Mile 204 Report
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
July 29, 2020
Driftwood Wayside is open again after remaining closed beyond the COVID restriction period due to construction scheduled to begin on the PacWave South wave energy project (see my report for 6/6/2020).
Report Details
Driftwood Wayside is open again after remaining closed beyond the COVID restriction period due to construction scheduled to begin on the PacWave South wave energy project (see my report for 6/6/2020). The work was apparently postponed, but things look to be starting now judging by the surveying equipment in the parking lot, so the wayside may close again to vehicles. For those who venture beyond the warning signs at the pathway leading down to the beach, long stretches of what had been flat sand have been transformed by the summer north winds and blowing sand into a mini-Sahara of sculpted dunes. It will be interesting to see how this changes when the winter winds from the south come even stronger.
Conditions
Temperature: 58 F. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 4.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 30. Number of dogs: 10. Walking or running: 20. Sitting: 10.
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 25.
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells.
Natural Changes
New sand dunes
Driftwood dunes closeup
Driftwood dunes closeup
Driftwood Wayside warning sign
Survey equipment, Driftwood Wayside parking area
Report Images
Jon French
CoastWatcher
All Mile 204 Reports
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Mile 204 isn't my usual mile, so I've waited to walk it again until work resumed on PacWave South's wave energy testing project at Driftwood Beach Wayside. https://pacwaveenergy.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Today marked my latest sighting of the old growth driftwood log that I've admired and whose comings and goings from Driftwood Beach I've documented since June 2020, when I first photographed it high on the beach south of Buckley Creek.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
I had read that the 265-foot vessel Seacor Lee would be anchoring a mile off Driftwood Beach in support of OSU's PacWave South wave energy testing project, positioned so that divers from the ship could perform work on previously installed seafloor conduits.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
I haven't walked Driftwood Beach regularly since the PacWave South wave energy project completed work underground in the Driftwood parking lot.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
By the time I got to Driftwood Wayside, a lot of people had already arrived for their New Years Day beach walks, some 30 vehicles in the parking lot and 30 - 40 people down on the beach, accompanied by at least half as many dogs, almost all leashed.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
This was probably the last dependably dry Mile 204 walk before the rains begin in earnest.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
After the morning fog lifted and before the marine layer moved in, I walked from Seal Rock on Mile 205 to Beach Access 66C on Mile 203.
Jon French
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Driftwood Wayside is open again after PacWave's departure, but I was the only visitor on this breezy, drizzly day.
Jon French