Regret & Triumph

Up at 5AM and fed and packed up by 6 when I pulled out of camp. Two trails led out of the Hiker Camp to the south. One was said to be scenic and muddy. The other was the old gravel road which was shorter. I took the road as I had a lot of miles to do today.

When I got down to Indian Beach I had a decision to make. At very low tides in the summer, it is some times possible to get around all the points and outcrops between Indian Beach and Cannon Beach. This avoids a long climb in the forest to bypass the obstacles. Today there was a minus tide and when I finally got where I could see part of Indian Beach. It wasn’t clear that I could make it around the first rocks at Bald Point without getting in the surf. So I chickened out and took the long forest path detour. When I finally got around the the other side of the point I saw that I could have made it. So I decided to have a go at the next big point, Chapman. 

I took the path down to Chapman Beach and struck out across the beach for the point. The tide was now coming in and the surf was serious. There was a small space between a gigantic rock in the surf and the actual point. I headed for the gap. Maybe 20 feet wide. I got there before the waves made it in that far. I thought I was home free, but around the end of the point, was a twenty foot wide pool that the surf was now adding to. I waited for the surf to roll in and then back out and made my move. I strolled quickly across in thigh deep water and got to the other side before the next wave came. I was on Cannon Beach!

The next obstacle was the aptly named Hug Point. Several miles down the coast, the point itself is always in the water, but in the early 1900s a road was blasted just above the low tide line. So if you’re lucky with the tide you can walk the old road around Hug Point. Usually you have to be within an hour of low tide to make it. I arrive 2.5 hours after low tide, but because it’s was a minus tide this morning I was in the nick of time. It was still doable, but about 15 minutes after I got though, the surf was to high. 

So I regret not trying Bald Point, but was successful with the other obstacles. Overall a positive day.

Several miles beyond Hug Point I got to Arch Cape and left the beach to start my climb up to the summit of Cape Falcon a 1000 feet and 4 miles above. My plan was to stealth camp before the top, and I have found a piece of abandoned logging road a mile or so from the summit. I’ve tucked my hammock out of sight of the trail and will continue to the top and beyond tomorrow. 

More tomorrow.

Happy Trails!