that were 18 inches deep.The thought of getting down it seemed do-able, maybe. the thought of getting back up it if something else in the 15 upcoming miles of unknown turned me around, gave me pucker factor maximum..

Jeff Herr, If you were there with your winch....I would still have turned around.

Another shot of,( from what I came to find out was the first of three), the bad stretch of road :

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[Tomas Tierra]

Backtracking through Usal beach and back to Hwy 1, we made our way to The Fishermans casa on the way to Shelter Cove. We were greated with slobber and licks from the Newfy "Matty".

Had a cool visit with Jon on a day that we will remember for a long time, the last day of Salmon fishing as a lifestyle.

the dogs and Kids had plenty of room to run. If he gets any more boats that will not be the case!

We were invited for dinner and a stay on his level piece of turf on the lovely Mattole River....Unfortunatley we were dead set on a night at Mattole beach and an off road run down to Windy Point the next day, so declined the generous offer.

The crew, airing it out:

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