I just read through this book and would really like to make the whole hike. It seems like timing with the tides is very important. I reviewed the tide tables for 2017, and it looks like with the two week tide cycles in this part of the Pacific, there are many days of any three to four week period when it would be difficult to find a good low tide hiking time during daylight hours. I would appreciate hearing more about how low is "low tide" and how high is "high tide" referred to in the book. Do you need a very low low to make some of the passages, or just an average low?
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David,
Hiking the entire 204 miles between Leo Carrillo State Beach and the border with Mexico will be a great adventure, and you will be one of the few who have hiked it in one stretch. You are right about the two week cycle of the tides. There are practically always work arounds if you get stopped by the tide, and the book describes where to head up from the shore to hike a bluff trail, neighborhood streets, or the sidewalk or bike lane along the PCH.
The first two Walkabouts - the Malibu Coast and Santa Monica to Santa Catalina - are the most challenging both in terms of a rugged coastline and timing with the tides. The third day of Santa Monica to Santa Catalina, along Palos Verdes Peninsula, will be the most challenging if the tide is not low. You will want to plan your timing to reach that section when you have a nice stretch of low tide.
The hours before and after low tide are usually the best for hiking on sandy beaches, when the sand is usually the most firm. When I give a heads up in the book about trying to reach a challenging section close to low tide, I am referring to an average low tide.
Good luck on your Walkabout. Please let us know how it goes.
Tom