THE LOST COAST TRAIL

With some tacos and churros in our stomachs, we set out to locate the Lost Coast Trail. Little did we know that the name did not come from the fact that early explorers would pass by this stretch of California coast because it was usually shrouded in fog but in fact came from the difficulty of finding the trail at 1 A.M. Given the road conditions (the final stretch is a dirt road), it takes about 4 hours to get there.

To spare you the trauma, here's how to get there from San Francisco:

U.S. 101 North to the City of Redway

Exit at Redway and veer towards Southbound direction

Right turn at Briceland Road; follow signs towards Whitehorn

At 16 miles, the road forks to the left and right. Take the left fork towards Whitehorn

At another 7 miles, the road splits into 4. Follow the sign towards Sinkyone State Park

Follow the dirt road down 4 miles to the Loast Coast Trail Head

We camped the first night at the parking lot (completely illegal). The cost for the primitive camp sites is $3 per person and $7 per person at the maintained sites. The next morning, we hiked into Bear Harbor and Wheeler Creek. The trail elevation changes often (lots of up and downs) so you neither get bored nor too tired. Unfortunately, there are quite a few pesky stinging mettles, poison oak and ticks (as well as herds of timid elk so watch out for elk dookie). We recommend coming prepared with tweezers to pull out ticks given that Yoojin was the subject of an early morning operation.

And if you're interested in the Northern section:

• US 101 North to Redway
• Follow exit into Redway
• Right turn at Shelter Cove Road
• Follow sings to Shelter Cove (about 4 miles)
• Watch for a small blue sign that says Black Sand Beach (also labeled Waste Disposal) then turn right
• Drive down past the steel fence border and into the parking lot
• This place is hot during the summer and the tide is high in the afternoon which makes hiking past certain areas a bit difficult (i.e. check the tide reports before leaving). Bring plenty of sunblock and a good wide-brim hat.

  Round trip from the parking lot to Wheeler Creek is about 13 miles. A stop at Bear Harbor is good for a lunch break. There are lots of well-maintained (i.e. clean) pit toilets along the way.

  Finally, the southern portion of the Lost Coast Trail is accessible via Legett. From San Francisco, take US 101 North. Exit at the town of Legett. There, the road forks, with the left fork taking you into town. Take the right fork which leads you through the forest. The road winds for about 30 miles (a 45 minute drive). While watching your odometer, you will see a steep, dirt road on your right. This is the first right turn you will see. Follow this dirt road all the way to the dirt parking lot which is the trail head for the southern portion of the Lost Coast Trail. The actual trail head is inside the paid camping area. The fee per night here is $7 per person per night in case you want to camp overnight before embarkng.