Retreat. The word conjures visions of luxury and purpose. Ours was no different. Three of us headed for Shelter Cove on the lost coast of California. Christened the "Lost Coast" after a 1930s population drain, the name reflects the area’s difficult accessibility. Challenges posed by the steep coastal mountains prevented construction along this stretch of Pacific coast and forced Highway 101 to jut inland. Travelers overlook this 80 mile stretch of the most undeveloped and underexplored portion of the California coast.