More on Sea-Lion Caves...Besides the Massive Caves which provide shelter for the sea-lions, the sea floor shape causes a big up-welling of deep water to the surface, bringing up nutrients and everything that eats them from plankton to krill to herring to salmon to sea- lions and whales. Scanning the rocks I see sea-lions on rocks maybe 30 feet above the sea... How did they get there? I later learned that sea-lions have more of legs than their relatives the harbor seals, so that they can actually climb up rocky hills. I can see some young sea-lions playing some kind of water-polo... or water rugby, judging by the tight scrum. A good resource for more info would be PEARL (Portland State researchers)
I am only the latest in a long line of explorers, starting with Bruno Heceta of Spain back in 1775. The caves were discovered by Captain William Cox in 1880. The SLCs have been a private operation here since 1932. I met 3 other cyclists who'd come over from Utah. It is a popular stretch to pedal.
Arriving in Florence around lunch-time I stopped at the Little Brown Hen where I had the best fried chicken since the last time my mom cooked it for me. I ordered the " 3 Cluck" dinner. I liked a sign I saw there: "It's never too late to start your day over again." I also picked up a biker blessing/wish from one of my fellow bikers " Rubber side down!" That's the way I hope to keep things.
At Honeyman S.P. I visited the dunes. It's like a mountain just moved in next door. Have you seen pictures where the Sahara is taking over forests in West Africa? My first experience out on the dunes was like visiting another planet... unearthly! Silence... the only movement being sand blown by the wind...the bones of trees that had finally given up the ghost here and there were washed up on this edge of the universe. Walking up these shifting mountains is strenuous and strength-sapping, The sand pulls at your feet as you lift one up while your other foot sinks and slides back down the hill. A lake in the park is slowly, slowly being taken over by the beach.
The following day I went swimming in the lake and while dripping dry in the hot sun I visited a bathhouse constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). This program was enacted by FDR in 1933 in the midst of the Depression. It put to work 3 million men between 17 and 28. They were paid $1 a day and were required to send $25 a month back home to their families. They were supervised by the army, while the NPS and USFS provided planning and expertise. Each company had 200 men and went by names like Roosevelt's Tree Army, Woodpecker Warriors, Colossal College of Callouses...They built 89000 miles of telephone lines,3400 fire lookouts, Spent 6 million man-hours fighting fires, built 52000 acres of campgrounds, stocked lakes with 972 million fish, constructed 13100 miles of hiking trails, and planted 3 billion trees. The hand-carved rectangle stones you see on roadway edges are a trademark of the CCC.
Here's an interesting thing:
The 10 Commandments of the CCC
1. Obey officers.
2. Respect property.
3. Respect the rights and feelings of others.
4.Be Truthful,Trustworthy, and Honorable.
5. Be Thrifty, Faithful, and Industrious.
6.Be Clean and Healthy in body.
7.Use free time for wholesome activities of cheerful recreation.
8. Be Clean in thought word deeds and morals. No profanity.
9 Attend religious services.
10. Be loyal to company commanders and all authority - to God and Country.
You know, maybe it would be a good idea to try again.
Here I met Adam and Pippa, a couple living in Britain, now cycling all over the world: Australia, New Zealand, Canada ( from Jasper through the Okanagan, following Hwy 20 over the Cascades via Port Townsend and Hood Canal then out to the coast. They are looking to ride all the way down to San Diego. Adam is a school teacher and Pippa works in Biotech and IT.
Before leaving I did a nature trail on Lake Woahink. First built by the CCC in 1938 and now recently restored 2014. Now is the time for blackberries and evergreen huckleberries ( I didn't need to pack a snack). On the lake there's a memorial bench to Dick Welle, who visited the park yearly with his family since the 60's and was a pioneer sand-boarder. Do you know surf and snow and sidewalks aren't the only things you can "board"? More later.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
Gil's Oregon Trail- So. Beach State Park to Washburne State Park.
At South Beach S.P. I learned that Newport is kept functional as a port by 2 parallel jetties on either side of the entrance to the port. these catch the sand that the sea moves back and forth by shifting wave and wind patterns. These Jetties extend out it seems a 1/2 mile or more into the ocean. Because they catch the sand. the beach on both sides is building outwards. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile since the late 1800s. As a consequence of this one is able to see the stages of colonization of beach by grasses and other plants ( twinberries, tansy,beach-pea, sea pink, seashore lupine, sea rocket, Am dunegrass, Beach Strawberry. Followed by Shore Pine, Sitka Spruce).
I met a bunch of bikers doing the whole coast, from Canada to Mexico. Including a sailor, a marathoner, a Maine wilderness guide, etc. it's amazing how quick all the walls are broken down when you're all up against a bigger challenge. It helps that we don't have little metal wheeled pods to isolate ourselves in. Having only a campfire to gather round helped too. It's easier to talk in the dark,
That evening I went to a highly interesting ranger talk about beach trash. Seriously... I thought I knew it all
monster masses of floating debris swirling in the oceans, marine mammals snared or choked by plastic, our junk strewn all over the most beautiful places in the earth... but I never even thought of the stuff that's only buoyant for a little while that ends up filling the valleys of the ocean floor with garbage turning them into dumps the size of small countries, or stuff that gets buried in the sand of our beaches, or thought about how the toxics we toss end up concentrating more and more in sea predators or scavengers. He made me aware of the many volunteer groups working to do something about it. That's the next step. Check www.MarineDebris.noaa.gov
The next morning I set off on my own. I visited Beaver Creek or "Nackito". Explored by Alexander McLeod and Michel Laframboise of the Hudson's Bay Co. who traded with the Tillamook,Umpqua,Coos, and Coquille. Lots of trails and kayaking opportunities in the wetlands here. Later I came upon Seal Rocks. This is a private sea life center that you can visit for a small entrance fee. the guides are very knowledgeable and the info displays are really well done. Bring cameras and binoculars. An elevator takes you 200+ feet down to cathedral-like caverns where the sea-lions shelter during the stormy months of fall and winter. At this time they were all out under the sun on the rocks. I saw scores, fifties, hundreds of sea-lions. At the same time migrating Gray Whales were feeding very close to the cliffs. Wow! and I haven't even mentioned the Pigeon Guillemots, Cormorants, Murres, and other sea birds. I learned that the male sea-lions strike out on their own for northern waters up towards Alaska for several months, while females stay closer to home. A male usually isn't strong or tough enough to hold territory ( "a piece of the rock") until he's 9 years old. This is the prerequisite for mating.
I camped the night at Washburne State Park, close to Heceta Head Lighthouse. Since I got there early I decided to hike to the Lighthouses. The trail is magical, forest and terrain are truly strange. It is long ( 4-5 miles with a lot of up and down at the end),The scenery is striking. It is very sheltered most of the way. I must tell you that you end up climbing up to the Head and then quite a way down to the Lighthouse.
I neglected to mention as I traveled I saw fantastic rock formations around Yachats. "Wave Geysers" like Devil's Churn and Cook's Horn. In Waldport saw an excellent info center which described the evolution of transportation along the coust and the building of a network of bridges. A lot of road paving is going on all over Oregon in the summer. Bikers need to go up to where the flaggers stand and wait until all the cars go by first. They'll tell you when to go and then you need to peddle like mad, hoping that it's not an up-hill stretch. Sadly I came across a small bear that had been struck and killed... please drive carefully when you travel the Coast Highway.
No cell coverage at Washburne. Next time I come there's a trail I want to explore. it's called the Hobbit
Trail and may connect to Middle Earth. More later.
I met a bunch of bikers doing the whole coast, from Canada to Mexico. Including a sailor, a marathoner, a Maine wilderness guide, etc. it's amazing how quick all the walls are broken down when you're all up against a bigger challenge. It helps that we don't have little metal wheeled pods to isolate ourselves in. Having only a campfire to gather round helped too. It's easier to talk in the dark,
That evening I went to a highly interesting ranger talk about beach trash. Seriously... I thought I knew it all
monster masses of floating debris swirling in the oceans, marine mammals snared or choked by plastic, our junk strewn all over the most beautiful places in the earth... but I never even thought of the stuff that's only buoyant for a little while that ends up filling the valleys of the ocean floor with garbage turning them into dumps the size of small countries, or stuff that gets buried in the sand of our beaches, or thought about how the toxics we toss end up concentrating more and more in sea predators or scavengers. He made me aware of the many volunteer groups working to do something about it. That's the next step. Check www.MarineDebris.noaa.gov
The next morning I set off on my own. I visited Beaver Creek or "Nackito". Explored by Alexander McLeod and Michel Laframboise of the Hudson's Bay Co. who traded with the Tillamook,Umpqua,Coos, and Coquille. Lots of trails and kayaking opportunities in the wetlands here. Later I came upon Seal Rocks. This is a private sea life center that you can visit for a small entrance fee. the guides are very knowledgeable and the info displays are really well done. Bring cameras and binoculars. An elevator takes you 200+ feet down to cathedral-like caverns where the sea-lions shelter during the stormy months of fall and winter. At this time they were all out under the sun on the rocks. I saw scores, fifties, hundreds of sea-lions. At the same time migrating Gray Whales were feeding very close to the cliffs. Wow! and I haven't even mentioned the Pigeon Guillemots, Cormorants, Murres, and other sea birds. I learned that the male sea-lions strike out on their own for northern waters up towards Alaska for several months, while females stay closer to home. A male usually isn't strong or tough enough to hold territory ( "a piece of the rock") until he's 9 years old. This is the prerequisite for mating.
I camped the night at Washburne State Park, close to Heceta Head Lighthouse. Since I got there early I decided to hike to the Lighthouses. The trail is magical, forest and terrain are truly strange. It is long ( 4-5 miles with a lot of up and down at the end),The scenery is striking. It is very sheltered most of the way. I must tell you that you end up climbing up to the Head and then quite a way down to the Lighthouse.
I neglected to mention as I traveled I saw fantastic rock formations around Yachats. "Wave Geysers" like Devil's Churn and Cook's Horn. In Waldport saw an excellent info center which described the evolution of transportation along the coust and the building of a network of bridges. A lot of road paving is going on all over Oregon in the summer. Bikers need to go up to where the flaggers stand and wait until all the cars go by first. They'll tell you when to go and then you need to peddle like mad, hoping that it's not an up-hill stretch. Sadly I came across a small bear that had been struck and killed... please drive carefully when you travel the Coast Highway.
No cell coverage at Washburne. Next time I come there's a trail I want to explore. it's called the Hobbit
Trail and may connect to Middle Earth. More later.
Gil's Oregon Trail- Starting Out July 30th
Hello All! I've been riding a lot, mostly around Seattle, this past year. A personal goal has been to ride my bike every day. One challenge I've taken on is "the 2 mile challenge". Basically it means drawing a circle on the map with a 2 mile radius around your house. Now any destination ( Library trip, Shopping errand, Neighbor Visit, Etc.) within that circle should be do-able on a bike. Another thing that has helped me is signing up for the Cascade Bike Club's Bike Everywhere Challenge for the month of May. Then I found out about the National Bike Challenge which runs from May through September. These are good ways to appeal to your competitive side, even if you're only competing with yourself. Well, after awhile my adventurous side kept pushing my to explore new routes. It's been fun. You see a lot, when you are out in the open, and going a bit slower. For several years I've done group rides like the STP (Seattle to Portland) or the RSVP (Ride From Seattle to Vancouver and Party). Now I'm more interested in getting off on my own. Last year I put my bike on the train and rode down to Klamath Falls, Oregon and rode my bike up to Crater Lake and the Rogue River country.
This year I decided to train down to Albany, Oregon and then pedal out to the Oregon Coast, then south to Reedsport, east to Eugene, and north through the Willamet Valley back to Corvallis and Albany.
Day one I got into Albany pretty late ( after 8). Nobody could point me to a bike route to Corvallis and light was fading fast. I found highway 20 ( good paved shoulders) and by nightfall made the 20 miles to Corvallis. I pedaled to the far side of town towards Bald Hill ( lots of trails out that way), found a secluded spot under some oaks, and spread out my bed roll. I travel light : no tent, just a 36 " pad, a garbage bag for a ground sheet, my down bag, and a poncho in case it rains. I pick rain-free months.
Early in the morning I pedaled off on Hwy 20. Shoulders still well paved and wide. Couldn't find any stores open in the AM after I left Corvallis. The traffic started to get to me, though most people gave me room. I took a side road to Summit -Nashville-Eddyville. It was a good choice: no cars, scenic, and fairly flat (It followed an old railroad line). Along a few mile stretch the neighbors had turned old bikes into yard art with different color paint and decorations. I took it as an expression of encouragement to cyclists. I've got an idea now what to do with my old junk bikes. As I pedaled I saw 2 wild turkeys and a doe with 2 fawns.
Back on the the highway, things were worse: almost no shoulder and speed limits way too high (55 mph) for what was basically country road. Oregon has lots of old covered bridges it seems everywhere you go. I passed the Irish Road Bridge and Chitten Bridge. Maybe good places to hide out if a storm hit. Finally I got to Toledo, a little town close to Newport, I found a store and tanked up on sports-drink and snacks. From now on, if I see a store, I make sure I've got 2 bottles plus water ( 3 liters total). Road ( 11 miles) along Yaquina Bay to Newport was flat ( oyster country) and scenic but from noon on the wind blows strong from the ocean up river. This last stretch is used for the local marathon.
I got to the Newport wharves and got coffee and ice cream. The barristas wore great shirts " Be Positive-Love Your Life". On a dock in town I saw maybe a dozen sea-lions barking and swimming around. I went to "Mo's" for chowder. Really good!
Getting across the long bridge over Yaquina Bay was hair-raising. I mentioned the wind. I made a mistake riding on the pedestrian ( a narrow strip about a foot above the roadway. Next time I'm going to stay on the road. They do have a good idea: there's a button for cyclists to push that alerts drivers that there's a biker on the bridge - hopefully they'll use caution.
From Newport, it's a short pedal (30-45 min.) to South Beach State Park. As a hiker/biker a campsite is $5/night (you're guaranteed a spot). This park has showers with free hot-water and a hospitality center with free coffee!
More to come...
This year I decided to train down to Albany, Oregon and then pedal out to the Oregon Coast, then south to Reedsport, east to Eugene, and north through the Willamet Valley back to Corvallis and Albany.
Day one I got into Albany pretty late ( after 8). Nobody could point me to a bike route to Corvallis and light was fading fast. I found highway 20 ( good paved shoulders) and by nightfall made the 20 miles to Corvallis. I pedaled to the far side of town towards Bald Hill ( lots of trails out that way), found a secluded spot under some oaks, and spread out my bed roll. I travel light : no tent, just a 36 " pad, a garbage bag for a ground sheet, my down bag, and a poncho in case it rains. I pick rain-free months.
Early in the morning I pedaled off on Hwy 20. Shoulders still well paved and wide. Couldn't find any stores open in the AM after I left Corvallis. The traffic started to get to me, though most people gave me room. I took a side road to Summit -Nashville-Eddyville. It was a good choice: no cars, scenic, and fairly flat (It followed an old railroad line). Along a few mile stretch the neighbors had turned old bikes into yard art with different color paint and decorations. I took it as an expression of encouragement to cyclists. I've got an idea now what to do with my old junk bikes. As I pedaled I saw 2 wild turkeys and a doe with 2 fawns.
Back on the the highway, things were worse: almost no shoulder and speed limits way too high (55 mph) for what was basically country road. Oregon has lots of old covered bridges it seems everywhere you go. I passed the Irish Road Bridge and Chitten Bridge. Maybe good places to hide out if a storm hit. Finally I got to Toledo, a little town close to Newport, I found a store and tanked up on sports-drink and snacks. From now on, if I see a store, I make sure I've got 2 bottles plus water ( 3 liters total). Road ( 11 miles) along Yaquina Bay to Newport was flat ( oyster country) and scenic but from noon on the wind blows strong from the ocean up river. This last stretch is used for the local marathon.
I got to the Newport wharves and got coffee and ice cream. The barristas wore great shirts " Be Positive-Love Your Life". On a dock in town I saw maybe a dozen sea-lions barking and swimming around. I went to "Mo's" for chowder. Really good!
Getting across the long bridge over Yaquina Bay was hair-raising. I mentioned the wind. I made a mistake riding on the pedestrian ( a narrow strip about a foot above the roadway. Next time I'm going to stay on the road. They do have a good idea: there's a button for cyclists to push that alerts drivers that there's a biker on the bridge - hopefully they'll use caution.
From Newport, it's a short pedal (30-45 min.) to South Beach State Park. As a hiker/biker a campsite is $5/night (you're guaranteed a spot). This park has showers with free hot-water and a hospitality center with free coffee!
More to come...
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