Mile 157 - Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake - July 9, 2009

Report Details

A beautiful sunny day for hiking. Not much bird activity anywhere (except the two bald eagles at the oxbow); saw very few birds on Tahkenitch Creek, and not many even on the ocean. Not a lot of garbage on the beach (some, such as ocean-borne plastic bottles, etc.), some kelp and crab shells and other shells, etc. Overall an uneventful walk on Mile 157, but it ended with my first overnight on Mile 157; I camped just above the creek, just off the trail a short distance inland from the trailhead at the south end of my mile. It was Day 3 of my 13-day backpack from Yachats to the California state line. From the top of the foredune, I got to watch the sun set in a clear sky and settle into a shallow bank of clouds on the horizon. Woke at 1 a.m., thinking it was morning, but it was just the just-past-full moon shining through the walls of my ultralight tent. Then sometime in the next few hours the weather changed; I woke in the early morning to light rain. And packed up and headed south.

Conditions

Temperature: 70 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 6.8 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 5. I did not see the parking lot; I arrived and left on foot, via the beach. The only people I saw was a party of hikers at the oxbow on the Tahkenitch. They were sliding down to the creek and trekking back up the steep sand bank, entertaining young friends from overseas.

Notable Wildlife

Two bald eagles in the tall spruces at the oxbow on Tahkenitch Creek. Not a lot of bird activity on ocean or creek (saw no pelicans, for instance).

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Shells. The usual light summertime drift mix.

Actions & Comments

Sand volume very high; foredune easy to access. No sign of boat (Sanak).

bzenderson

CoastWatcher

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