Mile 204 Report
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
October 23, 2022
This was probably the last dependably dry Mile 204 walk before the rains begin in earnest.
Report Details
This was probably the last dependably dry Mile 204 walk before the rains begin in earnest. The incoming tide covered most of the normally wide beach, the tides now beginning to erode the seasonal summer dunes. I walked from Driftwood Wayside to Fox Creek on the north, then south to Buckley Creek and back, tracking a little north of Mile 204's boundaries in order to keep my feet dry. Despite Driftwood Wayside being so accessible just off Highway 101, there were only a few people and their dogs, mine included, enjoying a beautiful Sunday morning on Driftwood Beach.
Conditions
Temperature: 57 F. Tide Level: 6.5 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 5. Number of dogs: 4. Walking or running: 5.
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 3.
Notable Wildlife
Just a few gulls and crows
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea). The tides have uncovered some sand, revealing debris areas of small plastic pieces, see photo.
New Development
There is no visible PacWave South activity on the beach or Driftwood Wayside parking area. I believe PacWave South is reviewing bids for constructing their collection facility to be located east of Highway 101. See attached photo of this site.
Man-made Modifications
I suppose it was only a matter of time until political graffiti got etched into Buckley Creek's sand bluff, see attached photo. Along the path south of the Driftwood Wayside parking area, the Parks Department has been working to remove the invasive Scotch Broom which crowds out native Kinnickinnick on which the resident endangered Seaside Hoary Elfin butterfly depends. It's a hard job, and a lot of Scotch Broom remains, see photos.
Natural Changes
Some erosion of the low, rolling seasonal dunes on the beach seaward of the more permanent foredune.
Driftwood Beach at almost high tide
Sweetie investigating sand sculpture
Rocky driftline
Big driftwood log, then and now
Taking a break
Small plastic debris pieces uncovered by tides
Politics comes to Buckley Creek sand bluff
Kinnickinnick and pile of cut Scotch Broom
Kinnickinnick and pile of cut Scotch Broom
PacWave South collection facility site
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
