Mile 288 Report

December 14, 2007
by YaakovM

Location:
Tillamook
Bayocean Peninsula, Kincheloe Point
Conditions:
Friday 3:15 PM
Cloudy
48° F
Wind:
Calm/Light from the S
Tide Level:
6.1 ft
Humans / Pets:
People:
1
Dogs:
1
Activities:
Walking / Running:
1
Concerns:
Disturbances:
Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs
Vehicles:
Cars/Trucks parking:
2
Activity Comments:
Noted 300+ Least Sandpiper, mostly huddled in groups, facing into wind. Unusual in that the birds were mostly not moving at all. Birds may have been huddled because it was right at high tide and opportunities to hunt for food may have been limited at that time.
Notable Wildlife:
One Pacific Loon, several Western Gull, already noted 300+ Least Sandpiper, mixed flock of 30 or more Western Sandpiper and Sanderling, 9 Great Blue Heron standing in surf near water's edge on beach. Herons may have been at the ocean rather than bay because of very high tide.
Dead Birds:
Total:
0
Stranded:
Total:
0
Fish & Invertebrates:
Driftline:
Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.)·Small rocks·Wood pieces
New Development:
Modifications:
Natural Changes:
Comments:
Beach was cleaner than usual in terms of human debris, but there was much more driftwood. Strewn lightly and evenly all along the high tide line were small to medium size pieces of driftwood. Closer to water's edge were several very large logs or pieces of logs. Human debris was limited to some plastic items, rope pieces, and one oddly located baby bottle.
Summary:
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.
Other Mile 288 Reports (51)

2015

February 24, 2015 - YaakovM
Mid-winter day that seemed like spring. No people seen, a few birds, and the beach was, as usual, pretty clean. But there was a little more garbage than usual and there were several piles of debris...
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  • Debris pile located at northern end of mile 288, just inside dune area. The pile is located just across from the marker showing access to a trail that leads to the Bay.
  • This temporary trail marker is about 10 feet south of debris pile no. 1 and is a good locator for the pile.
  • Another debris pile carefully collected, also located just inside dune area and not far from ocean as seen.
  • Another collected pile of debris, located about 300 yards south of debris pile no. 2. The photo shows the pile is not well protected from wind.
  • One more pile of collected debris. This one is near the southern end of mile 288 and is fairly exposed, as the photo depicts.
  • This appears to have been a seal. There were 14 crows picking at it, as the footprints make clear. The carcass is actually at the northern end of mile 287, just south of my mile 288.

2014

October 2, 2014 - YaakovM
Beautiful early fall afternoon. Very low human activity. Did see one fellow walking with a bike on the way from the beach to the dunes near the north end of the mile. Appeared as if he might be...
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  • This is a view looking south showing the southern 3/4 of mile 288.
  • Looking to the north viewing the northern 1/4 mile of mile 288.
  • This shot shows the density of dried kelp and small rocks on the beach this day.
  • This is another attempt to identify where the trail is when one is on the beach. The is the last cross-dune trail on the northern end of Bayocean Spit.
  • This is a view from the southern end of mile 288. It shows the entire mile looking north.
  • A shot of the meandering wrack line showing the small rocks, dried kelp, small stones, and pieces of shell.
  • Here is a shot of the mentioned bags of garbage picked up by SOLVE volunteers. Will call to be sure these bags are removed.
June 21, 2014 - YaakovM
Beautiful end of spring, beginning of summer day. Large numbers of vehicles parked but few people seen on beach or walking on trails. Apparently quite a few people are camping on Bayocean Spit even...
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  • One side of the full parking lot - 46 vehicles including 2 horse trailers and 2 construction excavators.
  • Showing some of the European Beach Grass moving into the dry sand area.
  • Another look at the beach grass, showing it flowering.
  • A shot taken looking south in the dune area behind the foredunes along mile 288.
  • There are more than 32 vehicles parked at 8:30pm, few people on the beach or trails. Where are they? Probably mostly camping.
March 22, 2014 - YaakovM
This was a very late (actually second of spring) winter walk. Beautiful late afternoon sun, but very windy. Walked up somewhat protected bay side and saw numerous waterfowl: Western Grebe, Surf...
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2013

July 12, 2013 - YaakovM
Early summer walk on a cloudy, then clearing day. The beach was very quiet and my daughter and I walked along during the early afternoon flood tide. Saw the bones of a long dead sea lion and the...
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  • Long buried bones of sea mammal, possibly small whale or sea lion.
  • This is a picture of the head of a gull, probably a Western or Western/Glaucous-winged hybrid. The bill and gonys angle can be clearly seen. Probably an adult gull. Head was covered by much sand.
  • These are the wings of the gull described in the previous picture. The wings lay with two feet of the head.
  • This picture was taken about 2/3 of the way to the north end of mile 288. The view was from the fore dunes at the back of mile 288 looking south towards Cape Meares.
  • This picture was taken along the beach looking north toward the jetties into Tillamook Bay.

2012

August 17, 2012 - YaakovM
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...
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  • Looking north one sees a broken string of piles of kelp. A bit unusual.
  • 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.
May 11, 2012 - YaakovM
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...
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  • 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.
  • This shot indicates how little debris there was and how clean the dune area appeared.
  • 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.

2011

July 23, 2011 - YaakovM
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...
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  • Small groups of Semi-palmated Plovers forage for food near the driftline.
  • One Western Sandpiper hanging out with a small flock of Semi-palmated Plovers.
  • 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.

2010

December 16, 2010 - YaakovM
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...
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  • This is taken from the south end of mile 287, looking north toward mile 288.
  • This is the Grebe described earlier in the narrative. The bird appeared unable to move and is not likely to survive.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
September 23, 2010 - YaakovM
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...
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  • Taken from the southern end of the mile, depicted is the flatness of this mile, with the hills over Garibaldi in the distance.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • As noted in the narrative, three horses were ridden before I actually walked the mile. Here are their tracks.
  • 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.
  • Here one can see the sprouts of new dunes, as the dunes slowly spread toward the beach. Encroachment is slow.
  • 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.
June 12, 2010 - YaakovM
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...
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February 19, 2010 - YaakovM
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...
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  • A view to the northeast showing Tillamook Bay and Garibaldi in the distance. Quite a beautiful mid-winter afternoon.
  • A shot of the trail going west from the county road on Bayocean Spit to the ocean.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • This view is from the southern end of mile 288 looking north toward the jetty.
  • 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.
  • The tub and bottles inside represent the largest example of debris I found on the beach this day.

2009

September 1, 2009 - YaakovM
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...
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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Further evidence of the large amount of seaweed seen in the surf line.
  • This particular shot shows an almost full moon rising over the high, now forested dunes on Bayocean Spit.
  • Just because it was a glorious sunset, and moonrise, I've included this picture.
June 19, 2009 - YaakovM
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...
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  • The beach, dune area, and hills in the background, all part of mile 288.
  • Goats browsing in the newly fenced-off area along the county road on Bayocean Spit. Note the posted sign.
March 19, 2009 - YaakovM
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...
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  • Taken from mile 287, view looking north toward south jetty of Tillamook Bay.
  • 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.
  • My daughter, Natanya, heads off to the dune area looking for more small debris: plastic bottles, rope, floats, etc.
  • The dune area contains most of the debris, both human and natural. Floats and wood appear here.
  • 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.
  • 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.

2008

December 11, 2008 - YaakovM
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...
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  • The remains of this boat have been buried in the sand for many years. Slowly the boat is disintegrating and sinking into the sand.
  • 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.
  • This shot predominantly shows the low-tide zone looking north. The beach is very clean and debris appears light.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
September 13, 2008 - YaakovM
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...
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March 18, 2008 - YaakovM
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...
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  • This view is toward the south from within the dunes. The tide is very low (-.2).
  • This view is near the surf of a low tide looking south towards the forests at the southern end of Bayocean Spit.
  • View of the ocean taken in the surf area at a very low tide.

2007

August 11, 2007 - YaakovM
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...
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May 12, 2007 - YaakovM
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....
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March 16, 2007 - YaakovM
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...
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2006

December 18, 2006 - YaakovM
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....
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July 23, 2006 - YaakovM
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...
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June 14, 2006 - YaakovM
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...
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February 15, 2006 - YaakovM
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...
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2005

November 9, 2005 - YaakovM
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...
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September 2, 2005 - YaakovM
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.
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June 20, 2005 - YaakovM
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...
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March 21, 2005 - YaakovM
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...
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2004

November 27, 2004 - YaakovM
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....
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September 19, 2004 - YaakovM
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...
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June 19, 2004 - YaakovM
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...
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February 21, 2004 - YaakovM
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...
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2003

September 13, 2003 - YaakovM
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...
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June 6, 2003 - YaakovM
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...
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March 30, 2003 - YaakovM
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.
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2002

November 28, 2002 - YaakovM
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.
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August 27, 2002 - YaakovM
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...
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June 2, 2002 - YaakovM
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...
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2001

November 24, 2001 - YaakovM
Beach was very quiet. Litter observed was light. Nothing special to note.
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September 29, 2001 - YaakovM
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...
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June 24, 2001 - YaakovM
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...
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March 18, 2001 - YaakovM
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...
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2000

September 9, 2000 - YaakovM
Litter was very light and beach was generally very clean. No noticeable changes from last visit.
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May 14, 2000 - YaakovM
Nothing unusual to report. Litter was light, mostly in the dunes or well back of the high tide line.
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March 12, 2000 - YaakovM
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...
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1999

August 7, 1999 - YaakovM
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...
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April 16, 1999 - YaakovM
Beach looked normal on a gorgeous spring day. Light debris plus one magnificent adult bald eagle that landed on the beach.
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1998

September 15, 1998 - YaakovM
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.
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1996

December 31, 1996 - YaakovM
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...
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May 26, 1996 - YaakovM
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...
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