Hiking in the rain is not our favorite thing, but it’s always invigorating to be outdoors on a dreary day. However, this was not the case though on our South Slough Estuary hike. The hiking gods were quite kind.
We had a group of 9 folks from the Roseburg area join up with 8 from the South Coast Striders group for this “old lady distance” hike through the beautiful South Slough Estuary just outside of Charleston. The tide was mostly out which exposed a lot of the tide flats. Not a lot of wildlife viewing, but still a beautiful backdrop.
The South Slough was a 3’ish mile loop, so to get our miles in, we (the Roseburg 9) finished our hiking over near Shore Acres. We hiked along the ocean from the lighthouse viewpoint to Shore Acres and strolled the gardens where the Christmas lights are almost ready for our holiday viewing. This added about 2 extra miles here, a more respectable distance for the day.
I must admit, whenever the weather calls for extreme wet skies, I will typically forgo walking through rain and mud with my fellow club members on our scheduled hikes. It’s nothing personal, I’d just rather stay home and catch up on my favorite tv shows gathering dust on the dvr. But that’s an impossibility when it’s a hike that I’m scheduled to lead. And so it was when the day finally arrived to drive nearly 3 hours to take my turn walking through the aforementioned rain and mud.
To my amazement, a dozen’sh rain-loving hikers decided to join me at Cape Perpetua on what could probably rank as one of the wetter hikes the club has gone on. But then again, what would I know, since I typically avoid these wet hikes!
Starting at the visitor center, the plan was to hike up to the top of Cape Perpetua and enjoy the views, then return and explore the lower trails that lead to all the extraordinary water features this area has to offer. With names like Spouting Horn, Thor’s Well, and Devil’s Churn, this place is very enticing! But first, we must make the climb to the top!
So off we went, heading up the hillside, dodging the streams of water flowing down the center of the trail. We soon saw a sign that said “Trail Party,” which prompted several remarks from the group about food, drinks, and some cool music. We knew, however, that it really meant there were some dedicated people conducting some trail maintenance ahead. Sure enough, we encountered about a half dozen of them, tools in hand, soaked to the bone, and with smiles on their faces. I made a point to verbalize our group’s appreciation for their hard work in these adverse conditions. I hope that seeing all of us hikers using the trail on this rainy day made them feel that their efforts were not in vain. Us hikers are grateful for all the hard work that volunteers put in on each and every trail that we use.
Reaching the top, we all met up at the 1933-built stone shelter that overlooks Cape Perpetua. The views from up here are truly amazing! That is, when the weather is clear. On this day, just imagine sitting in the middle of a wet, grey raincloud, and you’ll see what we saw. Yeah, it was like that. Quite disappointing. Although the shelter provided some dryness, the wind was fairly intense, so we decided to head back down the hill to the visitor center to have lunch.
Making our way down the muddy hillside, we gave another hello and thank you to the trail crew as we passed them by. When we reached the visitor center, the staff were very gracious to us, allowing us to drop our wet packs near the doorway, and to come in and get warm for a while.
Ahh, and now time for lunch! Oh, wait, what’s that? We aren’t allowed to eat inside the building? But, it’s so warm and dry in here! Ok, so where can we go? Outside? Really?? Fine. So, like a pack of wet dogs being told to go outside before we ruin the fine furniture, we picked up our things and stepped outside. At least there was a long bench under the eaves that was dry, so that’s where this hike’s lunch took place. It was during this meal that I had concluded, through conversation and the general demeanor of the crowd, that no one was really interested in getting more miles in. Or, to be more accurate, interested in getting more wet than they already were. I was sympathetic to their decision and on the same page. Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn would have to wait until another day, hopefully a dry one! It’s amazing how much the rain can dampen the enthusiasm of hikers they exhibited just hours earlier.
After lunch, a few hikers decided to depart. The rest of us were invited by our kind hosts into the visitor center to watch a short movie about whale watching in the little theater they have there. As I started watching the short documentary, I could tell immediately, mostly due to the poor picture quality, that it was old! The topic of whale watching doesn’t thrill me, so to keep myself entertained, I studied all the little details that might give me clues as to what year it might have been produced. I observed hairstyles, clothing, etc. and was able to deduce that it was made sometime in the mid-80’s. I told Rheo my guess as the credits started rolling. And then there it was: 1988! I’ve always been good at 80’s trivia, so I was not surprised that I was just about spot-on.
To sum it all up, this was a scant 3-mile hike in the rain with nary a scenic view. I vow to get the club over here again during nicer weather, as it is quite spectacular. There may be more tourists then, but I doubt they will prevent us from hiking over 3 miles. For now, only the coastal rain can make that claim.
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Hike Coordinator: Lane Harris
Narration by Lane Harris
The annual game of chance called “Schedule a Hike but Avoid the Fires” was well under way by the time August rolled around. And so far, so good… until this hike, which was supposed to be Mt. June at the far north end of the Umpqua National Forest. The fire closures had made us change our hiking plans once again. I figured hiking on the coast certainly must be a safe bet, so off to Cape Blanco we went!
From our usual starting point at the Sixes River trailhead below the Hughes Historic House, our group of a dozen or so headed out on this overcast but pleasant morning, eager to get up the short hill and through the woods. Once we broke out of the thick trees, it was all about the ocean views. From here, it was a steady and level walk along steep cliffs, before the trail headed away and towards the main road that leads to the Cape Blanco campground and the lighthouse itself. We, of course, were going to the lighthouse. This was the road-walk portion of the hike, but the last quarter mile is vehicle-free, allowing hikers and other visitors access to the lighthouse without worrying about traffic.
We admired the lighthouse, and then walked back down the road, eventually connecting to the trail that continues along the south part of the cape. Soon, we were back in the woods where the campground is, and we decided a picnic table near the bathrooms was a good place for lunch, as it was out of the wind, which had begun to pick up as the hours clicked by. (I had brought my drone with intentions of getting some awesome footage, but on this day, the stiff winds had other plans, so thus, my drone stayed safely packed away in its wind-free case)
The skies were clearing by now, and after a nice break, we picked up the trail again on the south side of the campground, enjoying several overlooks with views of the beach down below. We soon began picking our way through the grassy dunes which eventually spit us out onto the beach.
Upon hitting the beach, we turned north and headed back towards the cape. At Needle Rock, we made the steep scramble back up to the road. It was here where a few hikers decided to retrace their steps back the way we had come, while the majority of us opted to drop down to the beach on the north side of the cape and head up the beach.
Near the Sixes River, we struggled a bit to find the trail that would lead us back to the parking lot. (It had been a few years since I had done this hike, so my route-finding skills here near Cape Blanco were a bit rusty!) After a few minutes, it was discovered, and we completed the hike.
After the hike, Diane had the tasty idea of stopping at the Face Rock Creamery in Bandon for some ice-cream. I decided to just get lemonade, while everyone else got their ice-cream fix on. The 15-minute wait was worth the smiles it brought to all my passengers!
IMPORTANT: If viewing this in an email: You must click on the title above which will take you to the actual post, allowing you to view all the pictures and videos. ENJOY!
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During our annual campout, ten intrepid adventurers toured the landscape of the most northwestern part Oregon.
JUNE 13, 2024
SADDLE MOUNTAIN
Located just east of Seaside, this popular trail leads hikers up the slopes of Saddle Mountain. This was day one of the hiking club’s annual camp out, and it did not disappoint. We camped at Fort Stevens State Park and made the relatively short drive to the trailhead which begins in a lush green carpeted forest. In the spring, the flowers here are just amazing. Around every corner there’s another sight to see. Further up the trail, the forest gives way to rocky hillsides, all dappled in bright colors. Eventually, hikers are presented with a final steep, rocky climb to the top of Saddle Mountain. The views are tremendous!
While the rest of the group hiked Saddle Mountain, Richard explored the ruins of Battery Russell, a WWII gun emplacement designed to protect the Columbia River from attacks by Japan.
After we all had a good rest from a full day of hiking, we visited the shipwrecked Peter Iredale near Fort Stevens. Although not a hike, this was an enjoyable visit to an interesting piece of Oregon history. In the early morning of October 25, 1906, the Peter Iredale, a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, ran aground on Clatsop Beach, just south of the mouth of the Columbia River. After the ship was stripped of valuable scrap metal, the remains of the ship were left imbedded in the sands, attracting curious visitors ever since.
Narration by Richard O’Neill Fort Clatsop, located in Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, is the site of the Lewis and Clark’s fort where they stayed and explored the area around the mouth of the Columbia River. The actual fort has long since disappeared into the moist forest surrounding the river system where the Young’s, Lewis and Clark, and Columbia all meet before running out into the Pacific Ocean. The site of the current fort is estimated but is reasonably accurate based on the copious writing of the two explorers. Likewise, the current fort was replicated from the sketches and schematics drawn up by the intrepid duo. At any rate, nowadays the replicated fort offers a look into the past. But we all hike, and the Fort’s paths just won’t do, so we hiked on the Netul River Trail to Netul Landing. The Netul River is a historical name because it has been changed to Lewis and Clark River. At any rate, we enjoyed a pleasant walk under ever increasing dark clouds that saved the rain for later that evening.
Narration by Richard O’Neill After our hike at Fort Clatsop, we made an afternoon sojourn to the gun batteries and ruins of Fort Stevens. Established in the Civil War era, in WWII the fort guarded the nearby Columbia River and with good reason, for a Japanese submarine surfaced and shelled the fort. Nowadays, visitors can take a short hike on the Jetty Trail (we did) and explore the ruins of the fort. While we started walking, the heavens opened up and we all got pretty wet and cold.
Tillamook Head Trail, located in Ecola State Park between Seaside and Cannon Beach, is actually part of the Pacific Coast Trail. This is a densely forested area, and part of the trail can be muddy after the rains. We discovered World War II cement structures scattered around the top by exploring a bit off-trail to find them. We also had views of the Tillamook Lighthouse, also known as Terrible Tilly, which was first lit in 1881. Beginning at Indian Beach, Terry, Penny, Lane, Cleve and Edwin made the relatively easy climb to Tillamook Head. Continuing further up the trail and about halfway to Seaside, Terry and Penny decided to continue on to Seaside, where Lane would pick them up later. Lane, Cleve and Edwin turned around and returned to Indian Beach to finish out this hike.
While the rest of the group hiked to Tillamook Head, Richard, Diane and Meg did some beach exploring…
ARCADIA BEACH
Narration by Richard O’Neill We did a morning hike on Arcadia Beach, south of the tourist town of Cannon Beach. We hiked around Hug Point, so named because back in the day, a rough track was dynamited around the point to allow horse and cart to get around. The point is only passable at low tide. Our reward for getting around Hug Point was a visit to a waterfall tumbling onto the beach. Weather was nice until the end of the hike, at which point it became decidedly belligerent and nasty.
Narration by Richard O’Neill I could have done it! The Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest was happening and basically access was by car, requiring a drive of several miles on the beach. I had visions of my car getting stuck in the sand and then getting taken out by waves, so we parked in town and hiked to the contest area.
In hindsight, it would have been no problem at all, the sand was hardpacked and solid. On the plus side, we got to enjoy a beach walk of about two miles or so, (four round-trip, but who’s counting?) to add onto the morning hike on Arcadia Beach.
It had rained earlier that day and the sandcastles suffered as a result. Frenetic activity took place as the castle crews frantically tried to repair the damage before the judges arrived. We didn’t stay for the final product (we had that beach back to the car, remember?) but enjoyed watching the crews and artisans ply their avocation.
I had planned this hike based on the low tide occurring around noon on this particular day. Good thing too, because even at low tide, the rocky point near Agate Beach was challenging to get around.
We had a few spectacular sunny spring days leading up to this hike, and that would continue into the weekend, so I was extremely pleased with that fact. However, what I did not count on was how still the air would be once we arrived at Seven Devils Wayside north of Bandon. With just a hint of a light breeze, most hikers shed any heavy outer layers they had anticipated might be needed on this hike. With the sun out in full force and the air temperature somewhere in the mid-60s, this was certainly going to be a fantastic day!
After gathering for a few group photos, we headed north along Merchants Beach. There were other beachgoers who were out enjoying the unusually warm day, most of them remaining stationary while our group trekked on past them towards Agate Beach. There’s really no distinguishing features between Merchants Beach and Agate Beach, except for the fact that there may be more agates and other small rocks found upon the shoreline at Agate Beach. To be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention to that, as I was mainly focused on reaching, and hopefully getting around the rocky feature ahead of us. This was the first time I’ve been here, so this was all new to me. And no, I did not feel the need to prehike this particular hike. I mean, its just flat sand, right?
Well, the flat sand soon ended and we were met with large rocks and boulders scattered around the intertidal zone, creating a maze-like puzzle that each hiker had to solve on his or her own. I’m certain none of us took the exact same route around these rocks, which was fairly easy at first. It quickly turned to a game of either waiting for each surge of the ocean to subside, or to just wade through the shallow ankle-high pools. I dubbed the game “Wait or Wade.” Most of us just waited with a spattering of wading. A few were purists and were either always waiting or always wading.
Just when we thought we could merely skirt around the final obstacles, we were reluctantly forced to climb over extremely large, monolithic rock outcroppings. It was now a very strategic game of deciding which way to go, as our options were getting limited. By this time, we were all yelling at each another. No, not out of frustration, but with instructions to others, saying “go that way” or “no, don’t come this way!”
Eventually, most of us made it to Sacchi Beach and had a well-deserved lunch at the far north end. A few hikers didn’t make it through the gauntlet of boulders and were sadly swept out to sea by the outgoing tide. Just kidding, they were more likely swept up by the feeling of “To heck with this, we’re turning around!”
Fortunately, our trek back was a bit easier, as the tide was lower than during our northbound trip. No big boulders to get over, and very little waiting or wading. That being said, there were several small streams that we did have cross, and on any other hike we may have whined more about our boots getting wet. But playing the wait or wade game and completing rock hopping 101 made these little stream crossings seem like child’s play.
When we arrived back at Merchants Beach, I presented the option of adding in a few more miles by hiking to Fivemile Point and back. Not surprisingly, there were no takers on that offer, myself included. I guess after our exciting rock climbing adventure, a straight, flat beach with no challenges sounded quite boring.
We had a good turnout to look for Hobbits on our Hobbit Trail hike. We had 11 leave from Roseburg and were joined by 8 at the trailhead. We were shaded from the sunny day by first the Hobbit Trail, then by the Valley trail to Carl Washburn state park. We joined up for lunch on the beach, some arrived by different paths, to enjoy a sunny repast. Then down the coast to once again join the Hobbit Trail to reconquer the headland at Heceta Head and make our way back to the lighthouse. We welcomed many first timers and hope to have them join us again.
We had a 6-ish mile meander through the dunes beginning from the Dellenback trailhead. We were heading for the beach but were turned back by a submerged trail. Go figure, no one wanted to go for a thigh-high wade to get to the beach. Oh well, high tide would have not provided much sand for a stroll.
We retreated to the dunes area and then uphill to overlook one of the lakes for lunch. After lunch, we followed a trail near the lakes and found a waterfall gushing from the recent rains. Going down to the lake meant climbing back out to continue our circle back to our starting point. I won’t mention the 3 huge dunes between us and the trailhead… but… Up and down, and up and down to get our miles in.
We had just a tiny bit of sprinkles with an interesting sky, making for a great outdoor experience.
Thirteen gathered for the hike on the Siltcoos Lake loop trail with Edwin leading us counterclockwise on the loop. The weather was perfect under the shade of the lakeside forest. We had a pleasant lunch spot on the lake with much lollygagging and storytelling before the finish of our loop. Others headed over for a stroll on the beach after our 4.1-mile loop, which may have been challenging since there was a huge gathering for an ATV takeover of the beach, unbeknownst to us.
The day of the hike was overcast, but sun was forecast by afternoon. Unfortunately, that did not include the Bandon beach area. Nevertheless, we had 10 from the Roseburg area head off for the coast, and we met 2 from the Striders at Bandon.
We were lucky to have hard sand after leaving the jetty area, so the 4-mile southward trek was relatively easy. We had 3 creeks to get through though, so feet got wet. Not much wind to speak of either, so a rather pleasant wander down and back which covered about 8 miles.
The tide had receded on the way back so there were a few tide pools to explore, and seals with pups lounging on the rocks just offshore. There were rewards after the hike of strolling Bandon, and I’m sure it also involved ice cream.
The Cape Mountain Trail system in the Siuslaw National Forest just north of Florence provides hikers and equestrians alike with a variety of options. Cape Mountain itself is not the destination, but the area around it is. With a multitude of intersections here and there, there are many different ways to hike this wooded place.
On this day, our group took the Princess Tasha trail to the Berry Creek trail, then the Nelson Ridge trail back to the trailhead. Although only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, the dense forest here makes hikers feel like they’re a world away from any ocean. Only when you’re on top of Nelson Ridge can you see the ocean in the distance. It was here where we stopped and had lunch before continuing on.
Although there are no grand vistas, the solitude of this place is well worth the drive to the trailhead.
