Tahkenich Creek

I did right at 20 miles today.  The 8.3 road miles at Florence were mostly secondary roads so I didn't take a bus as I mentioned yesterday but walked every bit of it except for a mile or so where I thumbed a ride.  Nice lady but I couldn't understand but about half what she said so smiled and nodded a lot.  As soon as I got away from the few off-roaders zooming around the beach I had it all to myself again.  Looks like I'll have a lot of that.  My spot last night was super-isolated even though I was only three miles from Florence.  All I saw was a couple of happy coyotes loping over the dunes early this morning.  Having trouble posting pictures.  Will do so as soon as Google stops telling me I'm offline when I'm really not.

In the Dunes before Florence

Today I made it 18 miles or so to a spot north of the Siuslaw river near Florence.  I got an early start after a nice night sleeping on thick, soft moss in a mature forest a couple miles out of Yachats.  I was on forest trails, highway 101, and the beach today.  It was way more highway than I would be have liked but really wasn't that bad.  I'm glad to have the very narrow tunnel at heceta head behind me now.  I waited for a lull then sprinted through it the best I could with the pack on.  I had to sprint once yesterday too to get around a rock the incoming tide was starting to lap against.    In the tunnel I still had to turn sideways and hug the wall when a motorhome squeezed by.  Luckily he saw me and slowed down a bit.  There is supposed to be quite a bit of road walking in Florence tomorrow.  I plan on taking the bus until the next beach access.  Tonight I'm on a deserted beach behind a big clump of dune grass looking forward to some nice stars tonight and maybe even a great sunset.

Hobbit Trail out of Washburn SP.  I didn't see any.

Beach near Washburne SP from Heceta Head trail.

Heceta Head lighthouse.

This is going to be creepy.

Deserted Beach from Sea Lion Caves to dunes camp

Hard sand so stakes are staying in well.

.

Greetings from Yachats

Stopped for a shower and a little clothes washing at beachside State Park and figured I might as well come on down here. Now its 4:30 and I need to go find somewhere to camp in the woods on Cape perpetua so this post will be short. Not sure my mileage at this point but it was a bunch today. Including at least two extra by making mistake at Waldport in getting to the alsea Bay Bridge.  Oh well, feeling good and ready to press on.  Had some good pizza in Waldport for lunch and I just bought a yummy looking ready-made sandwich at the store here in Yachats for dinner.

Alsea river from alsea bay bridge

Cool detail on bridge.  Solid resin stuff shining in the sun.  I would not have noticed it zipping by in a car.

16 plus miles from Beverly Beach put me to Ona Beach early this afternoon to spend the night. Ona Beach is also known as Brian Booth State Park.  I did 13 plus miles yesterday, by the way.  Across the road is a put in for Beaver Creek natural area which Diane and I have paddled several times while staying at Beachside State Park south of here near Yachats.  I'm n a stealth site just up from the beach in the stunted pines.  The beach is pretty busy but the tent is not at all visible.  I had a bunch of small stream Crossings today and now my shoes and socks are drying in the sun. Besides the usual birds I also saw a seal who was beached and miles of deserted sand.  Last night I had a good time talking to Dominic, from BC, who was cycling to San Francisco. He was really into equipment and had several pieces of cuben fiber gear, including his tent.  The only other people in the Hiker Biker Camp were a couple from Quebec who were riding their bikes to Los Angeles. I'm not sure where they started from.   With the cars going by so close, the water so far down below, and the see through guardrail on top the Yaquina Bay bridge at Newport wasn't altogether p

 Early morning clouds/fog leaving Beverly Beach.

Yaquina Bay bridge.  Rogue Ales is just below but it was too early to stop.

leasant.  My hat is off to all who have crossed it on bikes! I think that includes Paul Norman.

Will he finish this time?

Impulse buy in Depoe Bay.  Take that Jeff Sessions!

And I even saw real ones too.

Beverly Beach camp.  Made it here at 3:20 after Diane dropped me off on Salishan Spit this morning around 10:30.  I found the car keys in my pocket several hours later.  I guess she had hers and made it home okay.  Hope I'm not in the dog house!  Now I have to carry the keys for the next 250 miles.  Oh well.  Pack weighs three more pounds because of extra warm clothes and bigger water bottles.  Still only 24 pounds though.  Weather is supposed to be great for a while and there's no smoke.  

Stress fracture postponement

My body isn't going to let me do this just yet.  I'm no expert, but from everything I've been reading online while stuck in this motel room I have either a shin splint on my left leg or more likely a stress fracture. Either way recovery is going to take weeks if not longer.  My daughter, Casey, is coming to pick me up here in Lincoln City before it gets too crazy with Eclipse traffic.  I fully intend to rejoin the trail at this point as soon as possible, either this fall or next spring. I've seen some amazing things and want to see the rest!  I appreciate your interest and will keep you posted.

Forced layovers

Made at least 15 miles yesterday and am at well over the 100 Mark now.  4 miles of that was uphill on Highway 101 with traffic whizzing by followed by 1.2 on an u

Stealth camp on Cascade head

phill Gravel Road on Cascade head. What a nightmare. At least the highway. And I was bitten by a yappy little dog on the beach who I tried to say hello to!  He was not a good boy. Fortunately I found the trail on Cascade head with no problem and found a nice campsite about a mile down where I spent a very restful evening.  I heard a bull elk whistling nearby and shortly after a cow elk and two calves slipped through the forest not far from my Camp. I don't think they even knew I was there.  This afternoon, however, finds me becalmed in Lincoln City. I was on the beach in front of the Inn at Spanish Head When I look down at my bum leg and decided the swelling was just too much and I needed to stop. I am now in a very nice mom and pop motel and will probably be here for two nights. I'm icing and elevating and generally trying to stay off it. The hardest part will be not moving around. When I get bored I go walking. Better to try to fix this thing now than let it ruin my whole walk though.  Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

 D River wayside, Lincoln City.

The left one is the bad boy.