Ocean view hikes

The other day I wrote about what to do while staying at The Craftsman B&B, it was mostly driving and a little hiking, unless you ventured out to the end of Cape Lookout. Today will be more hiking and less driving as we point you south of Pacific City towards bluffs overlooking the ocean. Then to a short beach adventure.

Head out to highway 101 and turn right toward Lincoln City. About 2 miles down, turn in to the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The road leads you to the first, overflow parking lot and a gate. Go through the gate and follow the narrow road up the hill to the second lot. Here you can park and take the short hike on the trail up to the viewing platform near the top of the hill. Watch for songbirds in the grasses as you work your way up to the platform. Binoculars are good to have, but you will still see birds. Watch the tree groves as well for hawks resting on the outer branches. On the platform you get great views of Cape Kiwanda, Haystack Rock and the Nestucca Bay.

The next hike to the Nature Conservancy Trail in the headland meadows is further south on 101. You will drive through Neskowin and over the summit of Cascade Head. Then at the base of the hill, turn right on Three Rocks Road for 2.2 miles and turn left to the parking lot of the Savage Park boat ramp.

The lower Nature Conservancy Trail is a moderate 4.2-mile hike, gaining 1200 feet of elevation. Let’s head out, the trail crosses Three Rocks Road and traverses the woods above Savage Road. Just into the hike, ignore a side path to the left that leads to an old trail head. The main trail climbs through a forest of large, gnarled spruce to a meadow with a breathtaking view across the Salmon River estuary. In the distance are Cape Foulweather and Lincoln City's Devils Lake. Then the path steepens and climbs to an upper viewpoint, the recommended turnaround spot.

Cascade Head information:
Cascade Head is the tip of a 300-mile-long Columbia River basalt lava flow that erupted near Idaho about 15 million years ago and puddled up at the seashore here. The panoramic bluff-top wildflower meadows were threatened by commercial development in the 1960s, but fans of the wild headland rallied to purchase the fragile area and donate it to the non-profit Nature Conservancy for preservation. Ironically, the impact of up to 10,000 nature-loving visitors a year now threatens the meadows' ecology. As a result, two of the trailheads are closed for six months of each year, pets are banned, and hikers are urged to stay on existing trails. Flower picking, hunting, camping, fires, bicycles, and dogs are banned at Cascade Head. The easy, upper trailhead to the headland meadows is closed six months of the year to protect threatened Oregon silver spot butterfly caterpillars. Even if you hike here from the lower trailhead (open all year), please stay on the trail. Even spreading out a picnic may inadvertently trample the meadow's rare checker mallows, 5-petaled pink wildflowers, or the violets that serve as food for the rare caterpillars. In summer expect white yarrow, plumes of goldenrod, tall pink foxglove, and Indian paintbrush.

Back in the car to highway 101 and head north to Neskowin Beach and Proposal Rock. Turn left into this tiny village and work your way west and south on the roads to the beach. Proposal Rock is where you are headed, be prepared to get your feet wet as a creek runs through the center of this beach. Named for a turn-of-the-century marriage proposal here, this tall, near-shore monolith at Neskowin Beach is a great place for a short walk to and around, if tide permits. Walking to the south at low tide and you will see the remains of the ghost forest. Buried until the December Storm of 2008 when unusually high winds and surf eroded the beach to uncover the long lost forest. Be smart out here, sneaker waves and the incoming tide have claimed many lives at this beach!

Head back to 101 north to Pacific City, I'll will be waiting for your return. Will you need a bottle of bubbles to celebrate a proposal?  I look forward to your recap of the hikes, being an upland bird dog, I'm not allowed on preserve land.

Harvest Festival

Today is the 26th annual Harvest Festival at the Neskowin Valley School.  Starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 5 p.m. you will find all sorts of things to see and do.  Located 2 miles off Highway 101 on Slab Creek Road, just South of Neskowin, Oregon.

The main fund raiser for the school is the silent auction.  You can bid on a night at The Craftsman B&B's Prairie Room.  We have bid on golf and dinner gift certificates, wine and art in the past.  They have had a stay in a New York City apartment for a week, other great vacation spots as well.  The items get creative, something you would never think of bidding on like a load of bark dust, an hour of bobcat work, yard work, plus the usual arts and craft items.  There is also a quilt raffle and a wine auction.  Here is a hint, as most people have Blackberry's, iPhone or iPhoney as I like to call the knockoffs, look up the wine online before you bid to make sure the value is there.  You can always risk it, the money goes to the school.  The bakery cafe will be serving food as well at different vendors.  There is children's activities, live music, craft vendors and fun for all ages.

We hope to see you there, TODAY!  We will also be at the Nestucca Bay Refuge opening.

Find out more about the school here.

Winema Beach

Shh, it's a secret beach.  Located south of Pacific City and north of Neskowin is another place I'd like to tell you about.  I'll keep the exact location and how to access a secret, you'll have to visit me at The Craftsman B&B to get directions.  This is a great out of the way spot Mike and I visited the other day.  Mike has seen it on Google Maps but didn't know how to get there, so after the guests check out, we went exploring.

About 1/4 of a mile north of the access there is a rock stack, just like Haystack Rock in Pacific City and Proposal Rock in Neskowin.  It's tiny and easily accessible.  We stopped for a rest in the shade.  The beach didn't have much hard sand and I don't like to walk near the water so we were in the soft sand most of the way.

We kept walking North as it was such a great day.  Up on the cliff we saw our friend John's house.  He has a dog named Oscar, a St. Bernard.  I haven't met him yet, maybe some day I'll go over and play.  That's the house on the hill in this photo.  Look at all the drift wood that has collected.  A beach combers paradise.

Just a little farther up the beach we found this totem.  Say hello to my little friend.  When I say my friend, I made it mine, if you know what I mean, I am a male dog BTW.

We walked up the the bar of the Nestucca River. This is a dangerous spot. It looks like it's no big deal but boats and lives are lost here every year. Hanging out at the end of the sand spit dividing the ocean and bay are seals, on the left of the picture, they're taking a rest from munching on the fall Chinook salmon coming into the bay. Looks nice and calm right?

Well Mike turned 90º to the North and this is what it looked like. Remember, this was a very calm day.

You can see Haystack Rock, Cape Kiawanda and in the distance Cape Lookout.