Last weekend’s large surf capped three-weeks of clean consistent surf, the best run of waves in over a year. The past weekend we experienced one of the largest northwest swells in about three years.

Many surfers took advantage of the swell to experience pristine waves and wilderness south of the border.

The week before Christmas, my family (my sons Israel and Daniel and wife Emily) and I joined the Johnsons (Daren, Terri and Josh), on a trip into wild Baja that involved driving through endless mudpits, howling winds, packs of coyotes, and empty barrels.

Our trip was a return to old school adventure in Baja that requires a high-clearance 4×4, nerves of steel, and an excellent sense of direction. To reach the coast, we endured more than 50 miles of mud traps.

The small storms that passed through Southern California before Christmas resulted in four days of rain—the most it…