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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Father has no clothes or toys for his kids ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 18, 1915 ... State parks host New Year's Day hikes ... Father has no clothes or toys for his kids ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 18, 1915 ... State parks host New Year's Day hikes ... OUT THERE Treasures of the Lost Coast Hiking and camping on the most remote, undeveloped stretch of coast in California Comment By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 28, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 9:21 AM By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 28, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 9:21 AM » RELATED CONTENT --> IF YOU GO Information about the Lost Coast is available from the Bureau of Land Management at www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/arcata.html or 707-825-2300. Find the King Range National Conservat... » Read more X IF YOU GO Information about the Lost Coast is available from the Bureau of Land Management at www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/arcata.html or 707-825-2300. Find the King Range National Conservation Area Recreation Guide or the Wilderness Press's waterproof California's Lost Coast recreation map at www.wildernesspress.com or 800-443-7227. Extremely helpful, too, is "Backpacker: Trekking California," by Paul Richins Jr., which features a chapter on the Lost Coast with information and maps. • Lost Coast » Social News When engineers were building a highway along California's coast, the outlook for extending the road along a section in far Northern California was simply too daunting. The challenges included the King Range mountains, which rise steeply along the coast, and the area's proximity to the San Andreas Fault. Instead, the highway was relocated inland. The section it skirts has become known as the Lost Coast, a region that is still undeveloped and mostly pristine. Even now, accessing the Lost Coast is a challenge. There are no easy, quick roads to its north and south access points, or to Shelter Cove, the coastal community that divides the 52 miles of trail. While the southern 27-plus miles amble up and over cliffs, the northern 25 miles mostly follow a narrow, cliff-hugging shoreline with sections impassible at high tides. That's the one we took. It took planning — and a friendly shuttle driver — to get there. But by late morning our group of four unloaded at the Windy Point Road, not the traditional Mattole River trailhead, for our leisurely four-day backpack. Most take three days, but we wanted to savor the sights. The rewards came quickly, beginning with panoramic views of the coast north to Cape Mendocino and south past Punta Gorda, Spanish for “massive point.” Easily found was the decrepit Punto Gorda Lighthouse. We explored the abandoned structure, which had been known as one of the Pacific Coast's loneliest outposts. Built in the early 1900s, the lighthouse closed in 1951 because of high maintenance costs. Nearby, on an exposed beach, lay about a dozen seemingly lifeless creatures. It was pure relief when one, then another, of the slumbering sea lions lightly flicked their flippers. The walk alternated between a black sand beach cluttered with rocks, some the size of golf balls, others slick roly-poly boulders. As our maps touted, our route was along "the wildest beach in California." Wild it is. Ocean views include rocky islands cluttered with slumbering sea lions. At the appropriately named Sea Lion Gulch the primary campsites were filled by earlier arrivals. Instead we retreated to an open area perched above a bubbly creek. We were greeted by a sea lion symphony, the barking deep throat guttural “grrrrrlll” growls of gargantuan elephant seals exerting their dominance. On one rock island a monster-sized male struck poses, sometimes menacing, other times like a samurai. On an adjacent island, another giant periodically growled and rocked his body, especially when other smaller males tried to wriggle to his high spot. At times large waves swept the lower exposed rocks, sending groups of sea lions cascading into the water. An evening walk featured a brilliant sunset, the kaleidoscope variations of red, burgundy, crimson and more ever changing. Even more amazing were cormorants hanging precariously from mud nests somehow slapped on steep walls. All night the sea lion lullaby continued, some sounding like frogs with sore throats. The next morning, when the outgoing tide exposing a narrow strip of sand along the otherwise impassible section, we continued south, stepping carefully to avoid waist-high poison oak along sections where the trail hugs the cliffs. Sometimes we hiked along the beach, which was variously spongy sandy soft or littered with rolling rocks. Sometimes the route veered up along gentle highlands. During a break along Spanish Flat, two people we had passed earlier strolled past us. The man carrying a gigantic pack stopped, turned around and handed us a packet of pistachio nuts. Later, during another leap frog, he passed along heaping handfuls of chocolate-covered raisins. Truly wild was what first appeared to be a massive beached tree. Wrong. It was an 85-foot long dead blue whale. We circled it, admiring its behemoth size, fringed plates of baleen, triangular flukes, tapered body and its plated underbelly. We camped at Big Flat Creek, enjoying unusual beach weather — sunny skies with temperatures in the 80s. We pitched one tent inside a large jury-rigged wooden framed shelter built for wilder weather. Over dinner we chattered about visual gifts from the sea, critters like sea urchins, huge chitton snails that look like mangoes sliced in half, and limpets, aquatic snails with shells that mimic the shape of the rocks they hug. During our hike we sighted river otters, cottontails and jackrabbits, deer, snakes and more. Most surprising was, as explained by my former park ranger friend, a trio of elephant seals at Rattlesnake Creek. Ooops. Suddenly, one “elephant seal,” quickly followed by two others, popped up and onto a surfboard. A third day we again timed our walk to take advantage of low tides along another long stretch impassible at high tides. During dinner at Horse Mountain Creek, a friendly gull waddled up, curiously watching us and hoping for handouts. Tossing a treat was tempting, but another 100-plus gulls lined in a neat row along the beach were ready to invade if we did. The final day's walk, much like the final day of the Tour de France ride into Paris, was a leisurely celebratory stroll along Black Sands Beach to Shelter Cove. We talked about our "gifts from the sea." Mine included a brilliantly shiny abalone shell and a tarnished coin I'd imagined must have crossed the Pacific and washed ashore. After a good scrubbing, it revealed itself a 2005 Crater Lake quarter. Our feelings were summed up when one of our group, after scooting ahead, used a stick to carve a message in the sand — “Thank You, Lost Coast!” By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 28, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 9:21 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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