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Get Lost Backcountry Surfing

10 People, 250 Mile Drive, 18 Mile Hike and a Protected Surf Break.

You are never alone in California. The surf breaks are crowded, the campgrounds are booked a year in advance and there are few places you can escape with out reservation.

For month’s a group of friends had been talking about making the trip up the Lost Coast in northern California. Supposedly  one of the best point breaks lies off the protected land. Best, if not for its giant peeling surf and surrounding scenery, then for its lack of competing surfers. The break, called Big Flat owes its emptiness to inaccessibility. The only way to get there is to hike 9 miles along the beach that is impassable at high tide. That is a long way to lug a surfboard on your back, in addition to camping equipment and 5mm wetsuit.

Although there were times when I questioned our sanity, like when I was bent over charging a head wind with a 7″ wind sail on my back, the black sand, cool, wet air, empty beaches and nothing but the sound of waves crashing along the way provided a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The weekend consisted of yoga on the beach, rainbows, uncontested surf, bonfires, and bears who made off with more than half our food.

Here is a short video of our epic adventure up the Lost Coast.