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CoastWatch Mile 288 County Tillamook Description Bayocean Peninsula, Kincheloe Point Boundaries N 45° 33.314', W 123° 56.891' to N 45° 32.446', W 123° 57.029' Google Maps Nearby Roads, Directions to/from, Google photos, Satellite image, Terrain overlay OPRD Map Bayocean Spit Vehicles • Motor vehicle travel is prohibited from the north boundary of Nehalem Bay State Park (45° 42.2196', Mile 299), southerly to the south boundary of the Boy Scout property north of Sand Lake (45° 18.6444', Mile 268), except as follows: Motor vehicles essential to and engaged in boat launchings will be allowed any time during the year for a distance of 300 feet northwest from (45° 26.4036' 123° 57.2052', Mile 279), near Happy Camp. Weather Current Weather Conditions at nearby stations (may take a minute or two on a dialup connection) Tides The NOAA Tide Predictions site may be found here. Click on the station nearest to your location to see predicted tides in graphical and tabular formats. Photo Kelp in the Sand   8/17/12 Looking north one sees a broken string of piles of kelp. A bit unusual. YaakovM

47 REPORTS FOR MILE 288: YaakovM Aug 17, 2012 6:25 PM   Mid-summer visit made on a cool, cloudy day at the coast while it was near 100 in Portland. As usual, beach was clean with few people. I collected a medium-sized SOLV bag full of debris including lots of small pieces of styrofoam, plastic bottles and caps, two disposable lighters, and, oddly, one fluorescent light tube. Carrying the debris all the way back to the parking lot gets very tiring. Will call Tillamook County to find out if a garbage container can be placed closer. There was a lot more kelp on the beach than I typically notice. See picture 1. There were no other notable physical or human-made changes other than the marking off of an area near the north end of the mile where a new trail looks like it will be placed. See picture 2. Had the pleasure of seeing a Black-bellied Plover walking in the dune area as I haven't seen one there for many years. Found one dead Olympic gull on the beach, three live Semi-palmated Plovers and little else. Overall a quiet walk.   MORE    Kelp in the Sand    Description: Looking north one sees a broken string of piles of kelp. A bit unusual. Location: Near high-tide, approx. 1200 yards south of south jetty of Tillamook Bay New Trail in the Works    Description: This area near the northern end of mile 288 appears to be marked off for a new trail crossing from Tillamook Bay over to the beach. I followed the orange markers for a way and they stretched out toward the Bay. Location: Dune area behind the beach, about 1800 yards south of the south jetty to Tillamook Bay YaakovM May 11, 2012 11:30 AM   This was a mid-spring walk in beautiful sunny weather. The beach was extremely quiet, clean, and windswept of most debris. I had brought along a SOLV litter big and only half filled it, carrying out plastic debris and small pieces of rope. I left a few heavier glass bottles behind and a couple of large foam debris items. Three groups of 2 people each were seen walking, and one couple had 2 dogs. There was a good number of vehicles in the parking lot, but most people walked on the bay side and a number were clamming in the bay. The shoreline, beach, and dune areas looked unchanged from my last visit, which was almost 10 months earlier. All in all, things continue to be mostly "as they should", i.e., natural and unchanged.   MORE    South End of Mile 288    Description: The new, strange, serpent-like piece of wood pictured, turned out to be located approximately where I have historically located the southern end of mile 288. Now, at least temporarily, there is a "snake" signpost. Location: Southern end of mile 288 Strange Debris    Description: Although there was light debris overall, this one item was intriguing. It was styrofoam, but appears to be attached to a pole. Note the small dead fish next to the bottom of the pole. I did not see writing on the debris but something suggested this might have come from Japan. Location: About 100 yards north of the southern end of mile 288, towards the dunes. Clean Dunes    Description: This shot indicates how little debris there was and how clean the dune area appeared. Location: 300 yards north of the southern end of mile 288 Looking North at Low Tide    Description: This photo illustrates how wide the beach is at low tide. The shot is looking north toward the south and north jetties that lead into Tillamook Bay. Note the two people walking along at the far right. Location: Halfway between north and south ends of mile 288, on the beach YaakovM Jul 23, 2011 5:45 PM   This was a beautiful, sunny, and very windy walk along the beach, out and back. There were many people camping (saw at least 14 tents) along the way on mile 287, but only saw 1 person and tent on mile 288. As noted, there were 46 vehicles in parking lot around 4:30 pm and still 36 vehicles near 9 pm. With Tillamook County allowing camping on Bayocean Spit, the activity is greatly increased although not specifically on mile 288. The shoreline seemed unchanged but there appeared to be some sand build-up on the beach. Driftline was relatively clean with light, evenly placed piles of seaweed and small stones. Most notable wildlife were the birds: Western, Western-Glaucous-winged hybrid (so-called Olympic) Gulls, Heerman's Gull, California Gulls, Semi-palmated Plovers, and 1 Western Sandpiper. The beach was cleaner looking than previous visits, perhaps because sand was covering debris. Saw little evidence of plastic, styrofoam, or other kinds of human debris. Overall, a very brisk (into the wind) but satisfying walk.   MORE    Semi-palmated Plovers    Description: Small groups of Semi-palmated Plovers forage for food near the driftline. Location: Middle part of mile 288 near driftline Fellow Traveler - W. Sandpiper    Description: One Western Sandpiper hanging out with a small flock of Semi-palmated Plovers. Heerman's Gull    Description: The Heerman's is the gull on the right, with the orange bill and black legs although it appears to be standing on only one of them. YaakovM Dec 16, 2010 2:00 PM   Mid-December walk on mile 288 was mostly delightful. The beach was fairly clean with debris relatively light. Debris noted included more than 8 piles of rope, a few plastic bottles, some plastic bins, and small pieces of plastic and all the debris was at the high tide line or even higher, in the foredunes. The beach itself was scoured with only small rocks on it and no noticeable new driftwood. Birds seen on the beach included seven Western Gulls, 1 Sanderling (unusual because there was a flock of several hundred on the Bay side of the Spit), 3 Western Sandpipers, and 2 Great Blue Herons, fishing in the ocean rather than on the Bay. The weather was pleasant, dry, partly sunny, and overall a relief from the previous many days of rain.   MORE    The Initial View    Description: This is taken from the south end of mile 287, looking north toward mile 288. Stranded Western Grebe    Description: This is the Grebe described earlier in the narrative. The bird appeared unable to move and is not likely to survive. Location: Northern end of mile 287 The Beach on Mile 288    Description: A full view of the beach area of mile 288. The photo depicts the relatively "scoured" look of the beach, with little debris or objects beside sand and small rocks. Location: Southern end of mile 288 The Starting Point    Description: The broken snag noted in right-center of photograph represents the southern end of mile 288. This snag, before it broke off in a storm several years ago, often was a roosting place for a Peregrine Falcon. Now it serves mostly as a landmark. Location: Southern end of mile 288 Herons at Sea    Description: Two Great Blue Herons surprisingly hunting/fishing in the surf rather than the usual marsh/estuary/pond locations. The two stayed together all the time I walked the mile, later flying south to hunt. Location: Mid-point of mile 288 YaakovM Sep 23, 2010 6:40 PM   This was a very late summer (actually very early fall) report on a mostly cloudy, partly sunny day. Wind was steady and moderate from the south and today I did an out and back directly to mile 288 rather than out along Tillamook Bay and back along the beach. The road along the bay was quite muddy and churned up as trucks and heavy vehicles have been using it to get to the south jetty of Tillamook Bay where some kind of construction is going on. No people were seen on the walk and the beach looked clean and little changed. Debris was relatively light although I filled a moderate sized SOLV bag as I walked back. Most of the debris was plastic bottles, other kinds of plastic pieces, some styrofoam, bottle caps, and rope. There were no unusual changes to the beach topography and I included some pictures that show how the foredunes are slowly spreading into the sandy beach area. The notable bird life was a flyby Peregrine Falcon, possibly a first here, and a single Heerman's Gull near the surf. This was definitely a first. There was nothing unusual to report overall, but it was a good walk by which to close out summer.   MORE    Mile 288 Looking North    Description: Taken from the southern end of the mile, depicted is the flatness of this mile, with the hills over Garibaldi in the distance. Location: Southern end of mile 288 Hills Blending into Dunes    Description: Shown here are how the southern end of the mile, relatively hilly off the beach, tapers down to low dunes as one moves northward along the mile. Hills at Southern End of Mile 288    Description: These hills, about 60-100 feet high, compose the terrain next to the beach at the southern end of mile 288. It has long been a goal to hike through up and over them. Location: Southern end of mile 288 Horse Tracks    Description: As noted in the narrative, three horses were ridden before I actually walked the mile. Here are their tracks. An Old Boat Wreck    Description: This portion of a hull and front of a boat has been buried in the northern, sandy part of mile 288 for many years. Slowly it erodes and fades away. Debris Collected    Description: On this trip I happened to be carrying a good-sized SOLV bag, which I mostly filled with plastic bottles, some styrofoam, bottle caps, rope, and miscellaneous plastic pieces. It probably weighed no more than 10 pounds, but felt very heavy after carrying it a few miles. New Dunes Formations    Description: Here one can see the sprouts of new dunes, as the dunes slowly spread toward the beach. Encroachment is slow. Location: Midway through mile 288, in the low foredunes Tide Pools at Low Tide    Description: As I concluded my walk along mile 288, the sun was setting as the tide was moving out. Here are low tide pools, formed after the tide receded. Location: Southern end of mile 288 along the beach. YaakovM Jun 12, 2010 6:15 PM   It was a warm, yet very windy day on mile 288. The parking lot was packed with vehicles but almost no one was on the beach. Most people rode bicycles or walked along the Bay side of Bayocean Spit. Many had dogs and some were camping or carrying camping gear. The shoreline along the beach was almost devoid of anything but sand. There were few rocks, small pieces of wood, shells, or anything in particular. The high tide line had the usual debris: plastic and glass bottles, some floats, miscellaneous human detritus. There was a bit more than usual, possibly because the high winds were blowing off the top layers of sand, possibly exposing debris that had been buried. It's interesting to see how the shore changes with the seasons. Now in the spring of 2010, as mentioned there are few natural objects besides sand. In the past there have been periods with many shells, sand crabs, small rocks or small wood pieces and so forth. Right now the beach is being scoured and cleaned by the wind.   MORE  YaakovM Feb 19, 2010 2:00 PM   It was a beautiful, sunny, almost balmy mid-winter day. Mile 288 was very clean with the occasional small ocean debris, i.e., plastic bottle, strands of rope, pieces of styrofoam. In the drift line were small rocks and the high tide line appeared little changed with the same driftwood formations as seen on previous trips. Mile 287, however, displayed much more driftwood, indicating perhaps that ocean currents come from the north, bend around the jetties leading into Tillamook Bay, and deposit sand and driftwood well south of the jetties, onto miles 286 and 287. Mile 288 is just south of the jetties and so isn't changed as much by winter storms. Human activity was minimal and the best sighting of the outing was the herd of elk along Tillamook Bay, seen while driving onto Bayocean Spit.   MORE    Tillamook Bay    Description: A view to the northeast showing Tillamook Bay and Garibaldi in the distance. Quite a beautiful mid-winter afternoon. Location: Along County road just north of Bayocean Spit parking area Coastal Forest    Description: A shot of the trail going west from the county road on Bayocean Spit to the ocean. Location: Just west of the gate along the county road on Bayocean Spit Trail Markers    Description: The trail markers in the foreground have been placed because there is now so much driftwood on the beach below it's difficult to tell where one needs to leave the beach to ascend to the trail. In the distance can be seen miles 287 and 288 and the south jetty of Tillamook Bay. Location: Ocean end of the trail from the county road and gate on Bayocean Spit New Driftwood    Description: Most of the driftwood seen, on mile 287, was deposited during the winter of 2009-10. The photo is included here because this mile is accessed to get to mile 288. Location: On beach in southern part of mile 287. Bald Eagle On a Perch    Description: This eagle, seen on mile 287, is probably second or third year. I remember when it and a sibling were young and learning from their parents in the same snags a couple of years ago. Location: Tall snags off beach in southern part of mile 287 Northern View of Mile 288    Description: This view is from the southern end of mile 288 looking north toward the jetty. Location: On beach in southern end of mile 288 Dunes On Mile 288    Description: This view toward the northeast shows the dune areas along mile 288. Note the general cleanliness of the beach and relative lack of driftwood compared to mile 287. Location: One quarter mile north of the southern end of mile 288 Debris    Description: The tub and bottles inside represent the largest example of debris I found on the beach this day. Location: Near dunes at 1/3 mile north of the southern end of mile 288 Elk Herd    Description: This elk herd, comprised entirely of cows and young elk, was seen just north of the southern end of the gravel road leading onto Bayocean Spit. The view is to the northeast and Tillamook Bay and Garibaldi can be seen in the distance. Seeing a herd of elk (there were about 25) was a first for me on the spit. Location: Approximately 500 yards north of the southern end of the gravel road on Bayocean Spit YaakovM Sep 1, 2009 6:45 PM   On a beautiful late summer day, I found mile 288 to be in full glory. Human debris was light and nature showed its best side. There was a heavy accumulation of sand and also much seaweed. The sand and seaweed combination resulted in some strange sand formations creating something almost like a lunar scape. I saw three people, two with one dog on a leash (very unusual for the beach)and one person walking alone. There were numerous large prints in the sand indicating the earlier presence of several horses. As noted, Tillamook Bay was alive with birds, especially hundreds of Brown Pelicans. The only uneasy observation was of two men in hunting outfits with bows and arrows. Unfortunately I did not ask if they had been hunting or target shooting. They were coming from the north end of the Bay side of Bayocean Spit.   MORE    Lunar Landscape    Description: Above the high tide line, the piling up of sand is much in evidence. The sand covered everything, forming shapes that left me with the lunar analogy. Location: Foredunes in the northern third of mile 288 Horses Were Here    Description: In the last couple of visits I've seen car tracks. This time I only saw horse tracks, a big improvement since cars are illegal here but horses are not. Location: Midway into mile 288 in hard sand area Sand and Seaweed    Description: There was a heavy sand accumulation as well as much seaweed scattered around under the sand. The picture is worth as least a few more words. Location: Halfway into mile 288, in the beginning of the soft sand area Surf Seaweed    Description: Further evidence of the large amount of seaweed seen in the surf line. Location: Halfway into mile 288, in the surf line Moonrise    Description: This particular shot shows an almost full moon rising over the high, now forested dunes on Bayocean Spit. Location: Just south of mile 288 in the high, forested areas to the east of the beach Sunset on the Spit    Description: Just because it was a glorious sunset, and moonrise, I've included this picture. Location: Southern end of mile 288, taken near the surf line YaakovM Jun 19, 2009 2:15 PM   It was a very late spring, very windy, very rainy day. Visibility was difficult, but the beach appeared scoured. Very little litter was seen and little was evident in the high tide line: small stones, shells (crab, sand shrimp), kelp, but quantities of each were small. No signs of driving, which is good, but some new sign of human activity along the county road, as noted earlier. I will follow up with Tillamook County to see if I can find out why a private property is now posted on the spit.   MORE    A General View    Description: The beach, dune area, and hills in the background, all part of mile 288. Location: Northern end of mile 288, looking south. Who's Your Goat?    Description: Goats browsing in the newly fenced-off area along the county road on Bayocean Spit. Note the posted sign. Location: Along Bayocean Spit county road, about 100 yards south of the first gate, on the west side of the road. YaakovM Mar 19, 2009 12:00 PM   This very late winter visit found no one else there when my daughter and I arrived around noon. Shoreline content was minimal, mostly small rocks. There was little wildlife --- a couple of Western Gulls and that was it. On the way out we spotted an adult Bald Eagle perched on mile 287. The dune area contains some degree of debris, human and natural. One problem is the lack of garbage cans anywhere so all debris picked up has to be carried several miles. I will contact Tillamook County and ask if this situation can be improved. Also, as noted, there were tire tracks again. On this also I'll call the county.   MORE    Mile 288 to the north    Description: Taken from mile 287, view looking north toward south jetty of Tillamook Bay. One man's castle ...    Description: Although on mile 287, this structure has apparently only been in place since summer, 2008. Well equipped and well used by young people based upon the writing left inside. Looking for more debris    Description: My daughter, Natanya, heads off to the dune area looking for more small debris: plastic bottles, rope, floats, etc. Dune area    Description: The dune area contains most of the debris, both human and natural. Floats and wood appear here. Bag lady    Description: Natanya picked up and carried whatever she could. Net result was 16 plastic bottles, a couple of plastic bags, rope, styrofoam floats, and other assorted junk. A great effort as she carried much of the stuff for over five miles. Date: Mar 19, 2009 12:00 AM Tire tracks    Description: For the second straight outing here, I saw tire tracks. These appear to be made by a large SUV or pick-up type vehicle. Hard to tell how they got on beach unless from Cape Meares over three miles to the south. YaakovM Dec 11, 2008 2:15 PM   This was a gorgeous, late fall afternoon at mile 288 where my daughter accompanied me on this visit. Sparkling sun, virtually no wind, and a generally clean beach. Even though debris was light overall, we picked up enough debris and garbage to fill two large SOLV bags. The only concern was the observation of large tire tracks indicating recent driving on this beach, where it is illegal. This is the first time I have seen this on mile 288. In sum, it was a lovely day to walk the beach and enjoy nature's feast.   MORE    A Long Buried Boat    Description: The remains of this boat have been buried in the sand for many years. Slowly the boat is disintegrating and sinking into the sand. Location: In the high-tide zone about 2/3 of the way to the north end of mile 288. Tire Tracks    Description: Vehicles are not allowed on this beach and this was the first time I'd ever seen vehicle tracks. They appear to be relatively fresh and to have been made by a truck of some type. Will need to monitor for this in the future. Location: In the high-tide zone near the middle of mile 288. Mile 288 to the North    Description: This shot predominantly shows the low-tide zone looking north. The beach is very clean and debris appears light. Location: From the mid-point of mile 288 looking north toward the south jetty of Tillamook Bay. Litter Detail    Description: My daughter Natanya picking up a large foam "log". Also note the SOLV bag, partially full, and the balloon, also found on the beach. We also had another full SOLV bag with debris, mostly bottles, styrofoam, and rope/string of various kinds. Location: High-tide zone around the mid-point of mile 288. Looking South    Description: The view is toward the south in the high-tide zone of mile 288. The forested area on the far left indicates the southern end of mile 288. Location: High-tide zone approximately 2/3 of the way toward the south end of mile 288. Looking North on Mile 288    Description: This view shows both the high and low-tide zones on mile 288 when looking north. Other than wood, logs, and kelp, the beach is pretty clean. Location: High end of the low-tide zone about mid-point on mile 288. YaakovM Sep 13, 2008 3:30 PM   Mile 288 was only partially seen as severe weather conditions made it difficult to observe. Fog was very heavy, limiting visibility to maybe 200 feet. Wind was very strong from the north, blowing mist all over this observer's glasses, which made it even harder to see. The beach appeared clean as usual and only small rocks were noted. Debris did not appear evident, but as visibility was so poor, it was hard to estimate. This summertime observation encountered winter-like conditions. One plus is that the beach felt almost mystical in the fog and mist.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 18, 2008 5:30 PM   This was the lowest tide (-0.2) which I'd ever seen at the beach. There were no people present on this beautiful late winter day and the beach was generally very clean. As expected, driftwood amounts at the high tide line were large, reflecting the accumulations of winter storms. Debris was average, consisting of some styrofoam, bottles, wood pieces, plastic, rope, and other ocean debris items. Bird life was sparse: a few Western gulls and one great blue heron. On the Tillamook Bay side of Bayocean Spit, there were many types and large numbers of birds, mostly waterfowl. Leaving the Spit, I passed Meares Lake and saw three river otters playing in the water. It was the first time I'd ever seen otters in this area and it made for a pleasant ending to a beautiful day at the beach.   MORE    In the Dunes    Description: This view is toward the south from within the dunes. The tide is very low (-.2). Location: In the dunes just off the beach about 3/4 of the way toward the north end of mile 288. Glistening Beach    Description: This view is near the surf of a low tide looking south towards the forests at the southern end of Bayocean Spit. Location: At the surf line near the mid-point of mile 288. Sun and Sand    Description: View of the ocean taken in the surf area at a very low tide. Location: Surf area near mid-point of mile 288. YaakovM Dec 14, 2007 3:15 PM   Mile 288 on Bayocean Spit appeared hauntingly beautiful on this mid-December day. Evenly and lightly strewn driftwood, a result of recent storms, lay splayed along the high tide line, adding color and form to the usually plain sandy beach. Several large logs lay scattered at the water's edge, more evidence of storms. Bird activity was quiet as hundreds of Least Sandpipers huddled to wait out the high tide before the receding waters would yield new supplies of food. The quiet, storm-altered beach looked lovely under calm gray December skies.   MORE  YaakovM Aug 11, 2007 5:45 PM   On a beautiful summer day, my companion and I found mile 288 to be tranquil, relatively clean, and unchanged from earlier visits. We were there at low tide and noted the beach had little debris or matter. No kelp of any amount, low numbers of rocks and stones, and human debris was very light. Bird and animal life was also scarce, as noted earlier in the report. All this and yet the parking lot on Bayocean Spit, about two miles away, was packed with over 34 vehicles. Apparently, people park but don't venture very far from their vehicles and the great majority don't take the time and effort to walk the two or so miles north to mile 288. Horseshoe prints were abundant, however, suggesting at least 8-10 riders had been along and around Bayocean Spit earlier in the day.   MORE  YaakovM May 12, 2007 5:15 PM   The beach appeared very clean, as if the work of winter winds and water had done a thorough cleansing. There was almost no debris - I saw no styrofoam, no plastic bottles or buckets and the like. Bird life was abundant both on the beach and along the bayfront, as noted earlier in the report, and otherwise the beach was very quiet and tranquil. As usual, there were no signs of adverse human action. There were three small groups (three or fewer) of people camping along the beach well above the drift line. Things were generally very quiet and looked unchanged.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 16, 2007 5:00 PM   Overall, beach appeared very clean. A couple of debris-filled SOLV bags not yet picked up indicates there may have been a clean-up in the recent past. I will contact SOLV to see if they know there are some bags remaining to be picked up. Conditions were very foggy and there was no animal/bird life at the beach. The light debris included 15-20 plastic bottles, a couple of plastic trays, small amounts of styrofoam, some rope, and one fairly large liquid container. On the Tillamook Bay side, it was not only clearer, but there was much more bird life. Many greater scaup, many bufflehead, several pairs of common merganser and common goldeneye, more than 30 western grebes, a dozen or so surf scoters, wrentits (heard), a whole treetop full of singing red-winged blackbirds, and the usual assortment of gbherons, western gulls, and crows. The beach seemed eerie with all the fog and visibility so limited. Should note that I spoke with one of the three other people on the beach. She and her husband (last name Hallee) are coast-watchers for mile 299. We had a nice chat as I talked to her about mile 288, which I gather she was visiting for the first time. Nice to share the coast with other coast-watchers.   MORE  YaakovM Dec 18, 2006 4:30 PM   Beach was very clean, as if winter storms and high tides had scoured the surface. Rippled dunes, noticed in the summer, were now gone and the beach was very flat. Tide was receding when I arrived. The bay side was spectacular -- birds everywhere...   MORE  YaakovM Jul 23, 2006 6:30 PM   Beach was generally very clean. Some accumulation of kelp (I arrived at low tide), small stones, and light litter. Less than usual. Nothing special noted, but it was wonderful to have to put a sweatshirt on to stay warm in the bracing ocean breeze while it was again 100 degrees in Portland.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 14, 2006 12:15 AM   This visit was made just after a significant low tide and the beach generally looked very clean with no change from the previous visit in February. I walked to the north end of the Bayocean Spit and around to Tillamook Bay. The Bay side also appeared to be clean and without evidence of disturbance. A steady rain on the return walk made it difficult to stop and take long observations.   MORE  YaakovM Feb 15, 2006 2:15 PM   On a mild, mid-winter day, the beach at Bayocean Spit was quiet. Much debris was visible, perhaps as a result of the beach being scoured by winter storms that exposed old, buried debris. On the Tillamook Bay side, Tillamook County workers were bringing in rock fill to repair holes in the County road.   MORE  YaakovM Nov 9, 2005 4:30 PM   A beautiful late afternoon fall day. Little debris was evident and no other people were seen. Bright sun and light wind plus some shorebirds foraging in the surf made for an uneventful and relaxing walk on the beach.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 2, 2005 2:00 PM   Beach was quite clean and looked relatively unchanged. Tide was receding during observation period. Very little debris noticed. There were small dunes in the sand, formed by recent winds.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 20, 2005 1:30 PM   Beach was again very clean and looked similar to previous visits. Tide was pulling out during observation period. Debris was very minor, a piece of netting here or a bottle there. Overall, the beach looked beautiful, quiet, and relatively unspoiled as usual.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 21, 2005 3:45 PM   Observation was at low tide, mid-afternoon. Generally very quiet and, perhaps because of recent storms, there was little debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc.) on the beach. it could have been blown into the dunes behind the beach. Overall, little or no change.   MORE  YaakovM Nov 27, 2004 4:00 PM   Beach seemed very clean, with only a little ocean debris in the high tide area. Saw few birds including several adult and juvenile Western gulls and small flocks (10-50) of sandpipers flying by. Weather was partly sunny, but windy with observations made near low tide. Little on beach except small stones.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 19, 2004 6:30 PM   The beach was peaceful with little sign of human activity. The litter noted was almost all ocean based as some of the glass and plastic bottles had Oriental writing on them. The sky was lightly clouded on this beautiful fall day.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 19, 2004 7:30 PM   Human activity, possibly illegal, was noticeable on this late spring trip. Camping, possibly parking overnight, and setting of fires were all in evidence. The question is how much does Tillamook County allow on the Bayocean Spit and does it enforce its rules?   MORE  YaakovM Feb 21, 2004 3:30 PM   Unidentified species of whale that had been dead for quite a while and was in an advanced state of decomposition. Many gulls were feeding on it. Beach was relatively unchanged from last visit the previous September. There was an accumulation of litter that seemed typical after winter storms. Overall, the litter and debris was light, but it would be good to have a volunteer clean-up like SOLV does in the spring.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 13, 2003 6:15 PM   The beach looked clean with no evidence of change. Litter was generally light: styrofoam here and there, and a plastic bottle or two. The highlight was seeing the young Air Force soldiers building survival shelters out of driftwood as part of their annual training exercise.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 6, 2003 5:30 PM   Conditions generally unchanged. Saw less litter than usual, and it's usually light. Adjacent miles 287 and 289 had more activity: camping on mile 287 plus on the bay side of the spit, and dead birds on each of the other miles.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 30, 2003 4:00 PM   A generally quiet day with no noticeable changes on the beach from last visit in November of 2002. Plenty of shorebirds and two diving ducks with problems. Driftline content and debris was light.   MORE  YaakovM Nov 28, 2002 3:30 PM   A beautiful, sunny, Thanksgiving Day walk. Mile 288 seemed unchanged from last walk. No significant debris and little bird/animal life noted. Beach continues to be peaceful, calm, and unsullied.   MORE  YaakovM Aug 27, 2002 7:00 PM   Beach was very quiet and quite windy. There was little evidence of litter or other human activity. The beach itself is changing. There is more sand in some areas and less in others. In the former, there are dune-like areas where previously it was flat. In the latter, there are new, large pools of water (at higher tides) in areas that were previously sandy.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 2, 2002 5:00 PM   Observed no particular changes since last visit, which was November of 2001. Did note that the County had placed "Trail" signs both along the bay and along the high dune area. Beach and dune area were generally clean, with the usual exceptions of small amounts of probably ocean-based debris.   MORE  YaakovM Nov 24, 2001 2:00 PM   Beach was very quiet. Litter observed was light. Nothing special to note.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 29, 2001 6:30 PM   Mile 288 continues to be very quiet, and beautiful. Because access requires hiking at least two miles from the Bayocean Spit parking lot, it is unlikely that there will be significant change. The only problem that seems to occur are ocean based debris that vary from light to moderate.   MORE  YaakovM Jun 24, 2001 3:00 PM   Tide was somewhat low, but coming in during time of observation. Saw little bird or other life. Noted many sand crabs at the drift line. Most were dead, but some were still moving. Beach was very calm.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 18, 2001 5:30 PM   Observed during low tide on a very windy, very rainy day. Wind blew so hard I could lean into it and it stood me up. Saw no other people and the beach appeared clean and unchanged although observations were difficult to make.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 9, 2000 2:30 PM   Litter was very light and beach was generally very clean. No noticeable changes from last visit.   MORE  YaakovM May 14, 2000 7:00 PM   Nothing unusual to report. Litter was light, mostly in the dunes or well back of the high tide line.   MORE  YaakovM Mar 12, 2000 3:00 PM   Generally beach had small amounts of debris on this cloudy later winter walk. There were several large plastic drums which will have to be removed by some organized force, i.e., Tillamook County or SOLV.   MORE  YaakovM Aug 7, 1999 12:30 PM   On a very rainy day, Carol and I walked along the surf line with few stops because of the inclement weather. The beach looked the same as usual, except much kelp had been deposited by the high tide. Buried in the sand near the foredunes near the north end of mile 288, noticed an old pier - wood with concrete and ropes.   MORE  YaakovM Apr 16, 1999 7:00 PM   Beach looked normal on a gorgeous spring day. Light debris plus one magnificent adult bald eagle that landed on the beach.   MORE  YaakovM Sep 15, 1998 4:30 PM   Nothing unusual on beach. Walked north along the hard sand to the south jetty of Tillamook Bay and then walked back south along the low dunes abutting the beach. Noted light debris and garbage.   MORE  YaakovM Dec 31, 1996 2:00 PM   Extremely windy winter walk. Noted more human debris than usual, perhaps because of the stormy, windy conditions. Debris noted was plastic bottles, some bags, and metal drums. Also saw planks attached to each other like from the side of a boat. The natural features of the mile seemed unchanged.   MORE  YaakovM May 26, 1996 5:00 PM   This was my first visit to mile 288 after adopting the mile early in 1995. Some of the dynamics of the mile are 100% sandy beach in the intertidal zone, approximately a 300 foot wide intertidal zone, a 100% sandy high tide zone, and 100% of the beach is flat or only has a slight rise. None of the mile has any man-made structures. The upland adjacent to the shore is 100% vegetated dunes backed in part by bluffs that rise 20-50 feet above the high tide line. All the bluffs are of slight to moderate slope. There are no offshore rock outcroppings or islands or kelp beds visible during low tides. This was the first of many, many future visits to mile 288 on Bayocean Spit.   MORE