More Cascade Scenes

Wintry Mount Hood towers above the Cascade forests. I don't get up to Oregon much this time of year...usually I go in summer, and the mountain gets rather bare at that time.

Zigzag Falls rushes through the mountains. Notice the tree on the island in the middle of the cascade.

I hiked up to Hidden Lake yesterday. There is plenty of snow at the lake, 3800 feet elevation. But there's none below 3600 feet, which is a high snow line for the end of February.

Down at 1500 feet, moss grows everywhere. This is along the Salmon River. Those fish actually do swim up this stream in early fall...I need to come back in September and check it out.

Winter Scenes in Oregon

Last weekend, I stayed at a fine motel in Yachats, about halfway up (down) the Oregon coast. The room was only a few yards from the surf, and there is a great coastal trail that winds along the shoreline for a couple miles...perfect for a stroll.
On Monday morning there was a brisk offshore wind blowing, bringing sunshine and throwing spray off the breakers. I need to explore this section of the coast more. When growing up in Portland, we usually didn't come this far south when going to the beach; now, living in California, I often don't come this far north up the shoreline. But it's quite spectacular along the central OR coast, well worth a little extra driving.
At lower elevations in late February, spring is starting in Oregon...cherry trees are in bloom. But up in the mountains, it's still serious winter. This is the road to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. Actually, for this time of year the snowpack is not large at all; in a good year the snow would be up to the top of the poles.

The high Cascades are a snow empire in winter. The crystals pile up by the feet, cloaking the landscape with a thick shroud of white. The forest assumes a pristine look. On a snowy day the only prominent colors are white, green, and gray.

The lower slopes of the mountain are covered in rainforest. Here, at only 1500 feet, most precipitation is rain...80 to 100 inches of it. This is a moss empire. It's ghostly and beautiful.

The Oregon countryside is quiet in February. At lower elevations temperatures are mild, and good, uncrowded exploring is possible. I found this covered bridge on a side road near Alsea, in the Coast Range between Waldport and Corvallis.

Coastal Sunsets

There are several historic bridges along highway 101 on the Oregon coast. They were mostly built in the 1930s by Conde McCullough, who had a reputation for constructing fine spans in the Art Deco style. This one spans the Siuslaw River in Florence.

On Sunday I had a fine room at the Fireside Motel in Yachats. As you can see, it's absolute oceanfront! This would be a dramatic spot to hunker down during a winter storm. I'd love to see one from here. Very comfy motel...highly recommended! An exceptionally scenic shoreline trail, the 804, leads to a long beach about a half mile to the north.

Last Saturday, my trip from Eureka to Gold Beach was done under overcast skies all the way... except for a thin break in the clouds near the horizon at sunset. This was the view from my motel room. I always stay at the Gold Beach resort...great value for the view!

Here's the sunset the next day from my balcony at the Fireside Motel in Yachats. Sometimes life sucks, and sometimes it surely doesn't!

Sunny Sunday on the Oregon Coast

Yesterday was a grand Sunday on the Oregon coast, with brilliant sunshine and mild weather in the upper 50s. Though winter is usually wet and stormy, every year there are a few warm, dry spells, and I was lucky enough to hit one on this day. This is a coastal scene near Bandon.

Face Rock, off the beach at Bandon. The face, oriented looking toward the upper right of the picture, has been venerated since Indian times.

Battle Rock, on the beach in central Port Orford. In 1851 a handful of wouldbe white settlers came ashore here, intent on setting up shop on Indian land. The local tribe understandably took exception to this move and besieged the settlers on this rock for about a week, until reinforcements came and chased the Indians away. The Indians were dispersed farther up the coast...the usual bad ending. But a century and a half later, the locals are finally getting their due. Now the Indians have casinos all over the place and are finally getting compensation from the whites...voluntarily, no less!

The Oregon Dunes, between Florence and Coos Bay, are an interesting blend of desert and rain forest. There are islands of trees amidst the sand, like the one above. Yet, vast seas of sand are found in between the trees. And of course, it's hardly ever hot...usually the temperature ranges from the 40s to the 60s. It's quite surreal to stomp around the dunes and absorb the sun, sand, sea, sky, and forest.

Hard to believe this spot gets about 80 inches of rain a year. By the way, for awesome dune pix from above, go to Google Earth 5, then to the Empty Quarter in Southeastern Saudi Arabia. There are some hi res areas and the dunes in them form absolutely surreal patterns.

In the Redwood Forest

Flowers and Victorians

I'm on the road heading north up the coast. The weather has been dry but frequently gray. This makes for good photo ops in serenity mode. One thing I miss in Monterey is driftwood on the beach...there isn''t much. Here, north of Eureka, literally tons of it lie on the sand, as the winter surf washes huge trees into the ocean from the edge of the forest. More wood comes from flooding rivers washing trees into the sea.

This is a closeup of the Carson mansion in Eureka. It's a famous Victorian gingerbread estate, constructed by William Carson, a local lumber baron, around 1885. It's now a very private club, so unfortunately there are no tours. But you can enjoy the ornate facade. Are there even people who can do this kind of woodwork anymore?

Across the street from the Carson mansion sits another fancy Victorian, with a fine cupola.

February is bloom month in California. These flowers were at the I-5 rest area near Dunnigan.

At Clear Lake, I stopped at a county park and was immediately accosted by legions of bludging ducks. No goodies for them...I had no food!

Massive February Surf

Last weekend we had a fairly common winter weather pattern in the Monterey area...a big storm hundreds of miles to the northwest that has no effect on our region except to produce massive surf. It's always neat to go to the confluence of the Carmel River (foreground) and watch its interaction with the surf.

Winter on the Cali Coast

I like roaming up and down the coast at any time of year, but it's perhaps most interesting in winter. The weather is changeable, and rainy, stormy conditions are always dramatic, along with the light. The critters are profuse. It's been a good winter for the elephant sloats. This pic was taken at Point Piedras Blancas on Jan 12. Blow up the pic and you'll see many pups, most born between Dec 21, when I passed thru on my way to Arizona, and the 12th.

The snowy plovers can be seen working the surf line at Del Monte Beach in Monterey on most winter days. They seem to get along fairly well with the larger bird and his friends...I think they're godwits.

The pelicans are very much in evidence, here at the mouth of the Carmel River. It's always neat to watch them cruising just above the surface waves, then divebombing the fish. On one recent morning there must have been close to 300 of them hanging in the lagoon here just inland from the surf.

Last week I drove up the coast, and stopped at the mouth of Gazos Creek in San Mateo county. A front was moving in, and the last bit of sunlight before the storm was spectacular!