Trekks and Travels

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Bachelor and Coffin Mtn 21 Feb 2015

Ann, Kimberly and I headed up to Bachelor and Coffin Mtn because the ranger said the road was clear. It was a beautiful crisp day - rain in the distance but nothing on us. It was cold though - the wind at the summits was particularly chilling! We hiked about 7 miles total with about 2200 ft gain. Beautiful, beautiful day!

Bachelor Map
Coffin Mtn Map

the trees with skirts in the forest on the way to Bachelor Mtn

ran in to some snow

all the mtns had their 'heads' in the clouds

Coffin Mtn

Bachelor in the distance

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Cape Kiwanda 16 Feb 2015

I left Manzanita around 10:30a and headed for Cape Kiwanda. I had stopped there once before but had not explored the enormous sandstone bluffs. I suppose they are technically off limits but there were people and trails everywhere - a huge attraction to the locals. They seemed to know what they were doing so I followed them. The rocks were fabulous, wind and water eroded into cool patterns and shapes. I only had time for one of the sections so I will have to go back for more one day.

Cape Kiwanda Map

Dory boat fishermen and Haystack Rock

from the top

looking over at another section of the cape

narrow trail

sandstone finger

three teen boys hopping and jumping everywhere!

people kept climbing up on this rock for photos, making me nervous as there is a drop off on the other side

I think you are supposed to stay on the other side of the fence

Haystack and Cape Kiwanda

Nehalem Beach 16 Feb 2015

I spent the night in Manzanita and awoke to a howling wind. I checked the weather and NOAA predicted extreme gusts everywhere. But, sometimes they are wrong and things change. I left my room around 8a to walk on the beach for 2 hours. I knew the end of the Nehalem Spit was about 5+ miles away and wouldn't reach it - but would save that for another time. The beach is a pretty one. In the north you have a view of Cape Falcon and Neahkahnie Mtn. South it's Tillamook Head. Once you leave the nice homes of Manzanita behind, it is all dunes and beach grass. To vary the walk, on the way back I took a signed trail heading inland to a Horse Camp at Nehalem Bay State Park. No one was camping with their horses, but right next door were lots of campers enjoying the lovely weekend. Very nice campground, though spaces are tight. I walked through to the end and saw they also have a campground for hikers and bikers where you must have to "hike in". I followed the road in the neighborhood for a bit until I found a way back to the beach, then to the motel. I ended up hiking about 6 miles in a little over 2 hours. By the way, the wind was not an issue.
Map: Nehalem Beach

Neahkahnie Mtn and Cape Falcon

coming back to the beach through the grass

horse camp

Hug Point 15 Feb 2015

Parking was tough at Hug Point, but it was getting late and there were a few spots. The rocks were fantastic in the sunset light, very red. This beach section even boasts a waterfall cascading over the rocks to the ocean from Fall Creek. Hug Point truly hugs the beach where the water meets the land and even at the lowest tide (-.1) it was a bit wet. As I lingered the water came back and met the rocks. Lots of photographers were laying in wait with their tripods ready to go to capture the sunset from the outpouring of Fall Creek to the ocean. I (duh) had left the tripod in the car and didn't go back. The sunset was the most amazing one I have ever seen. I don't know if this always happens, but as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, pulses of light began emanating from where the sun had been. Green, pink, red, orange - it was like a light show! Then as the sun retreated further, more changes, more colors, more reflections. It went on for 20 minutes! Amazing! It brought to mind these verses from Psalm 19:1-4:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

That says it all! All glory to God!
Hug Point map

Hug Point

Fall Creek

Tolovana Beach and south 15 Feb 2015

I headed south on the 101 with the intention of hiking along the beach in the vicinity of Cannon Beach with my focus being Hug Point. It was such a beautiful day and a holiday to boot, so I thought I had better start with the northern most parking wayside. It was bursting!. I did eventually get a spot and started walking south from the parking lot. Beautiful! I walked over 2.5 miles but my destination was still a ways off and it was getting late. Low tide was at 5p and sunset at 5:40p and I knew that after low tide had passed, I would not get around Hug Point without getting wet. So I turned back and partly ran the route. Then I drove south. Hug Point photos are in the next entry.

Tolovana Beach map

Beach life at low tide

Looking north to Haystack Rock

Silver Point and Jockey Cap

ripples

Jockey Cap

Lion Rock

North Head and Cape Disappointment WA 15 Feb 2015

North Head was part of a weekend exploration of the northern coast of OR/WA. I stopped on the way to see the wreck of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens State Park, OR and view the bridge crossing the Columbia River in Astoria. I had intended to make a 9+ mile hike by hiking from Beard's Hollow at North Head, WA to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, but the Beard's Hollow trail was a mess, and even blocked off from the southern end, so I decided to connect the hikes by car. Turned out it was a good idea because of time. Everything takes longer than you think it will - especially if you take pictures :-). Seems like North Head has been developed for bikers, lots of paved trails.

The Lord provided a beautiful day to enjoy the coast!

North Head Map
Cape Disappointment map
Beard's Hollow map