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[DirtyDog]

Pigfest 2009 was held last weekend at Shelter Cove in the Lost Coast area of Northern California. The festival was hosted by the very generous "the fisherman" (John) and we all really appreciated everything he did to put this thing together.

To start, and in tribute to our host, here's some art one of John's friends created for the event:

[DirtyDog]

My first stop on the way to the coast was the Panther Flat Campground on highway 199 (on the Smith River) in Northern California:



I was pretty busy before my departure so I didn't have a lot of time to plan my route but I knew that I wanted to take this opportunity to see more of the Lost Coast area. The maps that I have show a road going north from highway 1 to Usal Beach and then on to Shelter Cove. It's really pretty funny that the major US atlases show this as a road as it's both impossible to find, very primitive, and it's extension from Usal Beach to Shelter Cove is almost non-existent.

I was driving up and down the stretch of highway 1 where I thought the road should be and I just couldn't find it (I thought it should have been marked in some way). I pulled off the highway and let Diego out while checking my maps and guess who shows up to see what I'm up to - the CHP. So I'm getting a mini-interrogation from the five-0 and Diego is trying to sneak up to sniff his leg and the guy unclips his pepper spray. To diffuse the situation I tell the guy "look I'm lost, how to I get to Usal beach?". Copper lightens up at this point and actually offers to drive in front of me and point out the turn off. Pig fest almost started a little early for me.

There was a bear on the road to Usal Beach:

[DirtyDog]

Usal Beach was a really nice place:




One of those sprawling campgrounds with nooks and crannies everwhere so I drove around a while before selecting a spot:

[DirtyDog]

Bears all over this joint:


Finally got setup:

[DirtyDog]

Rack of lamb anyone?


After exploring the possible routes north and talking to some of the other campers, I concluded it's a no go to Shelter Cove via Usal Road. So back to the highway:

[DirtyDog]

Finally got to Shelter Cove Saturday at about Noon. Fisherman was there with his dogs, one being the world's largest 11 month old pup. Diego is kind of a tough guy and he doesn't have any patience for puppy behavior and usually pups get the insta-smackdown when the meet Diego. I saw Bo and thought that we might have a different situation here. Here's a photo of the meeting:



Now this is just a photo and you guys can't hear what Diego was saying here but it went something like this:

Oh man, I'm so going to kick your ass in about five seconds. You really don't know who you're dealing with here! OK you can go away now. Dad?!?!

And the pig has been cooking for nearly 12 hours at this point:

Edited by DirtyDog, 28 April 2009 - 07:16 PM.

[DirtyDog]

Mr. Helpful:


Roast pig, no doubt about it:


I tried all day to get Bob to eat the eyeballs but he's not the tough guy I thought he was:

[DirtyDog]

So fisherman had some of his local friends here hangin out and when the pig was done, these guys whipped out the white robes and transformed into bbq pros - it was impressive:

[DirtyDog]

A tribute to these amazing dogs of John's:

[DirtyDog]

Obligatory FWC lineup:


On my way out I took Kings Ridge road out to Petrolia, then to Ferndale - the whole route is one of the most beautiful drives I have ever done. Between Petrolia and Ferndale there are some ranches right on the beach. Long stretches of pristine beach are fenced off and cows are chillin in the sand. Its one of those things that just doesnt seem fair.



On the way back to Oregon I hit Gold Bluffs Beach Campground - an amazing place: