Lincoln City with the family! Part 1

Neskowin, OR, is about 20 minutes north of Lincoln City. It is home to a general store, some gorgeous gardens, and the ghost trees. About 1600 years ago a seismic event dropped the level of the ground enough to drown big sitka spruces up and down the Oregon coast. The stumps were buried in sand and petrified. They were first observed in current memory around Seal Rock, but sand buried them every summer. Then the violent winter storms of 1997-98 and 1998-99 swept sufficient sand out to unbury them to this point, and the summer currents failed to replace the sand. Geomorphologists and geologists do not know why the sand failed to return to Neskowin, but the trees remain exposed at low tide. We were there around 8.30 on a Saturday morning, and it's totally worth the drive. The beach and the petrified trees are stunning and eerie. Nobody knows how long they will be exposed, so any budding geomorphologists should rush to Neskowin!


Family portrait taken by kind strangers who thought we were related to the trees on top of Proposal Rock. Oh well.


Chris and Ian and families (minus Guita, Hugo, and Sammy). Notice how Atty is making me look short on purpose. These punk nephews are getting out of hand!


Molly and Ian - too cute!


Three generations of Zaurs!


Here's the Idaho bunch in a family portrait!


Baz is quite possibly the second cutest non-stump. See below for the cutest.


Here's Ian, the world's cutest non-stump! Note the reflection - the water was stunning that morning!


Looking roughly north from the southern extreme of the beach towards Proposal Rock. The mist was such that it was difficult to distinguish people from stumps!


Three seagulls, sitting on the stumps.


The flock of seagulls didn't move much, but it wasn't petrified.


The stump and the cliff behind it reflected in the still water. It was really lovely with the mist!


Stumps in the tidal waters.


The petrified bark of an ancient tree. This was the smallest stump I saw.


Here's the wood grain preserved in petrification.


Wildlife! Some of the stumps were covered in barnacles, anemones, urchins, and mussels, and some were nearly bare.