Mile 226 Report
Otter Crest, State Wayside
March 18, 2017
March 16th was a rare mostly sunny and calm day for this time of year, attracting a small but enthusiastic group of visitors to the Lookout at the Otter Crest State Wayside.
Report Details
March 16th was a rare mostly sunny and calm day for this time of year, attracting a small but enthusiastic group of visitors to the Lookout at the Otter Crest State Wayside. Views were amazing, as they were from all along Otter Crest Loop on the mile. A few people were stopping their vehicles to enjoy the views. There were essentially no views of wildlife, visitors having to content themselves with tales and photos of prior viewing by the volunteer staff at the Lookout. In terms of physical observations, the waterfalls that were present after the preceding heavy rain were a particular treat. Better observations of these could be obtained from the seaward side. Resistant basalt that makes up the cliffs along this mile limits erosional changes, so commonly there are none to report, but monitoring with a photographic record will continue.
Conditions
Temperature: 46 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Tide Level: 1.5 feet.
Human Activities
Other Activities: People out of vehicles only at Otter Crest State Wayside Lookout.. Only two or three vehicles were parked along Otter Crest Loop Road, and these only temporarily, with nobody leaving their vehicles. Vehicles were parked with people getting out, as previously noted, at the State Wayside near the south end of mile 226. The Lookout elevation here is approximately 500 feet, with no access to the shoreline.
Concerns
Apparent violations: None observed..
Notable Wildlife
None noted.
Stranded Marine Mammals
None noted.
Driftline Content
Small rocks. Note: Drift line must be observed on a distant pocket beach from the Lookout with binoculars or a telephoto lens, so small details of the driftline cannot be seen.
New Development
Nothing noted.
Man-made Modifications
Nothing noted.
Natural Changes
Note that this mile consists of sea cliffs eroded into highly resistant basalt, with little or no change recorded between observations. One item noted that has not been present to the extent observed this time is the presence of numerous waterfalls, a product of heavy rainfall ending the morning of the observation.
Actions & Comments
Photos have been taken as has been usual in prior observations to do comparisons through time. The presence of waterfalls this time has been a departure from prior observations through the years.
Report Images
gsmeyer
CoastWatcher
All Mile 226 Reports
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
No human activity was noted on or near the shoreline, the only activity noted being people driving along Otter Crest Loop, with a few parking for short periods of time at the Lookout at Otter Crest Wayside for the views.
George Meyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
On a nice, fairly calm and partly cloudy day on the central Oregon coast, there were only a few people driving along Otter Crest Loop and even fewer stopping to enjoy the view from the the Lookout at Otter Crest State Scenic Wayside.
George Meyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
It was a very pleasant sunny day and the ocean was calm, so visibility at and slightly below the surface of the ocean was excellent.
gsmeyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
There was nobody observed along the shoreline of mile 226, however there were a number of people driving and stopping along Otter Crest Loop, the roadway that provides excellent overviews of the mile.
gsmeyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
There were no human activities noted near the shoreline, which is usual for this mile, but there was activity at the Lookout, where there were a moderate number of people parking and going to the viewpoints and into the Lookout building gift shop.
gsmeyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
It was a nice day to be observing the coast, what with the moderate temperature, light wind, and clouds that covered the sky thinly.
gsmeyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
Humans were only noted well above the shoreline, specifically at the Lookout, where people parked their vehicles to get out for a few minutes to observe the seascapes.
gsmeyer
Mile 226
Otter Crest, State Wayside
Human activities were essentially confined to those stopping their vehicles on Otter Crest Loop or at the Lookout to observe the views.
gsmeyer