A quick update from student Cole:
We began our journey to the Lost Coast with a quick car ride to the various output stations. My group was the first to depart to Mattole. We already had our packs packed, so we took some pictures, applied sunscreen, and began our backpack. Our group made short of the first stretch, laughing and joking while enjoying the rock formations and elephant seals. We set up tents and then relaxed. The next couple days were pretty similar, with lots of great times and views. The Lost Coast had lots of amazing beaches, more than I’ve ever seen. We would walk for stretches of 8 miles and it was all somehow different. Sometimes we were walking or big or small rocks and other times on fine sand. There were also various rock structures in and out of the ocean. Words really can’t describe it. It wasn’t all hiking, we had lots of down time! We played games and got to know each other a lot better. The groups all had at least one opportunity to sleep on the beach under the beautiful stars. When we got back to the campground, we unpacked and reorganized our backpacks and the group gear. Then we got to take showers! What! It was crazy and amazing. Now we’re headed to our campsite to get ready for the day hike tomorrow!