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The Lost Coast is one of the few truly pristine coast lines left in the lower 48, and I found it invigorating to explore this spring.
Despite California being in a continued drought, there were still many wildflowers and beautiful colors to be seen and photographed, however I couldn't help creating at least a handful of B&W images too. Enjoy!
I must say, this is a place I could visit every year and never tire of. I will definitely return on a year when the rains are kinder to the flowers; I can only imagine what the poppy-covered hillsides looked in, say, 2005... Either way, beautiful colors or not, there is more to photograph here than I could do justice to in a lifetime.
All images created on a Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-120mm f/4 or Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, single exposures, processed in Lightroom CC.
http://photos.matthewsaville.com/photos/i-cK3ztCX/0/O/i-cK3ztCX.jpg
#1 - Bear prints are not uncommon on the beaches of the Lost Coast. The tide's (approximately) twice-daily erasure of all footprints gives anyone who sees this an interesting revelation: The bear was here very recently! ;-)
http://photos.matthewsaville.com/photos/i-JDHt54D/0/O/i-JDHt54D.jpg
#2 - Driftwood is abundant; sometimes a beach is littered with nothing but small dried seaweed branches, and other times enormous redwood stumps lay half-buried, leaving you to wonder how many yards in diameter they might actually be or how long ago they came to rest in that spot.
http://photos.matthewsaville.com/photos/i-djqN756/0/O/i-djqN756.jpg
#3 - Waves and tides are especially fickle and treacherous on the Northern section of the Lost Coast, with many spots being impassible at high tide. Also, hiking on loose sand and rocks wreaks havoc on ankles, especially the heavier your pack is, or the less supportive your boots are.
http://photos.matthewsaville.com/photos/i-8qC4qqD/0/O/i-8qC4qqD.jpg
#4 - At the North trailhead there is car camping, and a few interesting man-made things to see. The weather is also highly unpredictable. Our trip was uneventful, weather-wise, but log books we read in various places told tales of cold, wet, misery for days on end. Lesson learned: Watch the weather closely, and don't be afraid to cancel / alter plans if rain is predicted!
http://photos.matthewsaville.com/photos/i-nkCPG8V/0/O/i-nkCPG8V.jpg
#5 - The most beautiful stretch of coast may be the one just north of Shelter Cove, which stretches for miles and is particularly gorgeous in the early morning or late afternoon. Just remember to keep an eye on the tides, and rogue waves!
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