Report Details

The recent King Tides and storms have washed away the low sand dunes that formed over the summer seaward of the vegetated dunes south of Buckley Creek, which now flows onto the beach like a real creek. Adjacent to the creek, the driftwood log on which people had left little stones inscribed with the names of departed loved ones has floated a bit north on the tides but still holds the remembrance stones. The Buckley Creek lean-to, recently rebuilt and fortified, is again now in ruins. North of Driftwood Wayside, a new log has washed up high on the beach, a new arrival I think because of its mysterious globs of sandy but soft and slightly moist globs of something that looks to be from the sea, maybe something very common, I just don't know what.

Conditions

Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 3.3 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 12. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 12.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 8.

Notable Wildlife

Just a few gulls

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. 1 dead Cassin's Auklet, not yet scavenged on

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea). Driftline varied, not much human debris on beach

Report Images

Buckley Creek lean-to in ruins
Driftwood log with memorial stones
Memorial stones on driftwood log
Buckley Creek lean-to in ruins
New driftwood log looking toward surf
New driftwood log with sea gunk
Dead Cassin's Auklet face up
Dead Cassin's Auklet face down

Report Images

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All Mile 204 Reports

Showing 8 of 56 reports

Mile 204

Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek

August 9, 2024

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

November 19, 2023

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

August 11, 2023

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

June 17, 2023

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

January 1, 2023

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

October 23, 2022

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

August 17, 2022

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

June 3, 2022

Driftwood Wayside is open again after PacWave's departure, but I was the only visitor on this breezy, drizzly day.

Jon French