Our last overnight trip in Oregon was to Cannon Beach. Guita loved the beach, but she thought the ocean - especially the waves! - was a little scary. Her lessons: tide pools are unspeakably scary, and seagulls aren't really birds unless they're already flying (such a waste!).
Ian, Guita, and I went overnight to the Oregon coast, a wonderfully beautiful place. We stayed in Cannon Beach and climbed Saddle Mountain, the highest accessible peak in the northern Coast Range, on our way out. Saddle Mountain is about 3200 feet, and the hike is 2.5 miles one-way. The hike gains 1600+ feet in 2.5 miles, so it's a steep climb. We were all wrecked at the end of it, but we had a wonderful time!
Hear hear!
The light on Saddle Mountain was spectacular. All the still-green leaves were glowing, set off by the silver or rich brown trees and the higher canopy plants. Some leaves were changing (see below), further highlighting the intensity of the green.
Silver trees and fall colors. It was stunning!
Looking out into the Coast Range. We had a beautiful day for the hike even though it was a bit hazy.
Huckleberries! Wild red huckleberries! We have a giant stump of the same kind of huckleberries in my parents' yard, and they're wonderful. A small section of the trail was nearly a huckleberry forest. I took a lot of pictures....
Cool rock plants.
And some brave little fall flowers still blooming. This hike showcases the variety of Oregon's flora and climates!
Out of the trees and still climbing....
A good chunk of the trail doubles as a stream bed. It's tricky walking, but the extra traction provided by chain link fence helps a bit!
Nearly to the top. This hump is the last stretch. It's about 0.25 miles, but it feels like a marathon. The view from the top makes it all worthwhile!
Looking north/ northwest from the top we saw the mouth of the Columbia River and the town of Astoria, famous for being the site of The Goonies. We went to Astoria for dinner the second night on our way back to Estacada.
Looking west from the top of Saddle Mountain, we saw Mt St Helens (left) and Mt Hood (right) with its top covered by clouds. The clouds were moving fast and the illuminated mountain kept changing. It was very pretty.
Again looking west, we saw Mt Adams, one of Washington's Cascade peaks. It looked close enough to touch.
We all made it to the top! It was super windy and quite cool, but it was worth every minute of knee-breaking pain. Guita was never so happy to see dog treats and a water bowl! Just behind us are Mt Hood (OR) and Mt St Helens (WA).
The ridgeline.
The season was perfect, and the mix of evergreens with color-changed leaves was beautiful!
She who snaps the bestest walks the lastest, and I saw something along these lines at nearly every switchback, up and down. Guita does not like waiting once she's on a hike, and her tolerance for lollygagging is low. But, she's a dog, so she's always happy to see me!
More pretty trees!
More huckleberries! On the way down - even though it was downhill - I was moving more slowly than Ian and Guita. I kept about one switchback away from them until we got to the huckleberry forest, and then I lost them completely. Ian failed totally to gaze up at the sky through the huckleberries and appreciate the different greens, grays, and browns in the forest. On the other hand, we now have more photos of huckleberries than anybody needs, and they both had to wait while I dallied. It's all about perspective!
Such pretty trees!
After her hike, Guita crashed in front of the gas fire. She almost didn't want to come to bed. We were all feeling more or less that way.
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Guita had never been to the beach, so after a bit of a rest, we went for a short walk along the water. She was nervous at first, but pretty soon she relaxed and started to enjoy it!
Off the leash and starting to feel silly on the beach. Guita loved the beach and ran great circles, kicking up her heels and stretching out to really run. Oddly, she didn't get excited about the seagulls: apparently little brown birds are more her speed than big scary gulls are.
Dog getting ready to run!
Running dog!
Some things are just plain scary. We never quite got over tide pools and rocks on the beach.
Some running was inspired by the beach, the fresh air, and the birds. Other running was inspired by the more immediate engagement of Ian pretending he was going to get her!
Looking south from Ecola State Park.
Looking south towards Cannon Beach from Ecola State Park. The big rock is Haystack Rock. According to popular literature in Cannon Beach, Haystack is the world's third largest monolith. Beacon Rock in Washington state also claims to be one of the biggest. A quick google search says otherwise. Perhaps we're missing the qualifier: third largest partially submerged monolith, or third largest pointy-topped monolith. Any guesses?
Looking north at Ecola State Park.
The arch rock off Ecola State Park.
In Seaside, Guita had her picture taken with Ian and Lewis and Clark. Seaside is where they turned around, and theoretically the statue marks the spot.
Our last stop along the coast was Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia and the last city before Washington state. We climbed the 168 steps of the Astoria Column to get the view (spectacular!) and then went to happy hour at a cool place on the water. It was a fun trip!
Looking south into the Coast Range from the top of the Column. One of those peaks is Saddle Mountain. You can see the clear cut damage (logging) all around.
Astoria as seen from the top of the Astoria Column. Astoria considers itself the first "American town" founded on the Pacific coast (1811). It was very rich in the fur trading days and is the site of The Goonies movie from the early 1980s. Hooray Oregon!
And we blocked up another perfectly good view with our great heads. But this is the proof that we were there, together, and having a good time!
The Willy Wonka-esque top of the stairs in the Astoria Column. It was very pretty in the sun!
