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cjwesthoff
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cjwesthoff
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 11:47 am 
To be as succinct as possible: How high of a tide, in feet, covers the "floor" at hole in the wall north of Rialto Beach? Slightly Longer: My wife and I will be doing our first ever beach backpacking in July (we have other backpacking experience, but not on the beach with a tide). For the day we arrive at the beach the NOAA tide prediction is -.53 feet in the morning, 5.5 feet at 11am, 3.26 feet at 3:50 pm and 8.17 feet at 10:00pm. If we get to hole in the wall at around 3:50pm when the water level is predicted to be over three feet will we be able to walk through the hole (and around that area) or will we be limited to going over the overland route to get around to the other side? I'm trying to plan the itinerary but most everything I read just says "try to be there at low tide" but I really don't know what that means since the tide goes from under zero to over 8 feet through the course of the day. We will have plenty of time on day 2 when the tide is at its lowest to explore, but I'm trying to figure out when we can actually get to hole in the wall without drowning on day 1.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 12:25 pm 
There is a bypass trail over the top that is steep and slippery but passable poles help otherwise around 5’ the bottom gets flooded.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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cjwesthoff
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cjwesthoff
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 2:20 pm 
Thank you - exactly the information I was looking for.

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Pyrites
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 4:36 pm 
5’. Remember you are exposed to wave action at same time.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!

Mountainpines
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zephyr
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
PostWed Mar 29, 2023 7:06 pm 
cjwesthoff wrote:
My wife and I will be doing our first ever beach backpacking in July
One consideration is your foot gear. I have hiked this stretch (north from Hole In The Wall) several times over the years. I recommend doing it in sturdy hiking boots. The terrain varies quite a bit with round cobbles to large boulders, sections of exposed rock with many textures, holes, and cracks. Anywhere that the tide can reach will likely have mussel beds, sea weeds, kelp, and a wide variety of sea fauna and flora in the pools, and cracks. You will be clambering over huge logs in some places if you go far enough. Things can get mighty slippery in spots so proceed with caution until you get your footings. Sometimes depending on the tide you could be wading. The boots I use are older hiking boots that I don't mind getting wet with salt water. You can bring Teva sandals or Chacos for exploring the beaches where you camp. But as for carrying a load over the beach at low tide, sturdy boots will protect your feet and ankles. Also recommended would be a sturdy hiking stick (versus poles). This will be very useful to maintain your balance on this rugged hike. You should be able to find one in the huge driftwood piles at the beginning of your journey--not far from the parking area. Pay attention to the tide tables and learn what the water looks like at the incoming tide, slack water, and out going low tides. This will help you plan your traverses and explorations. Generally if you miss your opportunities for low tide rounding of the headlands, there will be a route up and over. But these can be very steep and slippery--not necessarily dangerous, but certainly challenging if you are tired or carrying some weight. You are headed for some beautiful country. Have fun. ~z

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Randito
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Randito
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 7:25 pm 
That section of beach is well worthwhile, expect your hiking speed to be slower than what you would expect for a hike with no elevation gain, both because the beach surface requires more effort than a firm well graded trail, but also because there is so much to see that you'll spend more time taking photos or just gawking. If you use trekking poles, recommend using winter snow baskets instead of the normal tiny soil baskets. In sand and cobbles those small baskets don't limit pole penetration as much as you would like.

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Damian
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PostWed Mar 29, 2023 7:49 pm 
Beach hikes- respect them, don't overthink them. Get out there. That's a great route. There are many others.

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cjwesthoff
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cjwesthoff
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PostThu Mar 30, 2023 7:27 am 
Thank you everyone. This is more information than I expected and more helpful than what I found elsewhere.

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Slugman
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PostFri Mar 31, 2023 10:27 am 
13 years ago? How can that be? Rialto to Cedar creek “Whenever I have passed through Hole-in-the-Wall, it's like I've entered into a different world. A gateway into another dimension, maybe, or maybe just a symbolic entering of the real wilderness, the kind that is beyond the reach of the casual day trippers that come and go from the parking lot. What makes it even better is how the tide closes the hole twice per day, or maybe I should say it opens it twice per day, is there a difference? Yes, you can climb over the wall on a short, steep trail, and the view from up there is very nice, but I recommend going through the hole to start and end any hike in this area. Once I went through the hole on my way in, but the tide made me take the trail on the way out. So now maybe I'm still in that alternate world that I entered that day and never left.”

Mountainpines, zimmertr
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RumiDude
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RumiDude
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PostFri Mar 31, 2023 3:23 pm 
Just be aware that some of the sections of the route north are slow going, especially between Norwegian Memorial and Yellow Banks. The coast is a great great hike, but respect the conditions. And watch the sun set every night. Don't mist even one. Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."

Mountainpines
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