Got to the park around 2am after a 4-5 hour drive from the bay area. The northern entrance to the park is about 25 miles from the 101 Garberville exit followed by several miles on Mendocino County Road 431. 431 is unpaved, fairy steep, and muddy in places. Visibility was near zero due to the fog and it was a slow creep along the road. Reached a gate in the road near a couple of parked cars. Decided to park and sleep it out rather than wander around in the fog looking for the campsite.

Turns out that I had actually parked at the visitor's center, which I couldn't see at all in the fog the night before. The parking lot overlooked a 500+ foot cliff leading to a black sand beach. Paid my trail fee and traveled past the gate to the Orchard camp trailhead.

There was a herd of Roosevelt elk (at least 2 dozen of them) along the road leading to the trailhead. Fog was still pretty thick.

Another shot of the elk. They didn't seem spooked by the car and stayed off of the road.

Orchard Camp trailhead. Was fairly suprised to find a full parking lot way back here. There were 26 cars when I left. Loaded up the pack and hit the trail. (Car not dead yet, and survived the roads)

Trailhead sign. Like most CA state parks, the trail was well marked and maintainted. (Overmaintained in places, the first half mile had been recently mowed). Decided on wearing my Tevas over the trail shoes, which turned out to be the right choice. Was quickly soaked from the waist down.

Jackass creek emptying into Bear Harbor. The trail follows the the ridge on the left, the fog level hung around 500ft until it blew off in the late morning.

Trail leading up from Bear Harbor. Passed a couple of campers near the beach. Trail was very wet and traveled through sholder length underbrush in places.

At the higher elevations, the trail traveled through coastal redwoods. Still foggy.