Cape Meares

Saturday we decided to check out a little known hiking trail at Cape Meares. Took The Magic Mushroom instead of Sister Mary Francis for this trip (air conditioning + 52 MPG). It was a super awesome day. Clear blue skies, NO clouds and an expected high of 80 degrees in the Valley. I expected it to be much cooler on the coast. When we got there, it was considerably cooler, and a brisk wind was blowing (normal for the coast). The main parking lot for the lighthouse was packed, but we weren't staying there so went back to the trailhead parking. I couldn't find much on this trail. Only that it was about 3 miles and ended at "the beach" (this according to the trail map).



We set off in good faith, thoroughly enjoying the delightful trail. Like most trails on the Oregon Coast, it was lush and overgrown with vegetation.



The trail winds through the remnants of an old growth forest. Along the way were glimpses and views of the coastline.



We saw a brightly striped snake, but he scurried off the trail too quickly for a picture. The banana slugs were more cooperative :)



There is a 15-20 foot section of trail that is quite muddy, but with a little ingenuity, managed to get around it with a minimum of mess. Imagine our surprise when the trail ended quite abruptly, about 20 feet above the beach!



There appeared to be a trail of sorts from that point, but it was much too steep to attempt. In any case, the tide was coming in, and we deemed it not too wise to get down there and not be able to get back up. So we headed back, a little disappointed. But it was a nice trail, and we enjoyed it. When we got back to the trailhead, we went to see the big spruce. Wow, is it big! At least 8 feet across (maybe more).



After a couple of pictures and a moment of quiet contemplation, headed for the beach at the town of Cape Meares to have lunch. A seagull took notice and perched nearby, hoping for scraps.



I hope he enjoyed the tidbits we left him. All in all, it was a wonderful day! On the way back, we stopped off at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove for a couple of cold beverages. They were having their annual Great American Music festival so we stayed for a couple of hours, listening to the bands and enjoying the rest of our day.